DRI2013 will provide business continuity professionals with great opportunities to meet new people, learn new best practices, participate in volunteer activities, and enjoy the company of old friends. The event also provides a unique opportunity to spend time in a great American city: Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia is steeped in history, and chock full of wonderful restaurants, interesting sights to explore, and terrific sports teams as well.
Of course there are parks, and zoos, museums, music halls, theatres, casinos, a racetrack, shopping, and lots of cool site-seeing, but Philadelphia also has great food.
First up, hoagies. Called heroes and grinders in other parts of the country (Can you think of other names for the hoagie? Send me your list!). They’re delicious and even sometimes nutritious.
And then there’s the famous Philly Cheesesteak. What exactly is a cheesesteak? According to the VisitPhilly.comweb-site:
“A cheesesteak is a long, crusty roll filled with thinly sliced sautéed ribeye beef and melted cheese. Generally, the cheese of choice is Cheez Whiz, but American and provolone are common substitutions. The art of cheesesteak preparation lies in the balance of flavors, textures and what is often referred to as the ‘drip’ factor. Other toppings may include fried onions, sautéed mushrooms, ketchup, and hot or sweet peppers.”
The cheesesteak made its official debut in 1930. Pat Olivieri was a South Philadelphia hot dog vendor who one day decided to put some beef from the butcher on his grill. A taxicab driver noticed the alluring aroma and asked for his own steak sandwich. The next day, as the story goes, rumor of the delicious lunch had spread, and cabbies around the city came to Olivieri demanding steak sandwiches. Soon after, Olivieri opened up a shop on 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue,Pat’s King of Steaks, to sell his new creation. Eventually, according to legend, he added cheese to the recipe. Today, Pat’s grills are sizzling 24 hours a day, as are Geno’s, the rival shop across the street. For 40 years, the two shops have waged a friendly competition to win the title of best cheesesteak in town, with Geno’s founder, Joe Vento, claiming it was he, not Olivieri, who first added cheese to the cheesesteak.”
Besides these two iconic sandwiches, Philly has plenty more to offer in the way of food. Next week, I will provide a glimpse into what else is cooking in Philly. Until then, keep in touch and don’t forget that registration is now open for DRI2013, June 4-7 in Philadelphia.
All the best,
Clyde
Director of Volunteerism and Vice President
cberger@driif.org