Fish on Friday? In Chicago it’s Pepper and Egg Sandwiches

Abstaining from meat on Fridays doesn’t have to mean eating fish. In fact, with the high price of some fish that seafood dinner may not even be that virtuous.

In Chicago, where 37% identify as Catholic, the faithful observe the Lenten fast by consuming pepper and egg sandwiches. When Ash Wednesday rolls around, restaurants pull out their Lenten menus, featuring scrambled eggs and green peppers, piled on a sub roll, ordered with fries, and smothered with “motts” (mozzarella) if you like.  Well, it’s not meat, but it sounds so delicious it’s hard to imagine feeling appropriately penitential while eating it.

If you happen to be planning a trip to the Windy City, here’s a list of the Chicago Tribune’s top picks for the Lenten treat.