Welcome to March 24, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate an old school sandwich feud and a classic movie candy. 

In 1930, Pat Olivier ran a hotdog stand in Philadelphia. One afternoon, he cooked some sliced beef on his grill to make a steak sandwich. A passing cab driver thought it smelled delicious and asked Pat to make him one too. The driver loved it so much that he told all his friends and soon the steak sandwich was the talk of the town. It was nearly 20 years later when someone came up with the idea of adding cheese. And this is where the cheesesteak restaurant version of the Hatfields and McCoys began. Geno’s and Pat’s, two rival restaurants located across the street from one another each want to take credit. At this point, no one seems to be sure. But on National Cheesesteak Day, the one thing everyone can agree on is that this sandwich is worth all the fuss.

Movie night just isn’t the same without an assortment of snacks.  Popcorn is a given, but a true connoisseur knows that chocolate covered raisins are where it’s at.  Raisinets are number 3 on the list of all time best selling candies. Created by the Blumenthal Brothers in 1927, Raisinets along with Snowcaps and Goobers are still manufactured to this day.  That’s a pretty good run for a candy that’s been around nearly 100 years, although Nestle has been making them since 1984.  The best explanation for their longevity seems to be their association with movie theatres.  On National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day, make your home theatre pop with your favorite movie sidekick.  

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson.  Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.