Sandwich Monday: The Philly Taco

Like the Devil, today's sandwich goes by many names: the Philly Taco, South Street Sushi, the Lorenzo's-Jim's Challenge. Whatever you call it, you have to agree it's a great idea. A Philly Taco just like a regular taco, except instead of the usual fillings, there's a cheesesteak, and instead of a shell, you use a giant slice of pizza. After our show in Philadelphia, I was joined by some friends to take it on.

Lorenzo's and Jim's: two great tastes that taste great and cause you great abdominal distress together. NPR hide caption
First, you go to Lorenzo's Pizza, and buy a slice of pizza. Then, you rush to Jim's Steaks, a block away. It's important to be fast, so the pizza is still hot when you add the cheesesteak. Also, the exercise of a brisk one-block walk helps work off 1/28th the calories of the first bite you take.

Before assembly. Nora Gully hide caption
Once you have the raw ingredients, there are two schools of thought on how best to execute this terrible idea. I assembled mine so that the cheesesteak was perpendicular to the crust of the pizza, like a taco. Lily did hers sushi-style, with the pizza wrapped around the steak like a pig-in-a-blanket.

Lily: This is Halloween-appropriate: the cheesesteak is wearing a slice-of-pizza costume.

Ian cannot open his mouth big enough for the Philly Taco and keep his eyes open at the same time. Nora Gully hide caption
Ian: I feel like I'm doing that thing where you're reading a comic book but you cover it in the jacket of your math book.
Leo: Except way worse.

Ian: Healthwise, can I expect the pizza to protect my stomach from the cheesesteak?
Nora: Yeah, it's like a gelcap.
Lily: That would be true if you swallowed it whole, like a snake.
Ian: I don't think a snake would eat something this gross. They're cool with live rats though.

Leo: Cheesesteak plus pizza would be a great option if this were my last meal, so I wouldn't have to decide.
Joel: I think even if you didn't plan on it being your last meal, it's your last meal.

Mr.T pities us fools. Nora Gully hide caption
Ann Marie [after finishing the challenge]: This is great! I'm not hurting.
Ian: You need to take that statement and wrap a slice of "yet" around it.
[Featured gastronauts: Lily Hawkins, Joel Rose, Leo Voloshin, Fresh Air's Ann Marie Baldonado, and Nora Gully.]