Cheese steak pizza debut.

Just as QFFI was wrapping up this issue's reports on frozen pizza market developments in Europe and North America [see pages 61-71]--which asks the question: What's going to be the next big thing?--the bell rang. On the other side of the door, the Domino's delivery man was eager to hand over an oven-hot sample of the ubiquitous chain's newly launched Philly Cheese Steak Pizza. The delicious result no doubt has frozen pizza pie guys kicking themselves for not thinking of the idea first, as they rush to put their own spin on what may very well be "the next big thing" in pizza toppings, namely: thinly-cut slices of marinated, premium sirloin steak smothered with fried onions, mushrooms, slivers of green peppers and a rich layer of shredded provolone cheese.

The sandwich originated in 1930 on the hot dog grill of one Pat Olivieri, who was then plying his trade in South Philadelphia's Italian Market. Bored with eating frankfurters for lunch all the time, one day he decided to fry up some chopped beef procured from a local butcher shop. Legend has it that Pat had just placed the sizzling steak onto an Italian bread roll and dressed it with onions when a taxi driver pulled up to the stand, rolled down the window and was pleasantly greeted with a thoroughly appetizing whiff of the aromatic combination of ingredients. The cabby, a regular client, canceled his routine hog dog order in favor of the new flavor. After one delectable bite, he told the proprietor he'd be back for more of the same the next day.

That was the beginning of Pat's King of Steaks Restaurant which is still open today. Over time cheese was added to the original recipe, which begat the Mushroom Cheese Steak, the Pepper Cheese Steak, and even the Pizza Steak.

It would take 70-plus years after Pat's invention debuted before Philly Steak & Cheese stuffed sandwiches were rolled out in frozen form under the Hot Pockets and Lean Pockets brands distributed by Nestle USA. Now that Domino's has unveiled its own variation on the theme, one can imagine that the boys at Quaker Maid Meats and other suppliers of thinly-cut sirloin are huddling with frozen pizza makers who may be in the market for ingredients to top off their own Cheese Steak Pizza creations. Hurry up, fellas. Domino's claims its special offering is a "limited edition available for a limited time."