The Chicago Bears selected Iowa Hawkeyes center Logan Jones with the number 57 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. That pick came with a special caveat.
For being pick “57,” Heinz 57 has awarded Jones a lifetime supply of free ketchup, as well as a special red jacket. One problem. Jones is headed to Chicago, a city renowned for its dislike of ketchup (on hot dogs, at least).
This is where Chicago entrepreneur Jim Graziano stepped in. The owner of JP Graziano Grocery Company, an Italian sub shop that carries the slogan “Taste Real Chicago,” offered Jones a lifetime supply of giardiniera instead.
For the lesser informed among us (I’ll go ahead and raise my hand here), giardiniera is “a spicy, crunchy Italian condiment of pickled vegetables, like cauliflower, carrots, celery, and peppers, preserved in oil or vinegar, with the Chicago-style being a finely chopped, oil-packed version popular on sandwiches like Italian beef and hot dogs. The name comes from the Italian word for ‘garden.’” Thanks Google!
The Council Bluffs, Iowa native should have no problem adjusting to Chicago cuisine.
