The Meaning Of C-Folds And Other Lingo On “The Bear”

When season two of “The Bear” concluded and the trailer for the third season of the series dropped, it was clear that Chef Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) was going to be chasing after Michelin stars for the newest iteration of his restaurant. But while the former casual eatery at the center of the show had been transformed into a fine dining concept that embraces chaos cooking, the staff were still slinging sandwiches from a side takeout window during the day, which obviously requires some necessities to be stocked. One of those is the C-folds that Natalie (Abby Elliott) is asked to replenish multiple times in Season 3, Episode 7 of the show.

If you haven’t worked in the restaurant industry, the term C-fold is likely not in your regular lexicon. However, it’s merely a nickname for a mundane good: tri-folded paper towels. With two opposite ends folded inward, these towels are shaped like the letter C when unfolded and viewed from the side. Other common folds for paper towels include a V-fold and a Z-fold. The former is simply folded in half, while the latter has its ends pressed in opposite directions. It’s possible that the show’s restaurant was providing C-folds alongside takeout, but in any commercial kitchen, they could be used for drying up after hand washing or for wiping up spills at a station — pretty much the way you’d use paper towels in your own home.

Since its inception, “The Bear” has introduced viewers to the fast-paced chaos that can exist in restaurants’ back-of-house, but it has also put kitchen lingo front and center. While it may be easier for viewers who haven’t experienced kitchen culture to infer the meaning of frequently used phrases and words like “yes, Chef,” “behind,” and “heard,” other terms may be a little more challenging to decipher. For instance, the term “in the weeds” is often used in kitchens, but it has nothing to do with weeds — instead, it’s a reference to falling behind on orders. And it might be easy for the kitchen to become overwhelmed if they have too many orders “all day.” Contrary to what it sounds like, “all day” means they need to make the orders right now.

Another phrase that seems a little murky is “dying on the pass.” But once you know that “the pass” is the expediting station, it’s easier to deduce that the term is referring to a dish that should have been served, but instead has been sitting on the station. And while you may think it would be a bad idea to yell out “fire” in a kitchen, it’s actually a common way of communicating that the cooking process should begin for a dish.