‘The Bear’ Season 4: Here Are the Cameos

“The Bear” returned for its fourth season this week, including plenty of high-stakes restaurant drama along with another series trademark: high-wattage cameos.

The 10 episodes are packed with surprise guests from both the food world and Hollywood. There is a master sommelier who appears to offer advice about wine pairings. There is an Oscar winner who stirs up chaos at a wedding.

These celebrities drop in amid the continuing story of the tormented wunderkind chef Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) and his fine dining restaurant in his hometown Chicago. The new season opens with Carmy and his crew — including his professional partner, Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), and family friend-turned-colleague Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) — reeling from a mediocre review. There is a new ticking clock indicating how long before the Bear’s money runs out. There is also a big wedding and emotional reconciliations.

Here’s who pops up throughout the journey.

Alpana Singh

In the second episode, the Bear’s sommelier, Gary (Corey Hendrix), heads to the Chicago restaurant Alpana to meet with the proprietor, Alpana Singh. If you want to learn about wine, she is a good person to consult: Singh is the youngest woman ever to pass the master sommelier exam. Gary is having trouble figuring out pairings because Carmy constantly changes the menu. Singh tells him Pinot Noir is a “sommelier’s best friend.” She also offers the handy tip that you can drink red wine with fish, explaining that it’s not the redness that gets in the way, it’s the tannins. If you can see through a red wine, it should go well with fish. (Something to keep in mind for your next dinner party.)

Rob Reiner

The only stable part of the Bear’s business is the sandwich window. (Maybe Carmy should have just focused on serving great Italian beef instead of opening up a wildly ambitious fine dining restaurant!) Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson), who runs the sandwich operation, has big ideas for expansion and a new mentor to help him: Albert, played by Rob Reiner, the director of classics like “When Harry Met Sally …” and “A Few Good Men.” (Reiner is also a TV veteran, as the former Meathead from “All in the Family.”) Albert, who appears throughout the season, is a tough talker who wants to franchise out the beef operation — hopefully he’s as good of a businessman as he makes himself out to be.