Did Somebody Say Fries?

I love the Pittsburgh Steelers. I love the Pittsburgh Penguins. I even love the Pittsburgh Pirates. Sure, I’m a little biased since I was born in Pittsburgh, PA, but I believe everyone should pay a visit to my hometown. Whether you’re visiting Pittsburgh for the great sports programs, the rich history of the city involving Andrew Carnegie and his fellow Gilded Age tycoons, or to explore the city where three rivers meet, you’re sure to find some incredible food no matter where you go. Every time I’m shopping in the strip district for incredible olives, cheeses, pastas, and other Italian grocery items, I make sure to stop for lunch at Primanti Brothers where the food is “almost famous.”

Primanti Brothers is famous for their sandwiches stacked high with french fries. Primanti Brothers got its start in the early 1930s when Joe Primanti opened a cart in the strip district selling sandwiches. This led to a storefront down on 18th street with his brothers Dick and Stanley and their nephew John DePriter. And according to their website, “one winter, a fella drove in with a load of potatoes. He brought a few of ‘em over to the restaurant to see if they were frozen. I (John) fried the potatoes on their sandwiches. And the rest, they say, is history.”

Make your own little slice of history at home with a homemade version of this “almost famous” sandwich…

You will need:

Italian bread

Provolone cheese

Choice of meat

French fries

Tomatoes

Cole slaw

Optional: onions

You need to:

Heat your meat or leave it cold – up to you. This recipe works best with your own homemade French fries and Cole slaw, but no one will judge you if you’re taking shortcuts. Begin with a slice of Italian bread, layer on your meat of choice, next some provolone cheese, throw on some fries (the more the better), and add coleslaw, tomatoes, and onion if you want. Garnish how you like (salt, pepper, fried egg, up to you), add a slice of Italian bread to the top and try your best to eat this bad boy without cutting it in half!