Overview

• Art Smith and Phil Stefani were unveiled during the estate’s inauguration, a ceremony presided over by Pope Leo XIV.
• A committee led by the late Pope Francis selected the pair earlier this year to oversee the project.
• The restaurant will operate as the property’s only eatery and caterer, serving breakfast and lunch, with a marketplace also planned.
• Ingredients are expected to come from on-site gardens and a solar-powered greenhouse, alongside training programs in farming, winemaking, and olive harvesting.
• Borgo Laudato Si’ sits within the Papal Villas of Castel Gandolfo, and Stefani called the Vatican partnership a meaningful chance to share Chicago’s culinary spirit with a global audience.