Forbes Traveler has a feature up about “11 Classic American Dishes” and how they originated, and hey, check out that byline! Yep, that’s right — it was written by Neal Ungerleider, formerly of this blog.
That being the case, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Neal writes about the cheesesteak in this piece. Says he
Other American cities came up with their own sandwiches or sandwich-style dishes. The cheesesteak was first served up in the early 1930s by the Oliveri Brothers in Philadelphia. Though their competitor Joe Vento, of Geno’s Steaks, added cheese to the sandwich recipe, the Oliveris are typically given full credit—and Pat Oliveri’s restaurant, Pat’s King of Steaks, still stands.
More than anything else, the article is a nice reminder that even thought a food might seem cliched or meant only for tourists, there is a reason for its popularity.
Geno’s Steaks [MenuPages]
Geno’s Steaks [Official Site]
Pat’s King of Steaks [MenuPages]
Pat’s King of Steaks [Official Site]
“11 Classic American Dishes” [Forbes]
[Photo: via bier-man/Flickr]
