Charleys Philly Steaks with Derek Waters

"Charleys Philly Steaks with Derek Waters" is Episode 319 of *Doughboys*, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "Charleys Philly Steaks" was released on September 23, 2021.

## Synopsis

Derek Waters (*Drunk History*, *Mythic Quest*) joins the 'boys to discuss donut salad and Maryland eats before a review of Charleys Philly Steaks. Plus, a Drank History edition of Slop Quiz.

## Nick's intro

Unlike other famous foodstuffs of disputed origin (like, say, the French Dip), the conception of the Philly cheesesteak is pretty cut and dry. Brothers Pat and Harry Olivieri invented the handheld in 1933, after sizzling steak on their hot-dog cart. Pat's King of Steaks still stands today, drawing tourists in with the gravitational pull of a blackhole, along with its across-the-street rival, Geno's Steaks (who concedes the sandwich's origin, but claims to have perfected it).

But perhaps the individual who has made the most money off of Philadelphia's most famous export next to Ben Franklin has no tangible connection to the City of Brotherly Love.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, and later emigrating to Columbus, Ohio at the age of 13, where his mom operated a restaurant to support the family, Charley Shin grew up around the food-service industry, and himself worked in restaurants while a student at the Ohio State University. After a chance detour resulted in a trip to Philadelphia, he fell in love with its ooey-gooey sliced-steak sammie and went to work home-brewing his own varietal.

Opportunistically spotting a cheesesteak-sized void in his college town's off-campus eateries, in 1986, still a junior, Shinn convinced his mother to fund his sandwich shop, giving a generational boost to the American dream. According to a *Forbes* profile by Grace Chung, Shinn said of his mom's loan, "She didn't know anything about the sandwich, but she trusted her only son."

And that trust proved to be well-placed, as Shinn's concept was an immediate hit with the Buckeye student body and soon grew into a chain clustered mostly at food courts.

Today with over 600 locations, this franchise doesn't claim to have invented the Philly steak (like Pat's) or to have perfected it (like Geno's), but this Ohioan-by-way-of-Seoul has certainly evangelized it, spreading his version across the globe like a Johnny Phillysteakseed, and proudly trumpets itself as "the number one cheesesteak in the world."

This week on *Doughboys*, Charleys Philly Steaks.

## Fork rating

* Veggie Delight (small)
* Original Fries
* Pepperoni Cheesesteak [Natalie's order]
* Jalapeño Pepper Fries [Natalie's order]
 Mike Mitchell
* Philly Cheesesteak (small)
	+ Pickle
* Pepperoni Cheesesteak (small)
* Turkey Cheddar Melt (small)
* Chicken Buffalo (large)
* Ultimate Fries
 Derek Waters
* Philly Cheesesteak
* Original Fries

**Spoonman's Bite of the Night** went to the Ultimate Fries.

## Slop Quiz: Drank History

In Slop Quiz, Nick presents a food-related exam (pop quiz) and Mitch and the guest compete for superiority.

For this episode, the theme is Drunk History, where Nick has list of quotes about alcohol from various historical figures. Mitch and Derek try to guess who said it.

The loser has to go back to Charleys.

Mitch and Derek tie!

## Quotes

In this dream, I was given a bowl of something and I looked into it... this foodstuff that does not exist until now is called DONUT SALAD.

## The Feedbag

That might sound annoying, but to me and my friend, it was the most hilarious that has every happened.
What are your all-time funniest food moments?

 Mike Mitchell
 Derek Waters
Derek jumped out of a moving car to take an emergency dump

## Photos (via @doughboyspod)

Jalapeño Pepper FriesOriginal FriesPeach LemonadeVeggie DelightPepperoni CheesesteakPepperoni CheesesteakUltimate FriesStrawberry LemonadeTurkey Cheddar MeltChicken BuffaloPhilly CheesesteakPulsating Orbs