National Cheesesteak Day

In 1930, Italian-American Pat Olivieri ran a hot dog cart near Philadelphia's Italian Market. Tired of his own wares one afternoon, he sent his brother Harry to the butcher for beef scraps instead of sausages, grilled the chopped beef with onions on the cart, and piled it into an Italian roll. A passing cab driver caught the smell, asked for the same, and after one bite reportedly said, ‘Hey, forget about those hot dogs, you should sell these.’

There was just one thing missing: the cheese. That arrived in the 1940s, when a manager at Pat's named ‘Cocky Joe’ Lorenza decided to lay slices of provolone over the sizzling beef, creating the sandwich Philadelphians recognize today. Pat's King of Steaks grew from the cart into a full restaurant, and rivals soon followed. Geno's opened directly across the street in the mid-1960s, while Jim's Steaks and Dalessandro's built their own loyal followings, turning the cheesesteak into both a food and a friendly civic argument.

Ordering one properly is a ritual. The classic arrives on a long hoagie roll with thinly sliced steak and your choice of provolone, the traditionalist's pick, Cheez Whiz, or American, plus the eternal question of onions: ‘wit’ or ‘witout.’ Grilled peppers and mushrooms appear on modern menus, but the soul of the sandwich has not changed in nearly a century.

On March 24, do as the cab driver did. Find the real thing, or the best approximation your town offers, and order it the Philadelphia way. Some sandwiches are meals. This one is a heritage.