My boy Larry Platt is in today’s Inky for defending Philly cheesesteaks. The Philadelphia magaizne editor is one of those nitwits that seems to think that all we do here in Center City is eat cheesesteaks for lunch and Stephen Starr for dinner (there is a story about one or the other in every single freaking issue they ever do.) Anyway’s here’s his thing.:
The Aug. 1 issue of New York Magazine chronicled New York City’s recent cheesesteak boom, partly spurred by the arrival of Tony Luke’s. Them’s fighting words to Philadelphia Magazine editor Larry Platt, who shot off a missive to NY editor Adam Moss.
Platt thinks New Yorkers don’t know Whiz from shinola. “The words New York and cheesesteak together are oxymoronic, not unlike military intelligence. As a native Philadelphian, I’ve grown up with the cheesesteak. The cheesesteak is a friend of mine. Adam, New Yorkers know nothing about cheesesteaks. Consider this letter a declaration of a culinary fatwah: When it comes to gooey artery-cloggers on soft rolls, you need to back off.”
Last Tuesday, Platt dispatched staffers Richard Rys and Andrew Putz, both of whom rated cheesesteaks in Philly Mag articles, to retrace New York Mag’s steps for October’s Philly Mag.
Moss – an old pal of Platt’s, we’ll add – declined comment.