To really understand a city, one must know its food. Regional dishes reveal the cultures, values, resources and ingenuity of people past and present. In his latest book, “A History of Philadelphia Sandwiches; Steaks, Hoagies, Iconic Eateries & More,” Mike Madaio tells the stories of the city’s iconic sandwiches and the boisterous, clever and hardworking people behind them.
Have you ever heard of the combo? Where did the word “hoagie” come from? Did you know the stromboli was invented in Essington? As Madaio researched over a century’s worth of Philadelphia sandwich history, he uncovered surprising facts that led his book in unexpected and fascinating directions.
Madaio started writing about food a little over 20 years ago with a blog called “Main Line Dine” about Philadelphia area restaurants. He was early to the food writing space, which almost no one was doing in the Philly suburbs at the time. “I’d go the first week a restaurant opened,” he says. “I thought, ‘I should put it online,’ and it took off.”
As social media and blogging platforms exploded, the space was soon saturated. Madaio pivoted to magazine and wine writing, and was pitching to publications when the idea for his first book, “Lost Mount Penn,” struck him. “The idea of writing something that was going to have some more staying power than the articles, this history and digging into the food appealed to me,” he says. “Lost Mount Penn,” published in 2019, focuses on the vibrant winemaking and resort scene and fascinating characters of Reading around the turn of the 20th Century. Through that research, he learned recipes for PA Dutch potato stuffing and Berks-style chicken and waffles, which he shared in our Pennsylvania Kitchen series. Madaio has also published two wine-focused monographs, “Becoming Chianti Classico” and “Mysterious Origins of the Italian Wine Formerly Known as Tocai.”
Historical nonfiction can sometimes feel dry or flat, but “A History of Philadelphia Sandwiches’ is the opposite. Madaio’s artful storytelling and diligent, passionate research create a lively and captivating read that connects you with generations of food makers, places and the diners who enjoy them.
He says, “I’m not an academic historian, so I don’t want to overstate, but my goal was to add color. Why is this place known for sandwiches when other places are known for other things? People know cheesesteaks are Philly sandwiches, and I wanted to try to dig deeper and understand why that happened. I’m also really intrigued with places that started as grocery stores and then became sandwich shops. The idea that places have been around so long, but evolved as life in the city evolved was particularly interesting, I thought.”
In his book, Madaio weaves together a through line of Philadelphia’s culinary history, sandwich by sandwich. Some of these are obvious; cheesesteaks, hoagies and roast pork. Others are less known, but no less integral to the city’s food lore.
Take, for example, the combo. It’s a hot dog with a fish cake mashed on top and, trust us, it’s delicious. “I’d heard of it before,” Madaio says, “but I didn’t know much about it. I thought it would be more of a side note in the book, but then I realized there’s a lot there. People have such a connection to these foods and places from growing up with them and, with the combo, that was really strong. Almost more so than the other sandwiches.”
The hot dog fish cake combo sandwich at Johnny’s Hots
As he explains in the book, the combo grew out of innovation by first-generation immigrants catering to a demand for casual, tasty fare in the city. Ingenuity, salesmanship and a bustling lunch scene are all themes in the book and ingredients of the food culture we enjoy in Philadelphia today.
Madaio delves into the history of cheesesteaks, arguably the city’s most beloved menu item. He brings the infamous Pat’s versus Geno’s rivalry to life, with spirited claims and memories from both sides, and uncovers the “wiz” origin story. He also explores the sandwich’s many makers and iterations. In the Lehigh Valley, for example, a cheesesteak comes with red sauce. You can also find Cajun, brisket, Filipino-inspired, Ethiopian and Indian-style versions. “It was nice to discover some international flair,” he says. “With cheesesteaks, I expected it to be just onions and cheese and that’s it, but there are a fair amount of places making different and interesting ones.”
A cheesesteak from Angelo’s Pizzeria
Madaio also encountered the salmon cheesesteak, made popular in recent years with the help of nods from celebrities like Meek Mill and Wale. “When I started out, I didn’t even know what a salmon cheesesteak was,” Madaio says. “But when I heard, it was like, ‘Oh my god. I’ve got to find out about this.’” He read up and developed his own recipe, one of many he shares in the book’s appendix. He also, of course, sampled it in the city. “It was pretty similar, so I felt good about the recipe,” he says.
Madaio also explores the etymology of the word “hoagie,” the regional term for a submarine sandwich. He taps into competing theories, typically stated as fact by Philadelphians, and uses timelines, photos and interviews to arrive at a solid estimate of its source (read the book to find out!).
Roast pork sandwich with spinach at John’s Roast Pork
Though he’s reticent to share personal favorites, Madaio admits he’ll choose a roast pork sandwich over a cheesesteak. “It’s a more complex sandwich,” he says. “And, it’s an un-American thing to say, but I’ve never been a huge beef eater. These days, I try to eat more healthy, so probably the most exciting find was The Henry at Dolores’.” This “meaty” vegetarian hoagie, enjoyed not only by Madaio but his teenage son, too, is made with fried zucchini, grilled eggplant, roasted peppers, shaved sharp provolone and broccoli rabe at Dolores’ 2Street in South Philadelphia.
Like wiz, broccoli rabe is both essential and polarizing in Philadelphia sandwich culture. The cruciferous accessory provides a bitter contrast to savory meats and cheeses that some demand and others revile. Madaio worked out a method for cooking it, which he shares in his book. “Discovering how to make broccoli rabe in a way that’s not too bitter was cool, because I’ve been in the camp that it’s too bitter. It’s essentially about balance. You cook it down in water to reduce the bitterness. It still varies from batch to batch, but when you have it and it’s not too bitter, it’s awesome.”
Signage at John’s Roast Pork
Madaio, who has extensive expertise in wine, lit up when we asked him for pairings suggestions. He said that finding perfectly matching notes in food and drink is a rare but amazing experience. He doesn’t believe in a forced protocol for pairings, but instead suggests trying to match the weight of foods with the weight of drinks, like heavy with heavy, medium with medium, and so on. A rule of thumb for dense items like cheesesteaks is to drink something high in acidity to cut through the sandwich. He also follows the adage “what grows together, goes together.” For the Italian roast pork sandwich, Madaio suggests a Montepulciano red from the Abruzzo region. With cheesesteaks, he suggests having a dry Lambrusco sparkling red.
We spoke about the contrast of today’s food culture with those of bygone years. Madaio says, “The idea of something being undiscovered is kind of a thing of the past.” Though he’s able to harness social media and technology for research, finding obscure interviews, articles and videos on platforms like YouTube and Newspapers.com, he’s not compelled by the viral food trends of today. “The problem is, it can look good in a 10 second video and actually not be good. There are reasons why these techniques and styles have lasted many years. When someone puts a twist on it just to put a twist, I don’t need it. Hopefully, the core styles will remain.”
In a world of passing viral trends and information overload, a book like Madaio’s is a reminder of the people behind the scenes, cooking not for a moment’s glory but to meet the enduring call for something truly delicious.
For a map of Philadelphia area sandwich shops inspired by Madaio’s book, click here. Head to Madaio’s website to read more of his work and to get your copy of A History of Philadelphia Sandwiches; Steaks, Hoagies, Iconic Eateries & More.
