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Photo : R . Kennedy - visitphilly
CHEESESTEAKS , MARKETS AND BREWS Where to eat in Philly
Article & Photography by Jennifer Merrick
Two words . Apparently that ’ s all it takes to order the City of Brotherly Love ’ s most famous sandwich . But I ’ m still worried as I stand in line at Pat ’ s , Philly ’ s iconic cheesesteak establishment , which has been operating since 1932 .
Should I order , “ American with ” or “ with American ”? Do I just say “ Whiz ” or “ Cheez Whiz ”? Do I even dare to try it with Cheez Whiz ? Maybe provolone would be better ?
Locals are born knowing the rules of ordering this classic ; but for the rest of us , here are the basics :
1 . With or without ( properly pronounced wit or wit-out ) refers to onions .
2 . The three choices for cheese are Whiz , American or Provolone . To say cheese when ordering would be redundant ; to say something along the lines of I ’ ll have a Philly cheesesteak sandwich with Provolone and onions , for example , would be particularly dense , considering firstly that you are in Philadelphia , and it ’ s just far too many words when volume is this high . ‘ Provolone with ’ means the same thing and ensures the line moves quickly .
3 . Have your cash ready . “ Do all your borrowing in line ,” the sign above the counter says , which also has the above rules clearly laid out should you forget .
The stakes , or should I say steaks , are high . “ Don ’ t panic if you get it wrong ,” the sign reads , “ just go to the back of the line and start over .” It ’ s a long line .
“ I ’ ve actually never seen anyone sent to the back of the line ,” says Carolyn Wyman , author of the Great Philly Cheesesteak Book . “ What I have seen are customers getting basically two pieces of bread with only the tiniest bit of steak as ‘ punishment ’.
Isn ’ t this a bit harsh ?
“ Tough love ,” shrugs Wyman . Mmmm …. City of Brotherly Tough Love doesn ’ t have quite the same ring to it .
My anxiety level rises with every booming , “ NEXT !”, and we move closer and closer . In no time , we ’ re at the window .