On a greasy corner of South Philadelphia stood two iconic culinary institutions. On one corner there was Dimarco’s –– a 200-year-old neighborhood staple that proudly claimed to not only be one of the oldest restaurants in the country but the originator of the “Philly Cheesesteak” a legendary sandwich that accounted for nearly 1/5th of the city’s economy. 

On the adjacent corner was Russo’s – another 200-year-old relic of equal fame, that similarly claimed responsibility for...