Philly taco facts for kids
| Course | Main course |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Created by | Jeff Barg and Adam Gordon |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Cheesesteak, Jumbo slice |
A Philly taco, also known as South Street Sushi or the Lorenzo's-Jim's Challenge, is a unique food combination. It's basically a cheesesteak wrapped inside a large slice of pizza.
How the Philly Taco Started
The Philly taco was first created in 2003 by two friends, Jeff Barg and Adam Gordon. They came up with the idea as a fun challenge on South Street (Philadelphia) in Philadelphia. To make one, you had to buy a large pizza slice from Lorenzo's. Then, you'd walk a block away to Jim's South Street to get a cheesesteak. The challenge was to wrap the pizza slice around the cheesesteak to create this new dish.
In 2003, Jeff Barg wrote about this food in a local newspaper called the Philadelphia Weekly. He called it 'the Lorenzo's-Jim's Challenge.' He wrote about it as if it were already a popular thing. Because of his article, it actually became a popular food challenge that many people tried. It is now seen as a fun part of Philadelphia's food scene.
Making Your Own Philly Taco
Jeff Barg shared some tips for making a Philly taco. He suggested using a cheesesteak that includes lettuce and tomatoes. This helps give it a taste similar to a taco. The pizza slice should be plain, without any extra toppings.
You can wrap the pizza slice around the cheesesteak in different ways. Some people roll it up like a taco. Others wrap it lengthwise. When you eat it, the creamy cheese sauce from the cheesesteak mixes well with the mozzarella cheese from the pizza. This creates a unique flavor.
Jeff Barg also suggested drinking a Dr. Brown's black cherry soda with your Philly taco.
Where the Philly Taco Has Been Featured
The Philly taco has been mentioned in several places:
- In 2009, Carolyn Wyman wrote about the Philly taco in her book, The Great Philly Cheesesteak Book. She mentioned it in the section about Jim's Steaks. She also noted that if Jim's was too busy, you could get a cheesesteak from Ishkabibble's or Steaks on South instead.
- In November 2010, the Philly taco was featured on the NPR blog's "Sandwich Mondays."
- In 2014, a plant-based version of the Philly taco was created. Blackbird Pizzeria made it for an eating challenge to celebrate World Vegan Day in Philadelphia.
- The Philly taco was shown on an episode of The Pizza Show. The host, Frank Pinello, ate a Philly taco with Jeff Barg. This episode aired around 2017.
