How Hard is it to Say "Cheez Whiz"?

The 66 year old proprietor of Geno's Cheesesteaks in Philadelphia doesn't much care for people who order his food in any language other than English, and it's gotten him into some hot water with the perpetually aggrieved crowd:

A City Council member jumped into the debate over a sign at one of Philadelphia's best-known cheesesteak joints that reads: ``This Is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING 'SPEAK ENGLISH.' ''

During the council's meeting Thursday, Councilman Jim Kenney asked Geno's owner Joseph Vento to take the small sign down. The English-only ordering sign has irritated some activists in the diverse neighborhood of South Philadelphia and drawn national attention.

``It's such an iconic institution and business, one that is that visible for many of our residents, for the region and the world,'' Kenney said.

Vento, whose grandparents struggled to learn English after immigrating from Sicily in the 1920s, said his staff is glad to help non-native speakers order in English and no one has been turned away because of a language barrier.

``I don't see much of a big deal about learning to say Cheez Whiz,'' he told ABC-TV's ``Good Morning America'' on Friday.

One group is even planning to send Spanish speakers to his restaurant to provoke a controversy, and then of course, some sort of silly lawsuit. Mr. Vento is not interested in giving in, and good for him. If a proprietor wishes to insist that his business be conducted in English, he has the right to do that and has the right to refuse service to anybody who doesn't want to comply.

I've never had a Philly Cheesesteak, but if I ever get to Philadelphia, I'm going to Geno's.