The Cheese Steak

Definition
A cheese steak sandwich is not really a steak at all - it is a sandwich made with chipped steak, steak that has been frozen and sliced really thin and cooked on a grill top. Locals think in terms of steak sandwiches with or without cheese, the sandwich is referred to as a "steak". With cheese, it is a "cheese steak". 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 this authentic sandwich.

"Beware of any restaurant, even in Philadelphia, that offers a "Philly Cheese Steak". Most likely you will be disappointed. If they have to say "Philly" then it's not authentic!"

History
During the 1930's 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 bout those hot dogs, you should sell these." Thus the Philadelphia Cheese Steak sandwich was born. 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 "Philly Lean"
It seems that a well dressed visitor was in town. Desiring to partake in our area's most famous cuisine, he was taken to South Philly by his friend, a native Philadelphian. Knowing how much Mr. Clinton likes to eat, Rendell offered the President a steak. As Mr. Clinton was about to take his first bite, the mayor asked him if he was familiar with the "Philly Lean", a necessary adjunct to the eating of a cheese steak. Mr. Clinton ignored the remark, opting, instead, to take a big bite. No dummy, however, as the juice dripped onto his suit front and sleeve, Mr. Clinton smiled, said, "Oh, I get it!" and bent forward before he took his second bite.