Sandwich Smackdown {guestpost}

Hi! I'm Julie from the travel and food blog, The Red Headed Traveler. I'm a librarian by day, die-hard travel fanatic by night, and I recently published my first book, Full Circle: Tales of Travel and Self-Discovery from Around the World, which is a collection of short stories that will take readers on a journey around the world visiting destinations including the famous Road to Hana, Mayan ruins in Mexico, and unforgettable pastries at a Portuguese cafe. But today I'm keeping things closer to home, my home, Pennsylvania.

For two cities that are only five hours apart by car, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh could not be any more different. They are the two largest cities in the northeastern state of Pennsylvania and are polar opposites. While one has more of a fast-paced East Coast feel to it (Philadelphia), the other is decidedly more Midwestern. While one city calls a carbonated beverage “soda” (Philadelphia), the other calls it “pop” (if you’re not American and have never heard this term before, don’t worry, it still sounds foreign to my ears). There is a bitter rivalry when it comes to hockey (peace in the Middle East will happen before Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguin fans ever willingly embrace during playoffs). And even though the two cities’ football teams are in different conferences, well, the Pittsburgh Steelers still don’t like the Philadelphia Eagles, and believe me the feeling is reciprocated. And then there’s the matter of the sandwiches….yes, sandwiches. The mighty Philly cheesesteak versus the less worthy Primanti’s sandwich (can you tell I’m biased?). But before I completely sway you, let me give you a slight background on these two culinary bad boys.

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Go anywhere in the world (well, perhaps the Gobi Desert aside) and most people will know what a Philly cheesesteak is. When I studied abroad in Seoul, South Korea I actually had an honest to goodness Philly cheesesteak in one of its mega malls at a place labeled fittingly enough “Philly’s Deli.” Considering that kimchi and squid were (sadly) staples in my daily dining, being able to eat greasy meat topped with melted cheese and fried onions on a toasted bun was simply glorious. But if you are one of those (cough-odd) individuals that has never had, let alone heard of a Philly cheesesteak before, let me fill you in on all that you’re missing. It’s said that the Philadelphia cheesesteak was developed in the early 20th century “by combining frizzled beef, onions, and cheese in a small loaf of bread.” Credit for the creation of this popular sandwich goes to two Italian-American brothers (they went on to open Pat’s King of Steaks in 1930, the same Pat’s that would engage in a cheesesteak war with Geno’s Steaks decades later).

As a Philadelphia girl born and bred, I can tell you that the only ingredients in an authentic Philly cheesesteak are the meat (usually thinly-sliced rib-eye or top round), the onions, the roll, and the cheese. If you go to a place that mentions things like peppers, mushrooms, mayonnaise-leave…leave immediately. While debate rages as to what cheese you should use, some say the only authentic cheesesteak is one topped with Cheez Whiz (yes, the processed cheese) while others are adamant about it being provolone. While the idea of Cheez Whiz is normally disgusting to me, the taste of it on top of the grilled meats, toasted bun, and sautéed onions is just delicious. You’ll have to trust me on this.

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So now that I’ve made your stomach cry out from hunger, let me tell you about the Primanti Bros. sandwich. Summed up? It’s a sandwich trying too darn hard. For whatever reason Pittsburghers like fries on their food-in salads (I kid you not), and in their sandwiches, the Primanti Bros. sandwich to be exact. Just like with the Philly cheesesteak, this iconic Pittsburgh eat was also developed during the Great Depression by a gentleman who would also go into the food business with, you guessed it…his brothers. The Primanti sandwich consists of grilled meat, an Italian dressing-based coleslaw, tomato slices, and French fries between two pieces of Italian bread. As I said, trying too hard.

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I’ve lived in Pittsburgh for over 10 years now and have eaten a Primanti sandwich once. And even that one time I was not impressed. Primanti Bros. is a chain sandwich shop with locations all over the Pittsburgh area, so maybe it was that particular place where I got it from. And maybe the person who normally makes them was out that day and I got a sub. But maybe it just wasn’t as good as some people (usually locals) make it out to be. I like all of the things that comprise a Primanti Bros. sandwich, just not together, but especially the fries and cole slaw bits. Just wrong…

If you go to Philly, people love their cheesesteaks and if you visit Pittsburgh, you’ll often be asked “did you try a Primanti Bros. sandwich?” As I said, the lines for these two cities are fiercely drawn but especially in regards to their sandwiches.

And if you visit Philadelphia and want to sound like a local when ordering your cheesesteak, just say “wit” (meaning one with onions) or “wit-out” (meaning no onions).

Thanks for having me! If you would to follow along with my adventures, you can on Facebook and Twitter. Don’t forget to say “hi,” I love to connect with more travel bloggers and fellow food aficionados!