Perhaps it was a misteak after all.
In a twist of fate, the heir to the legacy of the brothers who invented the beloved Philly cheesesteak will be crafting these iconic sandwiches at a pizzeria in Long Island. What’s more, he will be sporting Knicks apparel from head to toe, all thanks to a lost wager with the pizzeria’s co-owner.
Frank Olivieri, the proud proprietor of Philadelphia’s legendary Pat’s King of Steaks, will be donning the colors of the New York Knicks while preparing sandwiches at Dario’s Pizza in West Hempstead. This comes after the Knicks delivered a resounding defeat to the 76ers, with a score of 144-114 this past Sunday.
The friendly bet was sparked by Olivieri himself, who challenged Louis Cretella, Dario’s co-owner, to a wager over their favored basketball teams’ performance. Olivieri backed the 76ers while Cretella rooted for the Knicks. The terms were clear: the loser would don the winner’s team gear and spend a day cooking at the other’s establishment.
“[Olivieri] wanted to place a bet on game three. I proposed we wager on the entire series,” Cretella recounted to The Post.
Though Olivieri is no stranger to defeat, he remained hopeful for his Philadelphia team until the final whistle.
“We always have a feeling that the 6ers, or anyone else in Philly are going to come back. We’re used to saying ‘maybe next year’,” he told The Post.
He shrugged off the impending ignominy, adding that he’s “been meaning to try [Dario’s] cheesesteak anyway.”
“I figured it would be a good way to extend some brotherly love to our brothers up in New York and on Long Island,” he added.
Olivieri and Cretella haven’t set a firm date for when the cheesesteak connoisseur will grace the Long Island pizzeria, but suggested that this may not be the end of their game.
“We’re willing to do another bet in the next round, whether it’s a place Cleveland or Detroit, so we’ll see,” Cretella said.
The Knicks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals and will play the winner of the Detroit Pistons vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers series.
The friendly wager came about after Olivieri learned his ancestors’ cheesey, meaty creation had come under fire amid the NBA’s Eastern Conference Semifinals, where the Knicks were pitted against the 76ers.
Many eateries in New York City seized on the rivalry and cheekily desecrated their menus’ Philly cheesesteaks, including Dario’s Pizza.
Cretella changed the menu item from Philly cheesesteak to the Philly SUCKS cheesesteak in the restaurant’s computer system. Hard copy menus also have the “Philly” crossed out and “F*** Philly” in black marker written over it.
Olivieri took notice and reached out to place the bet he has now lost.
