Pope Francis Is on a Diet, but He'd Like to Try New York Pizza

And, folks in Philadelphia are creating various Pope-related foodstuffs.

— Pope Francis is stateside for his first U.S. tour, and unlike other travelers who might overindulge at restaurants while on vacation, His Holiness seems to be sticking to a pretty mundane diet. Doctors are limiting him to dinners of fish and white rice, and his in-room snacks are only bananas and still water. Perhaps The Pontiff is making more of an effort to stay in shape after he went on an ice cream bender during his tour of the Philippines earlier this year.

— Although, even the Pope has cheat days. During the New York City leg of his trip, Francis has said he'd like to try a slice of authentic NYC pizza. That being the case, pizzerias across the city are coming up with special pies for the occasion. Some are going with imagery — the Pope's portrait made out of ingredients, a holy cross made out of tomatoes — while others are simply highlighting flavors inspired by the Vatican. There's no word on which pizzeria might receive his blessing.

— Meanwhile in Philadelphia and its New Jersey suburbs, locals are going all out for the Pontiff's visit. Beers from local breweries include Holy Wooder, You Only Pope Once, and Papal Ale. Pastifico, a pasta shop in South Philadelphia, is selling mozzarella shaped like Pope Francis. Asked whether eating cheese in the shape of the Pope might be considered sacrilege, Pastifico co-owner Anthony Messina came up with a clever response: "It's not sacrilegious, it's delicious."

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