Pete's Steakhouse

Pete's Steakhouse
(From their internet site)

You remember Pete, of course. Who doesn't know him? At 16,
in order to escape the family milk truck, "How was I gonna
get up at 2AM when I was going to bed at 1", he told us-
he became a pantry boy at Paul's Roma Garden. "All they
ever fed me was spaghetti and meatballs" he laughs now
"So I went back to the milk truck to get some pork chops".
Then came the Army where he invented the steak sandwich.
"I was a cook and this guy came in late one night looking
for something to eat. All I had was frozen filets. I tried
to cut one but it was no use. So I went to the slicer and
hacked off some thin pieces. I made a sandwich and he said
it was delicious".
Pete came home after the war and started a "Club" on Anderson
Street for which he needed a legitimate front. He remembered
the steak sandwich and the first Pete's Steakhouse was born.
Then a remarkable thing happened, the steak sandwich action
became bigger than the club's. Before long the most popular
place around became the new Pete's Steakhouse on Chambers
Street. "We'd sell 7,000 in a day" Pete told us. "There
were guys who would come in and eat 8-they only cost a
quarter then. And deliveries ! Princeton Worsted Mills and
Trenton Potteries.. places like that would order 500 at a
clip. We used eye of the rib, 5 sandwiches to a pound.
Steak and onions and what great rolls Tallone's baked. You
could get peppers if you paid extra. I had 29 people working
there. What a great time and place it was. I'll never forget
those steak sandwiches".