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It’s a Pope-apalooza in Chicago.
On May 8, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected pope — the first American pope in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church, taking the name Pope Leo XIV.
His hometown of the Windy City in Illinois, has been celebrating the best way they know how: with food.
Portillo’s, known for its beloved hot dogs and sandwiches, has renamed one of the menu items in honor of the new pope.
The Italian Beef Sandwich at the pope-ular Chicago-based restaurant is now called “The Leo.”
“In the name of the gravy, the bun, and hot giard, we introduce The Leo: a divinely seasoned Italian beef, baptized in gravy and finished with the holy trinity of peppers — sweet, hot, or a combo,” Portillo’s said in a news release.
The sandwich isn’t actually a new menu item — it’s a crowd-pleaser already, typically served by splashing a bit of the local chain’s flavorful, secretly-spiced gravy on it.
“It’s our original sacred sandwich, bold, unapologetically flavorful, and made in honor of a moment that’s historic for Portillo’s hometown,” Portillo’s said in the release.
“Yes, you can really order this,” they added on Instagram.
However, it will be called “The Leo” for the entire month of May, which coincidentally also happens to be Italian Beef Month.
Portillo’s isn’t the only one taking advantage of the new shepherd in town.
Bennison’s Bakery in Evanston is celebrating with limited-edition Pope sugar cookies — “a cookie as divine as the moment.”
The sweet treat is available both in-store and on the bakery’s website.
“Jesus that was fast,” one person quipped on the Instagram post.
Pope Leo VIX was born in Chicago on Sept. 14, 1955.
He is a Chicago native who spent his career ministering to the poor in Peru.
English (US)