It Started in Philly
Al Calozzi grew up in Philadelphia. When he was ten, his uncle stood him up on a milk crate in front of the grill at the family restaurant, put a metal spatula in each hand, and taught him to make his very first cheesesteak. He was instantly mesmerized — and he's been fueled by that same obsession ever since.
In 2006 he moved to Seattle and noticed the obvious: the city didn't have a real one. So in 2008 he did something about it — a rogue street cart in Belltown, a rented propane grill, and a beach umbrella to keep the rain off the steaks. He fed the late-night bar crowd a real alternative to whatever else was open, one sandwich at a time.
Word got around. The cart moved indoors at Belltown Billiards, then to Pioneer Square, then downtown — and finally found its home in Georgetown, a little shack near Boeing Field where the planes roar overhead and the line forms at lunch.
Al's story, in his own words.