Try to deny it all you want, but there's nothing sexier than a man who knows how to work the kitchen. Before, chefs were merely hidden figures who created tasty masterpieces behind the scenes — you didn't know what they looked like, but dear god they had a way with food. They were masked artists, but with a spatula instead of a paint brush, and a plate in place of a canvas. Now, chefs are emerging from the shadows (or should we say kitchen), and have gone from unknown figures to hot commodities.
The sudden hottie-fication of chefs is largely thanks to the comedy-drama series The Bear. Starring Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, Abby Elliot, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, the show follows Carmen "Carmy" (Allen-White), a young chef who leaves the fine-dining world to return home to operate a run-down sandwich shop left by his late brother. Allen-White's compelling performance was anything but romantic — in fact Carmy showed numerous red flags and serious signs of much-needed therapy. And yet it has only left an onslaught of thirsty followers who suddenly see chefs as the sexiest people alive.
You can't help but point out the irony that Carmy himself shows no sign of romantic inclination in the show — not a single flirty one-liner or one-night-stand in sight. He's the embodiment of emotional baggage, showing total disinterest in anything sex-related and throwing everything he has into his work — a feat that has the internet drooling with desire.
Perhaps that's where the bigger pop-culture romantic interest in chefs stems from, an appreciation for how such an intense commitment to the job translates as extreme passion. That said, we wouldn't mind seeing what a chef is like outside of their wheelhouse. Ahead of The Bear Season 2 (that premieres June 22, 2023), Allen-White briefly discussed what viewers can expect in an interview for Variety alongside Jennifer Coolidge.
"In the second season, Carmen tries to pursue some joy outside of work, and it doesn’t work out great. These people are working 15-hour days. It didn’t seem real that Carmy could find love," he said.
Even if Carmy fails to be in a relationship for another season, that won't stop TikTokers from creating endless thirst trap edits to shamelessly add to our camera rolls. As we bask in a hot chef summer, check out the sexiest chefs (both real and fictional) who will stand alongside your Allen-White fantasies.
