It's pretty hard to turn around in Philadelphia without seeing a mention of Benjamin Franklin. The great man may have spent his early years in Boston, but it was in Philadelphia that he shaped the nation, and his beliefs still help direct the course of America today. But, I'm sure you're wondering, what would Philly's favorite Founding Father think of Philly's favorite food?

Of course, with Franklin dying in 1790 and the cheesesteak not being invented until the middle of the 20th century, we'll never know what he actually thought, but we do have the next best thing; Ralph Archbold. Archbold (pictured above, with his wife Linda Wilde, a Betsy Ross impersonator) bears more than a striking resemblance to Franklin and has been impersonating him since 1973, in fact, the two even share the same birthday, so there are few people better qualified to speak on Franklin's behalf.


Archbold spoke with Unbreaded, a Philly-based blog dedicated to sandwiches that ensures no one in Philadelphia should suffer a disappointing sandwich again. Shockingly, neither Pat's nor Geno's made the list of his favored cheesesteaks spots, opting instead for "Campo’s, Cheesesteak Corner, Jim’s, and Dalessandro’s." Despite this snub, Archbold did make one thing quite clear, "as long as you get it in Philadelphia, the closest cheesesteak is the best." This sentiment is echoed by a number of Philadelphians, though judging by the lines outside Pat's and Geno's after the Sixers soundly beat the Hawks on Tuesday, people are willing to make the trip to 9th and Passyunk to get their cheesesteak fix.

[Photo credits: ben1776.com & wallyg]