You no longer have to order cheesesteaks in English
When you hit up Geno's Steaks in Philadelphia, one thing your cheesesteak won't come with is the restaurant's controversial sign proclaiming, “This is AMERICA. When ordering please ‘speak English." The sign has been removed, reports NBC.
The sign was hung by founder Joey Vento in 2005 and resulted in discrimination charges (that were eventually denied) by Philadelphia's Commission on Human Relations.
Vento was adamant that, "he never refused service to anyone because they couldn't speak English," but the sign was still the cause of much controversy. The sign was not taken down before Donald Trump visited it in September as part of his campaign trail.
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Vento passed away in 2011 and the current owner, his son Geno, tells NBC he took the sign down because, "I'm here to make people happy, and believe it or not, being a cheesesteak in Philadelphia known all over the world. That's amazing[...] He [Joey Vento] basically was proud of America and being American, and that's the way he stood [...] The way I do it is a little differently, you know? I like to hug." He also says the rumor that it was his father's "dying wish" to see the sign remain up at the store is nothing more than a myth.
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Now the only controversial aspect of Geno's is whether to get Provolone or Cheez-Whiz on your cheesesteak.
Sarah Spigelman Richter is a contributor to Mashable's Food channel. Sarah covers everything edible, from the food industry to D.I.Y. recipes. She was previously the community manager for Tastemade NYC and her writing has been seen on The Today Show's food blog, Refinery 29, the Food Network, and Gothamist. She has also developed recipes for Tabasco and other nationally recognized brands and has blogged for 5 years at "Fritos and Foie Gras." Sarah is obsessed with "Orphan Black" and chili-cheese Fritos and is still depressed that Loehmann's closed.
