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Is a cheesesteak a hoagie? This is a question you probably haven’t given much thought to until our interview with John Oates of Hall & Oates a few days ago.
In it, he adamantly proclaimed that a cheesesteak is in fact, a type of hoagie.
This was news to us and got us thinking: Who else out there considers a cheesesteak a hoagie?
First, we went to some of Philadelphia’s most respected cheesesteak experts.
Geno Vento, owner of Geno’s Steaks, has this to say on the matter:
“A cheesesteak and a hoagie are two different things. I’d consider a hoagie to be a cold sandwich, and a cheesesteak is usually always served hot.”
We also reached out to the people at Pat’s and they were in agreement, although their answer was still a wee bit confusing:
“The answer is no. A hoagie is a cold cut sandwich. A cheesesteak hoagie is a cheesesteak with mayo lettuce and onion!”
Pat’s did begin their answer by shooting down the cheesesteak as a type of hoagie idea.
To side with Oates however, a hoagie can also be hot these days, although in their original form, that wasn’t the case.
Ken Silver of Jim’s Steaks explains that the cheesesteak hoagie on their menu is more of a hybrid between a cheesesteak and a hoagie, kind of like a cronut.
“A cheesesteak hoagie is the addition of lettuce and tomato onto the cheesesteak. You put together the bread, lettuce, tomato, cheese and then the steak. And then the onions if you want it,” he says.
So according to Silver, the cheesesteak hoagie stands in a league of its own and a cheesesteak is definitely not a type of hoagie.
“Traditonally a hoagie is a cold sandwich,” he adds.
So far it seems that a cheesesteak is not a hoagie, according to our Philadelphia cheesesteak experts.
But what do you think?
Tweet your response @metrophilly and we just might feature it.
Cheesesteak has cooked thin-sliced beef, cheese and (optional) cooked onions and peppers. Hoagie has cold lunch meat and (optional) raw onions and peppers. The lettuce, (optional) dressings and long roll are identical.
In Philadelphia, cheesesteaks are invariably served on hoagie rolls. Among several brands, perhaps the most famous are Amoroso rolls; these rolls are long, soft, and slightly salted.
A submarine sandwich, commonly known as a sub, hoagie (Philadelphia metropolitan area and Western Pennsylvania English), hero (New York City English), Italian (Maine English), grinder (New England English, Fulton County, NY), wedge (Westchester, NY), or a spuckie (Boston English) is a type of American cold or hot ...
So if people call it a cheesesteak everywhere, you can't say "This is what Philadelphians call a cheesesteak." Though you can say, "This is what Philadelphians call a hoagie," because the term hoagie is only used in Philadelphia.
A hoagie can be filled with many things, but what most consider the “classic” Philadelphia hoagie consists of Italian deli meats such as ham or salami, cheeses such as provolone or mozzarella, and an assortment of toppings from peppers to onions, often with fixings of Italian dressing, oregano, and even a splash of ...
The main difference you'll find, though, is the contents inside! Since a hoagie comes from an Italian origin, the contents of this sandwich usually consist of Italian meats and cheeses. On the other hand, subs are normally served with whatever ingredients your heart desires.
The name likely comes from the Philadelphia area where, during World War I, Italian immigrants who worked at the Hog Island shipyard began making sandwiches; they were originally called “hoggies” before the name hoagie took hold.
Hoagie: This is the home-grown Philadelphia term for the big Italian sandwich, and has picked up not one but four explanations for its origin. The first two, strangely mirroring the "sub" story, start at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
Although made in a rectangular or square shape similar to Sicilian-style pizza, tomato pie within the city and surrounding region remained distinct from contemporary pizza because of its thicker, spongier texture more akin to a focaccia-like bread from Palermo, Sicily, called sfincione palermitano.
Other hallmarks of a true Philly cheesesteak include an Amoroso's roll and sliced or shaved ribeye. A steak and cheese sandwich, then, can be defined by how it differs from a Philly cheesesteak. If it uses a different type of cheese, steak, or roll, it's a steak and cheese sandwich.
Authentic Philly Cheesesteak is made with ribeye steak that's sliced into thin slices, and topped with melted provolone cheese, white American cheese, or Cheez Whiz, as well as fried onions, all on a toasted hoagie roll. It's pure sandwich perfection!
A traditional Philly cheesesteak is made with very thinly sliced ribeye steak. If you're looking to make your cheese steak as authentic as possible, definitely go with the ribeye. If you're not hung up on appearances, then you really can use any steak for this recipe.
Hoagie. A hoagie is a bread roll sandwich piled high with deli meats, cheese, fixings and dressing, and is usually at least six inches long. The term 'hoagie' is most commonly used in Philadelphia and South Jersey, and has several possible origin stories.
Other hallmarks of a true Philly cheesesteak include an Amoroso's roll and sliced or shaved ribeye. A steak and cheese sandwich, then, can be defined by how it differs from a Philly cheesesteak. If it uses a different type of cheese, steak, or roll, it's a steak and cheese sandwich.
With all the names that exist for a footlong, why do some regions of South Jersey call them 'Hoagies', but others still say "sub"? Legend has it that the term was coined by workers at the Philadelphia Navy Yard Workers known as "hoggies" because they used to work on Hogg Island.
The Windy City's known for its Italian Beef--roasted at places like Al's (where they keep it in the oven four hours) before being topped by sweet/hot peppers and dipped in the beef's juice. In Philly, they chow down with cheesesteaks, grilled atop onions and then topped with (you guessed it) cheese.
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