Philly Cheesesteak Arrives In The Elm City

South West Philly-raised entrepreneur Shem Adams, a vegetarian turned ardent carnivore, has brought his “#1 sandwich in America” to New Haven.

On Tuesday he received an official welcome, as Yale University Properties and city officials gathered with citizens and friends to celebrate the opening of Philly’s A Taste of Philadelphia at 1008 Chapel St.

You might not have guessed it, but Adams began life as a vegetarian — at his parents’ insistence.

Then, when he was 8, his sister snuck him his first ever Philly Cheesesteak — and Adams left his vegetarianism behind. He made a career out of cooking and selling the regional speciality, and began opening a chain.

Adams’ classic Philly features perfectly shredded ribeye steak, crispy fried onions, and Cheez Wiz, all enclosed in a warm hoagie bun.

Adams, who is 46 and now lives in New London, previously opened two outlets in Norwich, Connecticut, with another opening soon in Vermont and a yet-to-be-determined Connecticut community. He eventually plans to go ​“full circle” and open a shop back in Philadelphia.

At Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting, Mayor Justin Elicker said businesses like Adams’ are the reason New Haven is the ​“cultural capital of Connecticut,” bringing the city both diversity and revenue.

Adams said New Haven’s diversity and community brought him and his family here from Philadelphia when they were scouting Connecticut locations. He called New Haven a ​“foodie capital” where businesses can ​“survive being just themselves.”

Surviving is something Adams has been doing from the beginning. He called growing up in Southwest Philly like ​“living in a third world country”:

“You don’t get it until you get out of it,” said Adams.

Lauren Zucker, associate vice president for New Haven Affairs and University Properties, Taste of Philly’s landlord, noted how businesses like Adams’ bring jobs to residents and expand the tax base, while continuing to diversify the community as a whole.

Adams has already partnered with Kristen Threatt and Brian Burkett of Gorilla Lemonade, a New Haven-based beverage business. ​“I’m dying to get y’all’s lemonade” Threatt recalled Adams telling them when they visited one day. Now, their specialty drinks are sold in store.

Adams brought food critic and television personality Daymon Patterson (Daym Drops) to New Haven for the ceremony. The star of Netflix’s Fresh, Fried and Crispy, Patterson found Adams at one of his Norwich locations and has been following him, and his cheesesteaks, since.

While there is certainly no chance of him returning to a plant-based diet, Adams noted that in three weeks, Philly’s will begin officially serving a vegan Philly cheesesteak.

“You have to respect the fact that some people don’t eat” meat, said Adams.