In memoriam: Schmitter creator Hugh McNally
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
There are no shortage of iconic sandwiches in this cheesesteak, roast-pork and hoagie town. But there’s one that only the most sand-wich-savvy are versed in — the monster combo of steak meat, salami, American cheese, fried onions, tomato and special sauce known as the Schmitter. Hugh McNally, originator of this kaiser-roll creation and owner of Chestnut Hill stalwart McNally’s Tavern, died on Sept. 11 at age 81. Aside from inventing a unique Philly sandwich (created and named for a patron who loved Schmidt’s beer), McNally, an heir to the family-bar biz, was also one of the first tavern owners in the state to voluntarily go smoke-free back in 1998.
