It's probably the last recipe in which Hesser would have chosen to make a mistake. But mistake there is.

"It's worth the wait," says 35-year regular William Phillips, while on the typically long lunch line at steak purveyor Dalessandro's, this month celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Independent local shop owners cite a 40-60 ratio of gelati to plain water ice sales, saying the heavier gelati sells better in the evenings and on cool days, and worse to manual laborers than people who "work in air-conditioned offices and don't have to worry about throwing up on some rooftop," as Cardullo puts it.

From the 1700s through the early 1900s, catching shad as they made their way up the Delaware for springtime spawning was the neighborhood's main industry.

Cheesesteak shop "design" has long referred to nothing more than where the soda pallets and cans of Whiz are stacked. But the idea that good steaks can come only from downscale digs is changing.

Probably no one was happier to see the '00s go than "folkabilly" singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith.

David Sax celebrates Jewish food and chronicles his visits to more than 140 surviving Jewish delicatessens in six countries and 16 states in Save the Deli.

This list, in nonpartisan alphabetical order, is for people who are ready for a graduate-level course of cheesesteak exploration and appreciation.

Theresa Mueller was inspired to order a cheesesteak-shaped chocolate mold by the explosion in Market stands selling cheesesteaks following Rick's Steaks' well-publicized late 2008 departure.

Conshy's rolls are fresh and tender while at the same time having enough heft and flavor to hold their own against a mountain of steak mush and river of Whiz.