Philly Tacos – Sinfully Delicious, or just plain Sin?

The Philly Taco could be considered either a triumph of American ingenuity, or everything that is wrong with society, depending on your perspective.   

What exactly is a Philly Taco you ask?   

Invented by a group of college students from the University of Pennsylvania, whom I’m proud to call my friends, this monstrosity is a Philly cheesesteak wrapped inside of a slice of pizza.  Yes, the whole cheese steak. Roll and all.   

Now I’m sure you’re wondering, where can I find one?   

As far as I know, you can’t.   

This beast you must currently construct yourself.   

If you find yourself in Philadelphia, South Street is home to legendary cheesesteak purveyor Jim’s and grimey, but great pizza parlor Lorenzo’s.  The two establishments happen to be right across the street from one another.  I think you can figure out the rest on your own… 

On a dare, I sampled one of these behemoths late one Saturday night.  Let me first say, this is not for the weak of jaw.  The task of chewing this monster alone could be enough work to dissuade a daring diner.  For those willing to persevere however, there is a wonderful reward for all that chomping.   

The verdict? 

Like the best foods of any kind, this chimerical sandwich melds sweet, spicy, salty and savory flavors in addition to the multiple layers of texture.  The interplay of the caramelized onions and peppers was a natural fit with the rich cheese and tomato sauce of the pizza.  The crispy, thin, pizza crust threw in a little extra crunch to the equation that added another layer of complexity to each bite not found in the usual cheesesteak experience 

To sum it up; it was actually kind of great.

Would I want to eat one often?  Not unless I had a death wish.   

There is something to be said though for just going crazy once in a while and taking on the gluttony gauntlet.  

I received no physical prize for winning this dare.  

There was, however, a feeling of accomplishment that far outlasted the indigestion

That, and of course, a new story to tell.