Though there's no official record, on Saturday, as the grill was sizzling, Donald J. Trump may have become the first presidential nominee in American history to buy cheesesteaks from three different cheesesteak vendors in South Philadelphia.
Given the high stakes in Pennsylvania's presidential race, this may not be all that surprising.
On his way to a rally at Temple University on Saturday, President Trump chose Tony's & Nick's on Oregon Avenue in South Philadelphia for a steak break.
This was the original location of Tony Luke's, which operated for 30 years, but the name was changed to Tony & Nick's following a family feud that led to an IRS tax evasion case.
Last year, President Trump made a planned visit to Pat's King of Steaks after leaving a Moms for Liberty summit, during which he was joined by members of Moms for Liberty and the Black Conservative League.
Of course, Pat is Geno's longtime neighbor and rival, so perhaps she wanted to be in the best position possible as the Republican candidate.
During the 2016 elections, Geno was his choice.
Geno's was at the center of controversy 20 years ago when owner Joey Bento, who died in 2011, put up a sign asking customers to order in English.
On Saturday, it was unclear whether Trump ordered his steak “with it” or “without it.”
The consumption (or at least the purchase) of Philadelphia cheesesteaks has become a staple of presidential elections, which perhaps has everything to do with the electoral value of Pennsylvania, a state that has seen big swings in recent elections.
“When was the last time you heard of a candidate ordering New Jersey pork roll?”
Democrat Barack Obama, as a presidential candidate, visited South Philadelphia in April 2008 but declined to eat a cheesesteak. He returned as president in 2010 and bought a cheesesteak at Reading Terminal Market.
Perhaps the most famous cheesesteak movement came in 2002, when Senator John Kerry made the bold move of ordering a cheesesteak with unorthodox Swiss cheese at Pat's.
Our food critic Craig Laban wrote that “the Massachusetts Democrat could practically ask for a cave-aged Appenzeller.”
