Stephanie Proukou, whose father ran Warren Sub Shop and later Teddy’s, decided it was time to bring back the Steak Sub. She’d been hearing about it for decades.

Now, back in the area, Proukou is teaming up with other Greek families who have had restaurant businesses through the years and Tom Pellegrino, who is hosting the event at Pellegrino’s Creekside Pavilion, to put on A Taste of Home festival starting at 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 4.

The event will feature food, music, and a family-friendly community atmosphere, Proukou said.

In order to make sure the Steak Sub lives up to expectations, Proukou held a tasting event on Saturday.

Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry John and Mary Beth Zdarko sink their teeth into the Steak Sub during a tasting event Saturday at Pellegrino’s Creekside Pavilion.

She has one of the few remaining copies of the recipe. The ingredients — beef, cheese, onions, butter, garlic, rolls, sauce, and maybe some secrets — were all brought together.

Proukou enlisted the help of Jim Brown to do the cooking.

Brown is no stranger to preparing the Steak Sub.

“I started working for Ted in 1971,” Brown said. “I was working for Jerry Waxman (at Waxman’s Furniture next door). At 5 p.m., I’d go over and work for Ted.”

In those days, the shop was between Liberty and Hickory streets on the south side of Pennsylvania Avenue.

Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Eddie and Amy Gustafson sample the Steak Sub during a tasting event Saturday at Pellegrino’s Creekside Pavilion.

The shop later moved to the north side of Pennsylvania, between Liberty and Market – in a building that has since been torn down.

Teddy sold the store in the mid-1980s and it became known as Dagwood’s.

Several of those invited to the tasting event were Steak Sub veterans. All agreed that it matched their memories.

Pellegrino, the host of the festival, said “I’ve had 100 of these.”

He said he was going to the Warren Sub Shop with basketball teammates after practice as early as eighth grade.

“These kinds of stories follow me everywhere,” Proukou said.

One hundred sandwiches may have been a lot for a customer, but it was just a regular day for a cook.

“There were days when we’d make 100 of these at lunch time for Blair,” Brown said. “We’d toast the buns, then, 10 or 15 minutes before they’d come, we’d fill the whole grill.”