Understanding C-Folds and Other Terminology in “The Bear”
As season two of “The Bear” wrapped up and the trailer for the third season was released, it became evident that Chef Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) would be pursuing Michelin stars in the latest season of his restaurant. Although the previously casual eatery featured in the show has evolved into a fine dining venue that embraces chaotic cooking, the team was still serving sandwiches from a takeout window during the daytime, necessitating the stocking of certain supplies. One such item is the C-folds that Natalie (Abby Elliott) is repeatedly asked to restock in Season 3, Episode 7 of the series.
If you haven’t been a part of the restaurant world, you may not be familiar with the term C-fold. It’s simply a colloquial term for a mundane item: tri-folded paper towels. With two ends folded inwards, these towels take on a C shape when viewed sideways and unfolded. Other common paper towel folds include V-folds, which are folded in half, and Z-folds, which have their ends folded in opposite directions. While the restaurant in the show may have been providing C-folds alongside takeout, they can also be utilized in any commercial kitchen for hand drying or for cleaning up spills at any station, much like you would use paper towels at home.
Numerous terms in The Bear may be unfamiliar to viewers, prompting the need for deeper investigation.
Since “The Bear” began, it has introduced audiences to the fast-paced turmoil that often occurs in restaurant kitchens while highlighting kitchen terminology as well. While phrases like “yes, Chef,” “behind,” and “heard” may be easily understood by viewers who have not worked in a kitchen, other terms might be a bit more challenging to grasp. For example, the phrase “in the weeds” often appears in kitchens, but it has no relation to actual weeds — rather, it refers to falling behind on orders. A kitchen can quickly feel inundated when inundated with “all day” orders, which means they need to be completed immediately.
Another expression that could be confusing is “dying on the pass.” Knowing that “the pass” is the expediting station makes it easier to understand that this term refers to a dish that should have been served but has instead been sitting there. And while it might sound ill-advised to shout “fire” in a kitchen, it is regularly used to signal that cooking for a particular dish should commence.
