That's a great question. I asked this to a vegan some years ago. She explained that there is an entire culture of food surrounding meat. Meat-based foods are d

That's a great question. I asked this to a vegan some years ago. She explained that there is an entire culture of food surrounding meat. Meat-based foods are described in terms that sound wonderful, and people often describe how much they love those foods. She doesn't get to engage in that part of our culture because she doesn't eat those foods. It disconnects you from the people around you, and you feel left out. In Philadelphia, eating a cheesesteak sandwich is an experience that connects you to the people and history of the city. Besides just being a tasty food, it's an iconic part of the local culture. People like engaging with their culture. And for another reason, as this article[1] explains, one restauranteur wanted to create a casual place where a non-vegan could order a cheesesteak and decide, hey, this is pretty good even without meat. [1] http://www.philly.com/philly/food/20140320_And_the_best_vegan_cheesesteak_in_Philly_is___.html http://www.philly.com/philly/food/20140320_And_the_best_vega...