How to eat like an Eagles fan

Twenty-two years is a long time to wait.

Since the 76ers swept the Los Angeles Lakers to win the 1983 NBA championship, Philadelphia sports fans have yearned for another major sports title.

In the interim, they've simply had to turn their interest to other areas -- like eating. When Men's Fitness magazine released its inaugural list of fattest cities in 1999, the City of Brotherly Lovehandles literally took the cake, coming in at No. 1.

Alarmed at this ignominious distinction, Mayor John Street installed the nation's first civic "fitness czar" to whip his constituents into shape. The move seemed to pay off, as Philly slipped all the way to No. 7 last year.

But Philadelphians are nothing if not determined, and their hard work paid off when they jumped five spots to No. 2 in the most recent rankings, released last month.

A revival of the Center City area in the 1990s helped establish Philadelphia as one of the nation's finest restaurant cities. But patrons of such places are unlikely to break into spontaneous renditions of "Fly Eagles Fly!"

To get a true sense of what Philadelphians might be enjoying as they hope for their 22-year championship drought to end on Super Bowl Sunday, check out these dishes, which are as distinctly Philly as any Donovan McNabb jersey-wearing "Iggles" fan.

Cheesesteaks. Along with the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and Hall and Oates, this artery-clogging contraption stands as one of Philadelphia's great contributions to American life. The chopped rib-eye steak is served on a crusty Italian roll (preferably Philly's own Amoroso's brand) and can be accompanied by American or provolone cheese. To get the true grease-dripping, cholesterol-raising experience, however, the steak should be smothered with heaping globs of Cheez Whiz.

When ordering, it's crucial to specify "wid" or "widout" fried onions. And never embarrass yourself by asking for Swiss cheese. It's not an option -- a lesson once learned by John Kerry during a campaign photo op.

Hoagies. Served on a long roll with deli meats and cheeses, topped with lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo or oil. If you're in Philly and try to order a hero, sub, or grinder, all you'll get is a funny look.

Scrapple. A delicious breakfast meat that truly lives up to its name. If sausage is made from animal parts that don't make the cut for other meats, scrapple is what's concocted from the leftover sausage scraps. Fried to look like a Brillo pad, scrapple can be eaten as a breakfast side dish or in a sandwich.

Soft pretzels. Although invented in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, the soft pretzel has become a Philadelphia staple. On average, Philadelphians eat 12 times as many pretzels as most Americans each year. The twisted dough is heavily salted before baking and slathered with yellow mustard before eating.

Tastykakes. Since 1913, the Tasty Baking Co. has been the primary provider of Philly's lunch-time desserts with its individual snack-size cakes. It's tough to find a Philadelphian who does not enjoy peanut butter Tandykakes or Butterscotch Krimpets. Except maybe the fitness czar.

Water Ice ("wudder ice"). The Italian ice enjoyed by Philadelphians as they spend summer weekends at New Jersey beaches ("downashore") or as they suffer through another disappointing Phillies season waiting for Iggles training camp to begin.

Yuengling (pronounced "lager"). Technically hundreds of beers fall under the classification, but if you ask a Philly bartender for a lager, only one product will be flowing from that tap. Brewed in Pottsville, more than 70 miles northwest of the city, Yuengling has established itself as the quintessential Philly beer over the past two decades.

Rick Haggerty is a Philadelphia native and lifelong Eagles fan who works in the City of Brotherly Love.