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I recently read a comment somewhere by a Philadelphian who went into a shop in some Southwestern US city that listed "Philadelphia cheesesteaks" on the menu.
When the person asked the waiter what made these sandwiches "Philly cheesesteaks," the waiter responded, "We only use Philadelphia cream cheese!"
The Philadelphian promptly left. As he should have.
I went to a sandwich shop in Berkeley, Calif., that advertised that it sold "Philly cheesesteaks and hoagies."
It then defined a "hoagie" on the menu board as a "hot oven toasted sandwich."
Trust me, no, not anyone can make a cheesesteak -- or a hoagie, for that matter.
My own rule of thumb is: Anyplace that states publicly that it serves "Philly cheesesteaks" doesn't.
To date, I've run across only one exception to this rule.
I mean I’ve had a steak and cheese that was just as good as a cheesesteak. But they also don’t try to brand it that way.
A Cheesesteak is pretty objectively easy to recreate. Buffalloians are the same way with wings they pretend they have some specialty when it’s super easy to make good hot wings.
Regional cuisine that’s hard to recreate are based on 1) local ingredients like Lobster or crab that’s hard to get outside the region or 2. A complex recipe like Gumbo that takes years to refine.
I don't know if that was exactly the point being made. Regardless of whether NYC is better than other 4 cities, the comparison would be difficult just because of the extra exposure and publicity that NYC restaurants get compared to the others. A great restaurant in Boston or Philly could easily fly under the radar, whereas the same restaurant in NYC would be on all the headlines.
Very true, some of the hottest restaurants in Manhattan are operated by Philadelphia restaurants, yet that piece of info is brushed over in the "rave review"
And I am not saying NYC blows the others away, but there is an overall sizable gap in the culinary scene, just from my experience.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lenses & Lights.
Uh......No they can't.
Agreed. And I think a big thing people tend to brush over with Hoagies and Cheesesteaks is the bread! Rolls in Philadelphia are far superior than the sponge bread you may find at any old deli or restaurant.
I have had good cheesesteaks elsewhere, but its not as simple as saying any old place can make a good one.
Personally, I prefer the places that use American and melt it into the chopped steak, but that's a matter of taste. I can do Whiz too.
The one exception I've found to my rule is a place in the Crossroads district of my hometown of Kansas City.
The menu boasts that it serves "Original Philly" cheesesteaks, with this legend below that title:
"Voted Best Cheesesteak West of the Mississippi"
After having one, I believe that they did get that honor.
One possible reason why: the waiter told me that this place has the rolls flown in from Amoroso Baking Company.
Cleavers in Center City melts the cheese on top, which I love as well. Everyone I take there from outside of Philadelphia says the cheesesteaks (and the bread) are the best they have ever had.
Agreed. And I think a big thing people tend to brush over with Hoagies and Cheesesteaks is the bread! Rolls in Philadelphia are far superior than the sponge bread you may find at any old deli or restaurant.
The bread really does matter. I think that's the main reason the cheesesteaks at Grinders in KC were as good as they were.
Those chain places that bake their bread on the premises from pre-proofed dough, like Subway and now Wawa, usually use inferior dough recipes that produce sub-par rolls even if they are fresh from the oven.
If we're adding onto the cheesesteak discussion, before I lived in Philly, I used to love the cheesesteak from Papa Jakes Sub Shop in the Grove Farmer's Market in LA. I haven't had one yet since after living in Philly, but I remember them being good lol I'll report back if I go next time I'm in LA.
I like cheese steaks, and Ive had them at some of the recommended places in Philly...but if thats the best food you ever had you need to broaden your horizons a bit. Im no food snob, but its meat on bread ie a food combination extremely common in Western cultures and made in tons of local variations. A lot of them being traditional, local ‘man on the street’ favorites. And indeed most of them are tasty and good recommendations for visitors. But they tend to be more an expression of local color and flavor than genuine highlights of culinary expertise. Locals proudly proclaim their superiority the same way they proudly rep the local sports teams. New arrivals/transplants embrace them to showcase their actual ‘arrival’ in a cultural sense; visitors talk about them to highlight just how great their trip was. I mean really without being too demeaning..cheesesteaks are basically to Philly what In’n’Out is to California.
I don't know if that was exactly the point being made. Regardless of whether NYC is better than other 4 cities, the comparison would be difficult just because of the extra exposure and publicity that NYC restaurants get compared to the others. A great restaurant in Boston or Philly could easily fly under the radar, whereas the same restaurant in NYC would be on all the headlines.
yeah i think sometimes persons give an automatic w to n.y.c. just because it is the largest city. there is a thread on here about what city has the best pizza and a few of the respondents mentioned that pizza was invented in new york city.
I like cheese steaks, and Ive had them at some of the recommended places in Philly...but if thats the best food you ever had you need to broaden your horizons a bit. Im no food snob, but its meat on bread ie a food combination extremely common in Western cultures and made in tons of local variations. A lot of them being traditional, local ‘man on the street’ favorites. And indeed most of them are tasty and good recommendations for visitors. But they tend to be more an expression of local color and flavor than genuine highlights of culinary expertise. Locals proudly proclaim their superiority the same way they proudly rep the local sports teams. New arrivals/transplants embrace them to showcase their actual ‘arrival’ in a cultural sense; visitors talk about them to highlight just how great their trip was. I mean really without being too demeaning..cheesesteaks are basically to Philly what In’n’Out is to California.
Where did anyone mention that cheesesteaks are the best food they have ever had? We are discussing street foods / staple foods and the cheesesteak is Philadelphia's staple street food.
Philadelphia has a far more diverse culinary scene beyond the cheesesteak, hopefully you know that...
And the is 100% false on the last point. The cheesesteak and hoagie are national and international food staples connected to Philadelphia, more comparable to NY Pizza or Chicago deep dish. I have in Greece last summer and saw cafes advertising "Philly Cheesesteak" I have seen signs similar to those all over the world.
In'n'out Burger is a popular burger joint in Cali (mostly LA)... its basically the shack shack of the west coast, so yes that is demeaning, lol.
They might be more easy to imitate than New England clam chowder or Maryland crab cakes, but the cheesesteaks in Philly are definitely far and away better than any old cheesesteak you'd find at a deli in Utah or wherever.
A Philly Cheesesteak I like to get here is a choice of either chicken or beef sliced into maybe quarter inch thick strips about as long as a slice of bacon and quickly grilled with onions, hatch chili peppers, mushrooms, and some knd of white cheese that is not Swiss or Philadelphia cream and toasted on a 10 or 12 inch long subway style bun. It's delicious and can easily make 2 meals out of it.
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