Philadelphia CheeseSteak Guide

The artistry of cheesesteak cooking is in the harmony of flavors, textures, and what is often known as your “drip” factor or that classic grease stain that surrounds the wrapper. Proper additions can include fried onions, sautéed mushrooms, ketchup, and hot or sweet peppers.

Cheesesteak History:

The cheesesteak made its first appearance in 1930. When Pat Olivieri, a South Philly hot dog merchant, considered putting a couple of steak pieces from the butcher on top of his grill. A taxi cab driver recognized the aroma and requested his own steak sandwich. The following day, rumor of the savory lunch had spread, and cabbies came to Olivieri demanding steak specialty sandwiches. Shortly after, Olivieri established a shop on 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue, Pat’s King of Steaks, to promote his invention. Ultimately, he included cheese in the recipe. Nowadays, Pat’s grills are sizzling 24 hours a day, as are Geno’s Steaks, the competing shop across the street. For practically 50 years, the two shops have waged a friendly rival, with Geno’s founder, Joe Vento, proclaiming that he, not Olivieri, initially included cheese in the steak sandwich

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