AMERICA

POPE’S SANDWICH A HIT IN CHICAGO: Restaurant Launches Trend in Hometown of New Head of the Catholic Church!

by Antonije Kovačević17. May 2025.17. May 2025.

In honor of the new head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV – the first Pope from North America, who was born in Chicago – the famous Chicago street food chain Portillo’s has introduced a special sandwich. News of his election last week sparked pride among his fellow citizens, and the sandwich has become a tasty symbol of Chicago’s celebration.

Portillo’s is one of the oldest street food restaurants in Chicago. It was founded in 1963 in the Chicago suburb of Villa Park as a small hot dog stand called “The Dog House.” Over time, it changed its name and developed into a well-known fast-food chain specializing in classic Chicago dishes such as Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, Polish sausages, hamburgers, chicken, and chocolate cake, pastries, and other desserts, writes Index.hr.

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What Exactly is the “Pope’s Sandwich”?

“The Leo” is a variation of the classic Chicago-style Italian beef sandwich – one of the most famous and beloved dishes in Chicago’s street food tradition. “In the name of the gravy, the bread, and the spicy giardiniera – we present The Leo: divinely seasoned Italian beef, baptized in gravy,” Portillo’s wrote below a picture of the sandwich on social media.

The sandwich consists of thinly sliced Italian roast beef, a soft Italian-style roll, gravy, and giardiniera.

Giardiniera is an Italian mix of pickled vegetables, often spicy and seasoned, which is used in Chicago as a classic addition to the Italian beef sandwich. It consists of carrots, cauliflower, celery stalks, green peppers, olives, and pepperoncini or hot peppers – especially in the Chicago version.

The sandwich is available throughout May, which is also Italian Beef Month, and sells for $8.29. It can be ordered at all Portillo’s restaurants and through their online channels.

Community Reaction

Local media and restaurants quickly reacted to this event and began announcing similar promotions themselves. The Wieners Circle restaurant updated its sign in Latin, while the company Obvious Shirts launched themed T-shirts. Bennison’s Bakery in Evanston offered a limited edition of Pope-shaped cookies – also in his honor.

Source: Danas Photo: Pixabay, Instagram, Reuters