'The Bear' Honored By Illinois As Italian Beef Named Official State Sandwich

FX’s The Bear received a unique honor from the State of Illinois, as they recognized the Italian Beef as the Official State Sandwich.

Series star and Chicago native Corey Hendrix (Gary “Sweeps” Woods) joined state officials in Springfield, Ill. in support of the official Resolution and a press event that included a food truck serving complimentary Italian Beef sandwiches outside the capitol building.

The historic moment was ahead of the premiere of the fifth and final season of the series set for Thursday, June 25 at 9 p.m. ET on FX and Hulu.

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Tracing its origins to the working-class Italian immigrant communities of Chicago in the early 20th Century, the Italian Beef sandwich has been a staple to generations of residents, visitors, and loyal devotees, according to the resolution. The sandwich itself is described as a thinly sliced seasoned roast beef piled high on a sturdy Italian roll, dipped in rich beef au jus, and topped with sweet peppers or spicy giardiniera. The Italian Beef sandwich plays a central role in the acclaimed FX series, which follows the evolution of a family-owned Italian Beef sandwich shop into the fine-dining restaurant The Bear.

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The fifth season picks up the morning after Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Natalie “Sugar” (Abby Elliott) discover that Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) has quit the food industry, leaving the restaurant to them. With no money, the threat of a sale and a torrential storm in their way, the new partners must band together with the rest of the team to achieve one last service, hoping they’ll finally earn a Michelin star. Ultimately, they learn that what makes a restaurant “perfect” might not be the food, but the people.

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The half-hour series also stars Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, Matty Matheson and Corey Hendrix, with Ricky Staffieri, Oliver Platt, Will Poulter and Jamie Lee Curtis in recurring roles.

The Bear was created by Christopher Storer, who serves as Executive Producer alongside Josh Senior, Cooper Wehde, Tyson Bidner, Matty Matheson, Hiro Murai and Rene Gube. Courtney Storer serves as a Culinary Producer. The series is produced by FX Productions and streams on Hulu, and Disney+ internationally.

Scroll through the photo gallery below to see The Bear series honored in Illinois.