Canadian World Traveller Fallr 2016 issue Canadian World Traveller Fall 2016 issue | Page 86

Photo: R. Kennedy - visitphilly

86

C H E ES ES T EA K S, MA R KETS A ND BR EW S

Where to eat in Philly
Article & Photography by Jennifer Merrick

T

wo 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.

Locals are born knowing the rules of ordering this classic; but for the rest of us, here
are the basics:

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?

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.

1. With or without (properly pronounced wit
or wit-out) refers to onions.

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.