'ENGLISH' SLAP RILES UP PHILLY (Geno's cheesesteak emporium slapped by hyphenating councilman)

NY POST ^ | June 10, 2006 | AP

[Liz]

A city official has asked Geno's, one of Philadelphia's best-known cheesesteak joints, to take down a sign......"This is America: When ordering, speak English."

Councilman Jim Kenney noted some residents of linguistically diverse South Philadelphia find the sign offensive.

.....Geno's owner, Joseph Vento, a grandson of Sicilian immigrants....(said) "I don't see much of a big deal about learning to say, 'Cheez Whiz.' "

[Liz]

(Salivating) Man, that sounds good. Yum.

[JoeSixPack1]

Vento should post the sign in Italian or even Chinese!

Politicians would be stumped, except for taxpayer provided interpreters.

[Liz]

LOL....cute.

[Deo volente]

And as I recall, he got a reprimand from the owner, in front of all the reporters!

I believe this was at Pat's King of Steaks, not too far from Geno's.

This is from their website:

"How to order a Steak" 
by I. M. Hungry

Step 1.
Specify if you want your steak with (wit) or without (wit-out) onions.
        {if you're not a rookie this should come naturally}
Step 2.
Specify Plain, Cheez Whiz, Provolone, American Cheese or a Pizza Steak.
        {we have lettuce and tomatoes / { if we have to read your mind it's 50 cents extra}
Step 3.
Have your money ready.
        {do all of your borrowing in line}
Step 4.
Practice all of the above while waiting in line.
        {if you make a mistake, don't panic, just go to the back of the line and start over}

[Liz]

Helpful----and from the City of Brotherly Love, too.

[lafroste]

Jim Kenney pulls on his Friday panties and decides to wade into the controversy. FEH. I would love to know if Geno's has a website that cheesesteaks can be ordered from. It really doesn't matter that the order ever gets here (Houston). It's the support of Geno's I'm interested in.

Absolutely. Are there any Philly FReepers (there must be at least one) that can post this guys mailing address? I'm going to order a sandwich. I'll pay for it now and pick it up later.

[sirchtruth]

Just wondering how long is it going to be before someone gets really pi**** off about this crap.

That would be about the time of when the DOI was signed and the U.S. Constitution was written and supposedly inacted.

NO one in this country has the "Right" to NOT be offended by another's speech.

[monkapotamus]

The ingredients are simple, exacting and never greasy thinly sliced rib-eye steak, melted cheese, oven-fresh baked bread and delicately grilled onions. Awaiting your piping hot sandwich on the counter outside are ketchup, mustard, relish and Joe's choice hot sauce.

A Word of Warning!
Be prepared and know how to order, because the service is fast and the line keeps moving. For example, on a cheese steak with onions specify which kind of cheese you'd like (Provolone, American or Cheese Whiz). By the time you have given your order, your money will be taken and your sandwich will be out the window nice and hot! At the next window you can pick up your soda, fries and coffee. Geno's is open 24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a week.

[Clemenza]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1646842/posts

[gaspar]

Jim Kenney is an egregious political Hack; he suffers the Philly politicians' disease, terminal stupidity.

[TheSpottedOwl]

Don't feel bad, we went to the 99 cent Chinese food place, and were treated very rude. It ruined our evening. White people were running it. It was take out too. Weird. We'll never go back, not only because of the attitude(I have no clue why she was so hostile towards us) but also because there was hardly any meat in the Kung Pao Chicken. Half the menu items weren't available, either. To be fair, they were closing in an hour, and there was a line outside the door.

I've never had a problem in a Mexican restaurant. Come to think of it, I've never had a problem in Mexico, when I used to go. They spoke English. I certainly hope your husband spread the word about the service he received.

[Liz]

Ever hear of Hot-Times Chicken-Fried Steak by Bob "Daddy-O" Wade, the Texas artist who made the famous dancing frogs on roof of Carl's Corner Truck Stop on Interstate 35 and his inspired jalapeno juice marination?


Cut 4 portions 2 lb-1/2" thick round steak (twice tenderized by butcher). Pound if needed til each portion is 1/3-1/4" thick. Arrange in shallow glass dish, pour over cup jalapeno liquid from pickled jalapenos jar.

Marinate 2 hours---most liquid will be absorbed. Drain and blot lightly to remove surface excess moisture. Prepare breading stations. Dredge steaks in flour, then dip in egg, and back in flour. Put enough Crisco shortening in cast iron skillet to half-immerse steaks. Warm fat on medium. Add meat carefully, cook fully til crumb coating is brown and crisp 8 min total. Drain, plate. Keep warm. Prepare Cream Gravy from pan drippings.

SERVE Plate steaks, add French Fries and cover both generously w/ Cream Gravy made from pan drippings. Serve immediately.

BREADING STATIONS Mix 2 tbl pickled jalapeno liquid, 2 eggs in shallow dish. Stir 2 c flour, s/p, in another dish.

[EQAndyBuzz]

Problem is the griddle. That thing must be so seasoned that it would be impossible to replicate the flavor.

There is a place in Brooklyn called Brennan & Carr. They make roast beef sandwiches. The best in the world. I believe each Au jous that they use is taken from a previous batch. Probably has been that way for 50 years.

[Liz]

Korean? Lawdy---what's next?

Can you say "Pass the pizza" in Somali.

[joylyn]

What? Don't I get a choice of hot or sweet peppers? If not, Philly has changed.

[RoseofTexas]

That's nothing, the illegals here are up in arms because the buses they ride on here in our city are hot and never on time...THEY DEMAND cooler buses and pick up on time!!! Incredible! Our local RAT rag devoted almost all the front page with a HUGE picture and headline on it, while the death of Zarky was a tiny favorable picture of him on the left hand side front with the caption that zarky was dead...I KID YOU NOT!! The mediaSATANworshippers are hell bend on destroying our nation!!

[Dionysius]

How do I achieve the status where liberals give a damn whether I am offended or not? No one seems to care that I am offended at having to press for English on the phone, or that I am limited in how I can display the symbols of my religion. And shouldn't, to have any weight at all, "some" are offended be "most" are offended, or has majority rule gone the way of honest elections? And, finally, where in the Constitution is freedom from being offended (if you are in a group for whom offense is allowed)? "Twilight Zone" indeed.

[calex59]

Funny how in many places however that you almost have to be able to speak Spanish in order to get service simply due to practicality.

Your statement is BS. If you refuse to do business with people who hire non english speaking help, or if you simply do not place an order and tell management why, soon there would be no non english speaking help on the premises. It is because people like you cave in and think we should all learn spanish do these idiotic practices continue.

Should be all learn greek, hungarian, german etc. also if they have help that speak those languages and not English. Get a life and grow up. This is America and we speak English here, if you don't like it move somewhere else.

[Badray]

Fix what problem? Americans speaking English in their own country and expecting others to do the same?

[Deo volente]

If you're in Southern California and want an authentic Philly Cheesesteak or Hoagie, go to Philly's Best (locations all over the L.A./Orange county area).

They use the original Amoroso rolls from Philadelphia, and that makes all the difference.

http://www.eatphillysbest.com/