Geno’s Steaks :: English Only
I missed this during my blogging absense this week, but one of two famous Cheesesteak joins in Philly was making news.
Via Michelle Malkin and Michelle Malkin:
Philly-dot-com: An old struggle to adapt to a new country’s ways
Granted, I’m more of a Pat’s fan, but I do respect Geno’s [Site currently down as of this posting]. But my difference to Geno’s is simply their preference to Cheez Whiz as opposed to Provolone.
However, I do respect Geno’s management for their stance on Spanish as a second language:
How do you say cheesesteak with in Spanish?
Joseph Vento, the owner of Geno’s Steaks, doesn’t know. And he doesn’t care.
Just read the laminated signs, festooned with American eagles, at his South Philadelphia cheesesteak emporium: This is America. When Ordering, Speak English.
Vento’s political statement – from a man whose Italian-born grandparents spoke only broken English – captures the anger and discontent felt by many Americans about illegal immigrants.
Well, be it a publicity stunt (and Geno’s hardly needs it – have you seen the lines there?) or not, this action is getting a little press and opposing activist action:
From the Tiffany Network:
A City Council member jumped into the debate over a sign at one of Philadelphia’s best-known cheesesteak joints that reads: “This Is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING ‘SPEAK ENGLISH.’”
During the council’s meeting Thursday, Councilman Jim Kenney asked Geno’s owner Joseph Vento to take the small sign down. The English-only ordering sign has irritated some activists in the diverse neighborhood of South Philadelphia and drawn national attention.
Vento, whose grandparents struggled to learn English after immigrating from Sicily in the 1920s, said his staff is glad to help non-native speakers order in English and no one has been turned away because of a language barrier.
“I don’t see much of a big deal about learning to say Cheez Whiz,” he told ABC-TV’s “Good Morning America” on Friday.
Irritating Activists is bad?
*shrugs*
Activists tend to irritate by definition, don’t they?
Funny how tolerance works.
*groan* Writing this article made me hungry… time for a run to Daglio’s
The only Pat’s I’m familiar with is the one in Tucson. And, yes, they do speak Spanish.
http://www.siboliban.org/bio2/images/pats.jpg
Comment by Wes — June 9, 2006 @ 12:14:54 PM
Eh… seems a little obnoxious, but hey he can do what he wants. I noticed from the video on GMA (don’t ask, I don’t normally watch it) he also has the “Freedom Fries” sign. He makes a big deal… activists make a big deal. Neither should eb suprised.
For myself, I question the reasoning of anyone who uses Cheese Whiz in any capacity.
Comment by Cisco — June 9, 2006 @ 12:40:14 PM
Cisco, Speed and ease. If they were using provolone, they would need to melt the cheese on the beef on the grill and carefully scoop it onto the bun and the waiting line would be unbearable. With whiz, throw the beef on the bun and squeeze the whiz bottle. People now accept and enjoy whiz to the point that the argument between whiz and provolone is equal to sauce and no-sauce.
G.B. can attest to the line, it was almost 3 years ago she almost passed out waiting in line but in Philly brotherly style, the people following her kept their place while she recovered.
Comment by Dad — June 9, 2006 @ 1:29:10 PM
There is an art to Provolone. While the meat is neatly aligned on the grill add 3-4 slices of provolone to the the top of the pile, then place the roll on that (nice steaming effect). After 1-2 mins, slide the spatual under the meat/cheese/bread masterpiece and flip into your hand. That is just as fast as using Cheese from a jar *yuk*.
Provolone is the only real cheese for a cheese steak, anything else would uncivilized, but if I am not paying for it, I will eat any cheesesteak *grin*.
Comment by Joe — June 9, 2006 @ 7:24:25 PM
Joe,
That’s similar to how I do my provolone cheese steaks, which limits how many I can do at a time, but for whiz, I scoop some hot beef out of a warming pan onto a bun with whiz or I add the whiz on top and done. I assume Geno’s does the same.
Comment by Dad — June 9, 2006 @ 8:02:23 PM
Dang…now you all have made ME hungry…
Comment by Beast1624 — June 9, 2006 @ 9:58:57 PM
Dad, I did pass out in the line one hot day in July while pregnant with Rachael. I told the people we were with to stay in line, gave them money, and our order while Joe and I had to go to the ambulance. The paramedics insisted that I get checked out and go to the hospital, but I said, will you feed me? They said no, then I replied, then I am going back in to eat my cheesesteak with Wiz.
And Rachael still turned out OK. I was just hungry.
Comment by G.B. — June 12, 2006 @ 4:27:24 PM
Personally, I don’t like either Pat’s or Geno’s as neither puts sauce on their steaks as I understand it, and ketchup just isn’t acceptable. So, 3 brothers-in-law pizza on the boardwalk in Wildwood, NJ is wear I think the best cheesesteaks are from. However, the issue at hand, “Please order in English”… I say more power to Geno’s steaks. It’s bad enough we have to make it all nice for the illegal aliens who have broken the law for the last 20 years and who have used MY tax dollars to start businesses and afford things that I can’t, but now I have to put with things in English and Spanish… I don’t think so. We may be the melting pot, but laws are laws, and the one just passed says English is the offical language not Espanol! You, go, Geno!
Comment by Donna M. — June 18, 2006 @ 7:26:26 PM
Update-The owner had to take the sign down after all the publicity, but not yet a year later, it is back up!! Go figure
Comment by G.B. — February 26, 2007 @ 4:09:46 PM
When I last heard Vento on the TV (which he likes to appear on) he claims he never took it down.
Comment by Jeremy — February 26, 2007 @ 4:16:00 PM
I think people are misplacing their anger at those that DEMAND to have equal access in Spanish for those that just happen to speak Spanish (or whatever language folks are mad at at the moment). I for one am thankful for those in other countries that don’t feel the same way.
I would have been a very hungry man while in Italy and France (and even parts of England).
Comment by Cisco — February 26, 2007 @ 6:40:11 PM
Sometimes, I think there is an organized effort out there to confuse an issue to the point of political inaction.
This issue leads me to believe this.
If you listen to Vento, he’s anti-illegal-immigration. And he’s twisted this into an English-as-a-Primary Language. Now, I don’t think this is deliberate, on his part; in the sense of politics, but it is a mistake. (I do believe that he is deliberately doing this for the publicity)
Then you have another “Force” which twists the issue into not an illigal-immigration issue, but an immigration issue. So now that anyone who is against illegal immigration is REALLY against immigration in general. Almost to the point of racism.
So now, if a politician who wants to defend our borders, or who just wants to follow the current laws on the books, and preserve our national security; they are labeled negatively, to the point of racists, as if they want to close the borders to everyone and their Ukranian grandmother, and close all immigration points of entry.
Just another reason why I hate politics.
Comment by Jeremy — February 26, 2007 @ 6:55:13 PM
Total slam on grandmothers out of nowhere…
Comment by Chan — February 26, 2007 @ 8:29:18 PM
It just seems to me like an odd way to make his point. And I think it has an unproductive and unnecessarily inflammatory effect.
And yeah, why do you hate grandmothers?
Comment by Cisco — February 26, 2007 @ 9:19:00 PM
The ruling is in; this from NBC10:
Comment by Dad — March 20, 2008 @ 5:33:48 AM
[...] The Geno’s Story can be found here. [...]
Pingback by Jeremy-Gilby-dot-com » The Cheesesteak Factor: 2008 Democratic Nomination — April 4, 2008 @ 10:10:59 AM