Humans,
For those who’ve followed Cow by Bear from the early days, Chef ’Po Bear needs no introduction. For everyone else—pull up a chair.
Years ago, ‘Po and I first cooked side by side in a kitchen where the heat was high and the stakes even higher. Eventually, ‘Po wanted to serve a table all his own, and Savannah felt right. The South changed ’Po in the best way. He learned to slow down there—to let the heat, the humidity, and the history set the pace. Mornings at the market, afternoons spent tasting and talking, evenings stretched long around the table. The city taught him that hospitality isn’t just how you cook, it’s how you welcome people in.
After helping bring Cow by Bear Savannah to life,’Po did what he’s always done best when the work is finished: he packed light and took off. This time, on a motorcycle.
For the last few years, ’Po has been crisscrossing the country on two wheels, trading highways for back roads, stopping wherever curiosity (or hunger) took him. From roadside produce stands to backyard crawfish boils, from desert fire pits to foggy coastal kitchens, ’Po collected ideas, techniques, and stories—always listening, always tasting. If there was a story behind a dish, he wanted to hear it. If there was a grill already hot, he’d pull up a chair. Somewhere along the way, he mailed me a postcard that just said, “Tried an umami-style Cincinnati chili in a parking lot. Still thinking about it.”
That’s ’Po.
What never changed—no matter how far he rode—was his voice in the kitchen. Humble food, made with care. Dishes that look simple until you realize how much thought went into them. Meals that don’t shout, but stay with you.
So when we started dreaming up the next Cow by Bear dining experience here in San Diego, there was only one person I wanted beside me. I sent the message, half-expecting it to bounce around the country for a while.
He showed up anyway.
Now Chef ’Po Bear is back at the Cow by Bear table, bringing with him everything he’s learned on the road—filtered through his Savannah years. I owe ’Po more than I can put into words. But I can say this: cooking with him again feels like things coming full circle.
We can’t wait for you to join us in San Diego and experience what happens when the road finally leads back to the kitchen… and two bear chefs.