Deli owner honors childhood classmate, now the pope, with a sandwich

Dan Weinberger, owner of the popular Grapevine shop. (KTVT via CNN Newsource)

GRAPEVINE, Texas — What do a Grapevine deli and the Vatican have in common?

As it turns out, the man behind the counter at Weinberger’s Deli grew up with the man now wearing the white robes. Now, he’s honoring him the only way he knows how—by naming a sandwich after him.

Dan Weinberger, owner of the popular Grapevine shop, recently added a new item to the menu called the “Il Papa Leo.” It’s a tribute to Pope Leo XIV, who was recently named the first American pope, an announcement that shocked Weinberger for a personal reason.

“An American pope, number one... but number two, we went to grade school together,” he said.

Weinberger and the new pope grew up in the same South Side Chicago neighborhood. They attended the same Catholic school and parish. Weinberger admits they weren’t particularly close, as the pope is a few years older, but his younger brother, Billy, was an altar boy alongside him.

Dan Weinberger, owner of the popular Grapevine shop, recently added a new item to the menu called the “Il Papa Leo.” It’s a tribute to Pope Leo XIV, who was recently named the first American pope, an announcement that shocked Weinberger for a personal reason.

“An American pope, number one... but number two, we went to grade school together,” he said.

Weinberger and the new pope grew up in the same South Side Chicago neighborhood. They attended the same Catholic school and parish. Weinberger admits they weren’t particularly close, as the pope is a few years older, but his younger brother, Billy, was an altar boy alongside him.

Weinberger says it’s been selling like crazy.

“You take a bite out of it, and you put it down... then pretty soon, you don’t put it down,” he joked.

It’s a reminder that even from a small deli in Texas, faith and food can bring the world just a little closer together.

Article by Nicole Nielsen.