The birth of a sandwich

A long time ago, 80 years to be exact, there was a hot dog vendor.  He sold hot dogs in the streets of Philadelphia.  One morning before leaving for work, he decided to pack himself a piece of steak for lunch.  He planned on cooking the steak on his hot dog grill.  That afternoon during the lunch rush, one of the customers saw the steak on the side of the grill.  He said, “I’d like that steak, please.”  The hot dog vendor said, “Oh, I’m sorry.  The steak is not for sale.  I was going to eat it for my own lunch.”  To which the customer replied, “Well, I want that steak, or I won’t even buy a hotdog!”  The vendor thought about this for a minute and finally agreed to sell the man the piece of steak.  So, he cooked the steak on the grill.  When it was cooked, he chopped the steak up into small bits and put them into a hot dog bun.  This was the world’s first Philadelphia Cheesesteak!  (The cheese came later, of course).  That hot dog vendor’s name was Pat.  Pat brought a steak with him the next day, and the same thing happened!  A new customer demanded the steak!  So, once again, Pat cooked the steak on his hot dog grill, chopped it up, and put it in a hot dog bun.  The next day, Pat brought two pieces of steak and they both sold!  Pretty soon, Pat became known for his special steaks!  The lines in front of his hot dog cart became longer and longer.  Pat quickly realized he had found something BIG.  With enough money saved, he opened up his store, ‘Pat’s KING of Steaks’.  Business was booming!  What started as a small hot dog stand became a business that gave the city of Philadelphia a signature sandwich.