Staking Claim.

High-stakes competition.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – “One wiz wit, please."

Apparently, that's the lingo for properly ordering a cheesesteak in Philly.

The please may just be a Canadianism.

The end result, loosely wrapped in wax paper, is a hot sandwich slathered in melted Cheez Whiz (rather than “provy” for provolone) and onions (as opposed to “widdout”).

Cheese and onions: the only two answers you need to know. A sign says you'll be sent to the back of the line if you get it wrong.

I'm not sure they're joking.

Having wandered out to the Liberty Bell, through the historic district and down to Penn's Landing this morning, we've made our way to the epicentre of the city’s longstanding sandwich battle. Originator Pat’s King of Steaks sits kitty-corner to its neon-clad rival, Geno’s Steaks. The two have engaged in friendly competition since the sandwich’s creation in the 1960s.

Despite several cheese options, Cheese Whiz is somehow the 10-1 favourite, with Geno’s claiming to go through 8-10 cases of the processed product daily. Nobody said the sandwich was healthy.

Not a mistake.

Not one to miss out on an origin story, I opt for Pat’s for my first legitimate Philadelphia cheesesteak. Tangy, velvety cheese (or something approximating it, I suppose) coats a mound of shaved meat and a thin layer of onions on a fresh roll. It's pretty quiet, so we're easily able to find a seat after bouncing between separate windows for the sandwich and for a beverage.

A marker commemorating where Sylvester Stallone stood while filming the movie Rocky has been punched into the pavement beside the order window.

I don’t eat much beef, but the sandwich hits the spot. I’m not sure, however, it matched the hearty smoked salmon sandwich I had this morning at the Little Spoon Café.