also see Yellow Submarine Field Trip and Students' Reflections

Philadelphia Cheesesteaks

The History . . .

In 1930, Pat Olivieri started Pat's King of Steaks.

Originally, Pat had a hotdog stand in South Philadelphia. One day he got an idea to cook something different for his lunch. So he put some cooked meat and onions on an Italian roll. A cab driver who was a regular hot dog customer saw this, and asked Pat to make him one. After one bite, the cab driver told Pat that he should sell these steak sandwiches and forget about making hotdogs. So Pat did.

The steak sandwich became a big hit! Over the years, cheese was added. Then it became known as a Philadelphia Cheesesteak sandwich.

Pat's is located at 9th and Passyunk in South Philly. Many celebrities come here and their pictures are taken and hung on the wall.

It smells really good outside. You can smell onions, peppers (hot and sweet), steaks and cheese - all the ingredients that make a Philly Cheesesteak. The prices of a cheesesteak range from $5 to $7 depending on what is on it.

One of the major requirements for a good Philly Cheesesteak is a good Italian roll. Also, there are a variety of different cheeses to choose from. Some of these include American, Provolone, and Cheese Whiz.

Some of the other toppings may include onions (raw or fried), sweet and hot peppers, and mushrooms.

The perfect way to eat your cheesesteak is to unwrap the paper from one end of it and stand with your feet together, bend at the waist, holding the cheesesteak away from your shoes, and take a bite. Notice the juice dripping onto the ground and not onto you!

There are other stories about how Philadelphia Cheesesteaks first began and many places in the Philadelphia and South Jersey area that offer Philly Cheesesteaks. It is all a matter of individual taste as far as which place has the best!

Please continue to the next page to learn about our field trip to a local cheesesteak restaurant!