If you’re craving a Philly cheesesteak and you're in Boston, or you want a Boston cream pie doughnut in Philadelphia, right now, it’s just not happening.
The battle to take home the Lombardi trophy at Super Bowl LII has left the field and turned into a tongue-in-cheek food fight between the two cities.
Dottie’s Donuts, a vegan doughnut shop in Philadelphia, has banned Boston cream from its daily doughnut line-up, replacing it with two Philly-themed creations in tribute to the Eagles, owner Jeff Poleon told TODAY Food. Fans are loving it, he added, and said the new menu addition is bringing in lots of new customers. “We have half the city’s sports fans trying vegan donuts for the first time,” said Poleon.
Customers can order a Creamed Boston (in the hopes that the play on words comes true) or a Greased Pole doughnut, so named after police officers greased lampposts during the NFC championship game to keep excited Philly fans from climbing them. “Philadelphia always finds a way,” said Poleon. “Fans still made it up to the top, so we made a doughnut version.”
Dottie’s even has a friendly wager going with Kane’s Donuts in Boston: The bakery of the city with the losing team will send the winning city's bakery a dozen Boston Cream doughnuts.
Montilio’s Baking Company, a Boston bakery that made a giant Boston cream pie for the Patriots’ send-off rally Sunday, said on Facebook that it will stop using Philadelphia cream cheese (which Visit Philly told TODAY Food isn’t even made in Philly!) in its cheesecake. Instead, they'll be using Wisconsin-made version. Last year, the bakery made a life-size Tom Brady cake after the Pats took home the title.
But the not-so-bitter battle doesn’t end with sweets.
A Boston Market restaurant in northeast Philadelphia even put up a homemade sign, covering up the “Boston” with Philly.
And in Bean Town, Boston’s Esplanade Park, which covers over three miles between the Museum of Science and the Boston University Bridge, announced that until after the Super Bowl, they've officially banned cheesesteak sandwiches, Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, Crisco, soft pretzels and any Philadelphia sports team apparel. Oh, and Will Smith (who is originally from Philly) and Sylvester Stallone (hello, Rocky) aren’t welcome either.
“We realized that appearing in a Super Bowl for only the third time — and first time since losing to the Patriots in 2005 — was disorienting for Philadelphia fans, and that clarity on acceptable items to bring in our park should be offered,” Michael Nichols, executive director of the Esplanade Association, said in a press release.
As you can imagine, the rivalry hasn’t stayed entirely friendly. Poleon said he’s been getting tons of prank phone calls and an anonymous New Englander mailed a package to the doughnut shop that included a Dunkin' Donuts Boston Cream doughnut and a can of Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski’s energy drink (he's partnered with Monster) along with a taunting note.
But will the food ban go on forever? Said Poleon, “When the birds win the Super Bowl on Sunday, we’ll [bring back] Boston cream.”
Of course, if you don't really care who wins but you still wants some great grub on Sunday, Pizza Hut has promised food fans across the country a free pizza if the record for fastest touchdown is broken. All Bostonians and Philadelphians will be eligible for the deal, regardless of who scores the record play.