For those of us in the know (pops collar, looks at camera), there are a few iconic hot dog spots that are more famous for their relish than their wiener. As chance would have it, I grew up in New Jersey near one of them, and I am passionately loyal. So, every time I post a pic of a perfectly ripped dog with a mound of glistening sunshine, I get that one keyboard influencer chiming in— “that’s not the best- Flo’s has the best relish”—I think yea right, but... Could they be rig

In places like Philly and Utica it became known as tomato pie. Hazleton, PA has its own red-sauced pitz. And in Providence, Italian bakeries cut theirs into strips, call them Pizza Strips—or locally, Red Strips—and sell them right next to the cannoli.

The two sandwiches are definitely cousins. Hell, they may have even shared the same mohel, but Montreal smoked meat grew into something entirely its own. Unlike pastrami and corned beef, which are traditionally wet-brined, Montreal smoked meat starts with the entire brisket—the lean flat and fattier point—and a dry spice cure that draws moisture from the meat before it's smoked and steamed to a tenderness.

School was out, and it was sort of a buzz outside the corner of Christian and 7th Street. The South Philly sun beat down on the crowd of people standing between me and the window at John's Water Ice, giving me plenty of time to rehearse. "Wooder ice," I whispered. "Wurterr." I was workshopping my best Tina Fey Delco accent. When in Rome, ya know? Lemon. Cherry. Pineapple. Chocolate. Unlike plenty of other stands serving Swedish Fish, banana split, and every flavor under the s