Tattoos. Lattes. Cupcakes. Wedding cakes. Baby photos. A formal declaration by Philadelphia City Council. What next?
Gritty, the so-bizarre-no-one-can-quite-believe it, quasi-mythical orange-and-horrifying mascot debuted by the Flyers last month, has already swept across the nation and even the world on an astonishing viral journey that shows no signs of slowing.
In the latest sign of his ascendance in Philadelphia and U.S. culture just one month in to his already-historic existence, City Council chose to honor Gritty formally during its Oct. 25 session.
RELATED: A Deep Look At Gritty The Flyers Mascot
City Council welcomed Gritty with on Thursday, with City Councilwoman Helen Gym introducing a resolution to honor what her office described as a “Deranged Orange Lunatic, Acid Trip of a Mascot.”
“Gritty came into our lives when we most needed him, and while he may be a hideous monster, he is our hideous monster,” Gym said in a statement. “He captured our hearts and minds. Gritty binds us together in brotherly love, sisterly affection, and monsterly spirit. What’s more Philadelphia than that?”
Gritty-inspired food
Meanwhile, Sprudge, a Portland-based coffee culture/news website, kicked off a competition to find the best Gritty face in a latte while visiting Philadelphia, in partnership with Philly’s own Reanimator Coffee. The rules were strict: “free pours and/or etching are eligible. But no foam printers!” Sprudge warned, in a contest description offering free coffee, their new book and miscellaneous “swag” to the winner. “Long live Gritty, they said.
The competition comes just after Gritty turned one month old, as the mascot is celebrated with all sorts of new Gritty food, including cupcakes.
The Inquirer reviewed all the different options out there. Coming in first place was the Gritty quinoa bowl now offered at the Naked Lunch vegan food counter of MOM’s Organic Market in Center City. The bowl comes with ingredients capturing Gritty’s palette: sweet potatoes, shredded carrots, roasted red pepper dressing, while underneath is of course quinoa and feta cheese, spinach and black olives.
The Naked Lunch counter is selling a Gritty quinoa bowl, which is topped with spinach, black olives, feta cheese chunks, sweet potatoes, shredded carrots and a roasted red pepper dressing. “Tasty and healthy with a pleasingly gritty texture,” the Inquirer noted approvingly. More eye-catching, sugary items which actually bore the Grit-meister’s face, like the Gritty cupcakes for sale at The Sweet Box in South Philly, however, were a bit harder on their food critic’s stomach: “the cupcake itself was unremarkable and the extra frosting … made it overwhelming.” But who cares, it’s got Gritty’s face on it!
Thank you @phillydotcom ! Getting our @GrittyNHL on!! https://t.co/48xk8B6GoL
— @mikesbbq_215 (@mikesbbq_215) October 26, 2018
Philly City Council Honors Gritty
.@GrittyNHL unexpectedly captured our hearts and minds as a righteous leftist icon. Today we’re welcoming his monsterly spirit with a resolution in @PHLCouncil. pic.twitter.com/blv9wVoxZr
— Helen Gym (@HelenGymAtLarge) October 25, 2018
Read the entire City Council resolution honoring Gritty, introduced by City Councilwoman-at-Large Helen Gym on Oct. 26, below.
Philadelphia City Council seriously passed a TWO PAGE resolution honoring @GrittyNHL today and I don’t even know where to begin. pic.twitter.com/DVXcoX9M2O
— Stephanie Farr (@FarFarrAway) October 25, 2018
