Franklin Court Print exhibit.

Franklin Court Print exhibit., a photo by JoeDuck on Flickr.

Here at the Franklin Court, Philadelphia, not much remains of Benjamin Franklin's home but for the back wall which was part of his original family complex at this location in dowtown Philly. The print shop behind this brick wall was built for Grandson Benjamin Bache, also a printer. Bache's full name was "Benjamin Franklin Bache". Bache expressed a lot of criticism of George Washington and he was arrested under the sedition act (later released) after expressing his strong views.

The Benjamin Franklin print shop was located at 2nd and Market, the historical center of commerce in colonial Philadelphia.

Jim's Philly Cheesesteaks, Philadelphia PA

Jim's Steaks, Philadelphia
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

Blogging about pizza was making me hungry and also making me realize how important history and food can be to an enjoyable travel experience.

History and food intersect in Philadelphia PA in the form of the Philly Cheeseteaks - a delicious but artery clogging combination of chopped (or, less often, sliced) beef, smothered in melted cheese (usually Cheese Whiz), and served on a large hot dog style bun.

This is not exactly fine dining, but you'd be missing something to visit Philadelphia without enjoying one of these local bad boys.


It took some research to settle my curiousity about competing claims as to who invented the Cheesesteak. No less than the New York Times says it was probably Pat and Jim Olivieri, formerly of of Pat's King of Steaks.

Jim's Steaks is one of Philadelphia's most popular restaurants, though it's more like a huge hole in the wall with limited seating and huge lines. But folks keep on coming because Jim's is known as among the top purveyors of the legendary Philly Cheesteak - chopped meat and cheese served in a bun. Was this line, which snaked around the building to the left and had about 50 people waiting, the lunch rush? Nope, we were there in the middle of the afternoon.

First American Style Pizza?

You've got to love the internet. I was reading the blog DIGG co-founder Owen Byrne, noted the interesting Pizzaria picture at the top, could not make out the name, Googled the address, and wound up at Lombardi's Pizza in New York, which claims to be the world's first American Style Pizza and still the best as rated by Zagats and other sources:



In 1897 an Italian immigrant reinvented a Napoletana staple food into one of the worlds most eaten foods. New York City was the birth place of New York style pizza. During the year of 1905, Lombardi's was licensed by the City of New York, becoming America's First Pizzeria.



Hey, is this important history or what?



I should note that claims like this are not necessarily undisputed. In Philadelphia it seems there are a lot more than *one* inventor of the Philly Cheesesteak, but more about that on the next post....

Betsy Ross House, Philadelphia Pennsylvania

Betsy Ross House, Philly
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

Betsy Ross was a Quaker revolutionary who was commissioned by George Washington to create and produce a new flag for the US war of independence - an American Flag.

Ross' house still stands in downtown Philadelphia. During summer months actors perform and interact with tourists throughout the downtown area. Active walkers can take in the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Betsy Ross House, Ben Franklin Square, and many more amazing sights from American's Revolutionary past.

Tip: Go early to the National History Center to get tickets for Liberty Bell and Independence Hall tours, and then build your day around them.