Unaverage Joe

No soup for you!

I saw this article (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13208549/) on the “front page” of MSNBC.com, and it interested me, because I was recently at this establishment, Geno’s, during Memorial Day weekend. When I was watching the news later on that evening, I was surprised to see the story still receiving attention. In short, the news were talking about a sticker that the owner of Geno's put up that tells you to order food in English. Coincidentally, I actually took a picture of the controversial sticker on the window and thought it has been there for a long time like the other stickers I saw. I didn’t think much about it, but the coverage made me ponder a bit more.



Let me backtrack a bit. Philadelphia’s most popular food is the Philly cheesesteak. I saw a show on FoodTV last year that showed the places in Philly that supposedly had the best ones. When I was in Philly, people mainly directed me to two places: Pat’s and Geno’s, which are located across the street from each other. If you saw the episode of Seinfeld with the Soup Nazi, you will understand that there’s a specific way of ordering food. You clearly state what you want, have cash ready, move down, and grab your food. This is how it is at these establishments. There are even “rules” displayed on how to order.



It was amusing to watch people literally practicing what to say while standing in the very long line before they reached the counter. I will admit, I rehearsed it in my mind a couple times.



The ironic thing is they spell the rules out with the Philly slang. If you want a cheesesteak with Cheez Whiz and onions, you say “Wiz wit.” If you want a cheesesteak with Provolone cheese without onions, you say “Prov wit-out.” It’s cute. You feel like an East Coaster. And then you eat good food. This place is a staple for Philly, so Philadelphians and non-Philadelphians come to share the experience. I saw people of all races there. A cab full of people from India got out while I was in line. In other words, it’s also a tourist spot.

As you may know, I was in China last month. There was a place located in a hutong (a kind of alley) in Beijing that was similar where people would stand in long lines for a chance to eat the food. (I can’t remember what the specialty is, but I think it was something related to turtle.) If the ordering was anything like the Soup Nazi’s, I wouldn’t know; I can’t read the characters. I would merely point to what everyone else had and wait for my food.

And then you have this tough guy at Geno’s with his “This is America. When ordering, please speak English” sticker. I am a proponent for immigrants learning the language. But what if you’re a tourist? What if you just immigrated that day, and your buddy in Philly thought this would be a nice way to break the ice? Ironically, it says to “speak English” yet “wit” and other slang there is not a correct English word. Yes, I’m nitpicking… but so is he. My experience watching people there who were American and speak perfect English needing to dumb down their vocabulary and were intimidated to order would make me imagine someone from another country would be downright scared!

I saw the owner, Joseph Vento, on TV saying he had parents who came here from Italy, they had to learn the language, blah, blah, blah. I think he would be more sympathetic then. And this article says: “Vento said his staff is glad to help non-native speakers order in English.” Imagine this: you’re at the counter, there’s a long line behind you, the large tattoo’ed guy behind the glass yells at you asking for your order, you hurry up to speak, you don’t know the language, and you point to a cheesesteak. Do you really think they are going to come out to coach you? You’ll probably get a big fat NEXT screamed at you! Back to the end of the (long) line, buddy.

Anyway, that’s my rant for today. If you Google Pat’s and Geno’s, you will see debates whether whose cheesesteak is better. My vote goes to Pat’s across the street, hands down. If you’re curious why, it’s because the cheese is on top as opposed to the bottom of the meat, the sandwich is slightly bigger, and it just tastes much better. My favorite is "Wiz wit and shrooms." And here's a tip - go to the Mexican place next to Geno's for your drinks. No line, and they have delicious fruit nectars. Quite honestly, though, my favorite Philly cheesesteak is actually at Dave & Buster's in Addison, IL. LOL! Enjoy the pictures. Warning - you may develop a craving for cheesesteak But that's okay, because they are both open 24 hours/day. You just need to get there.
Pat's cheesesteak

Geno's cheesesteak

Back the next day for some more Pat's - "Prov wit & shrooms" and cheese fries this time

posted by Unaverage Joe @ 1:12 AM