根据一本1987年费城图书馆公司(Library Company of Philadelphia)出版的展览目录以及费城历史学会(Historical Society of Pennsylvania)表示,费城牛肉奶酪三明治发源自20世纪初期,“在一小条面包上添加香煎牛肉、洋葱和奶酪”。[4]
费城居民,帕特与哈利(Pat and Harry Olivieri)常被认为是费城牛肉奶酪三明治的发明者,他们在1930年早期,贩售一种碎牛肉夹入意式面食包做成的三明治。[5][6][7]但实际上仍有争议,帕特和哈利原本经营一个热狗摊,某天他们做了一种加碎牛肉和烤洋葱的新款三明治。确切的故事众说纷纭,但据其中一种说法,帕特正在吃这个三明治的时候,一个计程车司机刚好路过,而且对这个三明治很有兴趣,所以也点了一份。吃过以后,计程车司机建议他们不要再卖热狗,只卖新的三明治就好了。[6][8]于是位于费城南边意大利市场附近的热狗摊,就开始贩卖这种牛排三明治。他们生意越来越好,帕特之后就开了名为Pat's King of Steaks的餐厅,至今仍在营业。[9]原本的三明治不含奶酪;店家表示:最先把波罗伏洛奶酪加进三明治的人是店址还在瑞吉大道(Ridge Avenue)时,一位名为Joe "Cocky Joe" Lorenza的经理。[10]
Pham, K.; Shen, P.; Phillips, T. (2014). Food Truck Road Trip--A Cookbook: More Than 100 Recipes Collected from the Best Street Food Vendors Coast to Coast. Page Street Publishing. ISBN 978-1-62414-087-7.
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Hines, Mary Anne; Marshall, Gordon; Weaver, William Woys (1987). The Larder Invaded. The Library Company of Philadelphia and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. ISBN 0-914076-70-1.
Stuhldreher, Katie. "Rick's Steaks takes Reading Terminal Market dispute to court". Philly.com. Philly Online, LLC. Archived from the original on 24 January 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
Stuhldreher, Katie (30 July 2007). "Rick's Steaks takes Reading Terminal Market dispute to court". philly.com. Archived from the original on 24 January 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2007.
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