Before Spring Break of 2017, I was completely unaware of the vibrant sandwich scene thriving in Pennsylvania and throughout the East Coast. This is a place that’s proud of its sandwiches. It’s obvious from the generous portion sizes that the people of Pennsylvania want to share their sandwiches with the world. Pennsylvania sandwiches are simply unlike any others. From a sandwich with a mountain of fries piled between two pieces of bread to one that requires you to shout your order; Pennsylvania sandwiches are worth the trip.
A Warm Welcome
First impression of Pennsylvania sandwiches: There’s no way I can eat all of this (I did). The first ‘wich of the trip, at a small place in Pittsburgh, could have easily fed two people, possibly a third when accounting for the fries on the side. Even though it lacked the signature steak meat of most of the other rolls (sadly, as a vegetarian I missed out on that part of the sandwich experience), I did not leave hungry.
The Most Efficient Sandwich Award
I’m not sure how I’ve gone through my entire life without eating a sandwich with fries on the inside. This is a signature dish in Philly, and one that I was surprised I actually liked. The fries were the perfect texture, and the messy experience of eating a sandwich full of fries was reason enough to order. While the fry-to-sandwhich ratio was a little high for my taste (sorry Pennsylvania friends), it was easy enough to take a few fries off and enjoy their deliciousness on the side.
The Classic
This is where the article gets disappointing. I never had a Philly Cheese Steak in Philadelphia. While plenty of my friends had multiple versions of the classic sandwich, I’ll be forever in the dark on which kind of cheese tastes the best on a Philly Cheese Steak (I’ve heard that the spray cheese isn’t as gross as it sounds.) I did get to try a vegan Philly Cheese Steak, which was made up of some quality onions and mushrooms in a roll of perfectly soft bread.
As it turns out, the sandwiches of Philadelphia do have their own kind of magic. According to East Coast natives, the secret to their delicious baked goods is in the water. I’m not sure if this is true, but I’m not about to argue when presented a sandwich the size of my head.