The Bear, the sandwich spot from the hit FX show of the same name, is the type of restaurant that could only ever exist in Chicago. But for one day only, the team at The Wharf’s contemporary Vietnamese restaurant, Moon Rabbit, is bringing The Bear-themed dishes to D.C.
The show’s super fans can thank Chef Kevin Tien for the offering on Monday, Aug. 22, when Moon Rabbit will sell the Italian Beef, a classic Chicago sandwich that balances roast beef and hot giardiniera (pickled vegetables) on a roll, as well as other dishes featured on “The Bear,” such as risotto, chocolate cake, and housemade Ecto Cooler (minus the Xanax).
The pop-up, dubbed “The Rabbit,” is for one night only, and patrons need to preorder and pick up the dishes they found themselves craving while binging the show.
Demand for the Italian Beef is up thanks to FX’s hit series, which released earlier this summer. Moon Rabbit is making the most of the moment with The Bear pop-up and donating a portion of proceeds from the pop-up to The Giving Kitchen, which provides financial assistance and other support to food service workers in crisis.

“Our kitchen team really loved the show and we really wanted to redo the menu,” Tien told Eater. “It’s very realistic to actually running a restaurant. Almost every episode, we point out that ‘this has actually happened.’”
The show, which is streamed on Hulu, is about a young Michelin-star chef named Carmy who returns to Chicago to run his family’s sandwich shop. In between shots of juicy beef, viewers get a taste of how chaotic and grueling restaurant life can be.
Like Carmy, Tien has his own accolades (he’s made Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs list in 2018) and his restaurant is personal. Moon Rabbit usually offers dishes inspired from his childhood. But for one day only, Moon Rabbit will be “The Rabbit,” as inspired by “The Bear” (and maybe also a nod to the Dr. Seuss classic).
Tien is also known for his activism, including being the co-founder of Chefs Stopping AAPI Hate. The group raised $500,000 during a time of heightened xenophobia against Asian Americans.
Those who can’t make The Bear pop-up, have at least one other Italian beef option around town. Chicago and Detroit-themed bar Ivy and Coney in Shaw has an Italian beef special every Tuesday, and more recently started making their own bread for the sandwich, “because we hate ourselves,” the bar self-deprecatingly noted on Instagram.
Amanda Michelle Gomez