MINNEAPOLIS -- The Jucy Lucy or the Philly Cheesesteak: which is better? The Mall or America or King of Prussia Mall: which is bigger? Vikings fans or Eagles fans: who's more intense?
These are the kinds of questions people are asking in the days leading up to the Vikings' NFC Championship battle against the Eagles.
That crucial matchup, the last stop on the road to Super Bowl 52, had led to the inevitable comparisons between the great cities of Minneapolis and Philadelphia.
We now know that the Eagles have their own 99-year-old super fan, "Philadelphia Phil," to counter the suddenly famous 99-year-old Vikings fan "Minneapolis Millie."
Fans in both cities have endured their fair share of gridiron heartbreak; the Vikings have lost Super Bowls, while the Eagles have dropped two. Neither team has captured the coveted Lombardi Trophy.
Food fight
On the food front, the Jucy Lucy is that uniquely Minneapolis double hamburger with melted American cheese tucked inside. You don't see the hidden layer of cheese while it's on the grill.
"We take a patty, put the cheese on it, then crimp the edges together," Paul Rees, of Matt's Bar in South Minneapolis, explained. "We do about 500 to 700 a day."
In the other corner, you'll find Philly's famous sandwich known as the cheesesteak.
"We get our rolls from Philadelphia, and use fresh ribeye meat," Antonio Gambino, of Frank from Philly and Andrea's Pizza in Dinkytown, told KARE.
"It roll is the secret. It starts with the roll and then you put the love on the inside, the ribeye steak and the cheese wiz!"
The Philadelphia native says he's had Jucy Lucys and admits they're good -- "also made with love" as he put it. But if he absolutely had to pick one over the other, Gambino would go with the cheesesteak.
"Why is it better? It’s from Philadelphia! You know, it’s tradition! 100 years old. It’s in the blood, I grew up eating them!"
Paul Rees from Matt's Bar has spent a good deal of time in Philly and also expressed admiration for that city's signature sandwich. But when it comes down to it, he'd have to go with delicacy he's been cooking for 14 years.
"Well I mean, we’re both talking about hot liquid cheese!" Rees said. "I’m gonna have to go with the Minnesota Jucy Lucy."
Contrast and compare
Philadelphia is much older, having been founded in 1682. Minneapolis, by comparison, was founded in 1856.
Philly has the Liberty Bell, whereas Minnesota has a 1950 replica of the Liberty Bell near the Veterans Affairs Building on the State Capitol grounds.
Minneapolis gets more snow, 53 inches per year on average, versus 15 inches for Philadelphia. And Philadelphia gets more rain, 46 inches per year opposed to 32 inches for Minneapolis.
The City of Brotherly Love, as it's known, has a Love Park with a sculpture featuring the stacked letters L-O-V-E. Minneapolis, the City of Lakes, has 13 lakes at least five acres in size.
Many movies have been filmed in both cities. The Rocky series is most closely associated with Philadelphia, while Purple Rain is the one that most often comes to mind in Minneapolis.
Philadelphia makes a lot of money, literally, as it's home to the United States Mint. One could say Minneapolis makes a lot of dough, too, both literally and figuratively. The city was the flour milling capital of the world at one point, giving birth to both Gold Medal and Pillsbury.
The list could go on forever, but this story must end at some point.
And, for the record, since the Mall of America added Phase Two in 2015, it now is the largest mall again in terms of both square footage and number of retail stores under one roof.