A cheese steak
sandwich is not really a steak at all – it is a sandwich made with
chipped steak sliced really thin and cooked on a grill top.
Locals think in
terms of steak sandwiches wit(with) or witout(without cheese).
Cheeze Whiz is the topping most are served wit. However, I prefer provolone cheese
others choose
mozzarella or american.
The Philadelphia
cheese steak is truly one of the most delightful and beloved foods
available in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is said by most
Philadelphians that if a restaurant offers something called a
"Philly Cheese Steak" then it's not authentic. According to
Philadelphians, you simply cannot make an authentic Philadelphia
Cheese Steak sandwich without an authentic Philadelphia roll. The
rolls must be long and thin, not fluffy or soft, but also not too
hard. They also say that if you are more than one hour from South
Philly, you cannot make an authentic sandwich. Trust me this is so
true.
1930s - During the
1930s in the Italian immigrant section of South Philadelphia, Pat
Olivieri sold hot dogs and sandwiches. Business was not doing
well, so he decided to make lunch for himself. He had a slab of
steak that he could not cook on the hot dog grill. So he sliced it
thin, then put it on the grill, added some onions for taste, and
put it onto a roll. Pat never got a bite because a cab driver
drove by, smelled the sandwich, and asked how much? He didn’t know
what to charge, so he charged a nickel. The cab driver supposedly
said, “Hey . . . forget about those hot dogs, you should sell
these.” It was not until 20 years later that cheese was added to
the sandwich by a longtime employee, Joe Lorenzo, who was tired of
the usual sandwich and added some cheese.
The big debate in
Philly is who has the best cheesesteak...in Philly it's all good.
My personal
favorites are-Not in any particular order
Collegeville Italian Bakery 3846 W
Ridge Pike Collegeville, PA 19426
