The Great Philly Cheesesteak (Erie, Oxford: licensed, locations, market)

[cremebrulee]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

For a while, Pat's had other locations in the city. I personally remember seeing one on the Boulevard somewhere around C Street. That Charley's blog entry claims that cheese was added to the steak by the manager of a Pat's Steaks on Ridge Avenue in the 1940s. ISTR that Pat's flirted with franchising in the 1990s but ultimately abandoned the idea.

Pat's nephew Herb opened a place in the Reading Terminal Market around that time called "Oliveri Prince of Steaks." I think this was the byproduct of one of those family falling-outs that seem to afflict family businesses in this city.

I remember getting cheesesteaks in the Terminal but don’t remember their name,

thank you so much for your informative posts
You’ve shared some very informative nostalgic information love it!

[PHL10]

So I had a steak from Geno's for the first time in well over a year. Very good. My only complaint was that it was under seasoned but that was quickly remedied by the salt and pepper shakers that they have on all the tables.

I still have trouble with the whole "tourist trap" narrative considering that in my estimation, they use superior ingredients - good roll and fresh slices of ribeye. You can't that about many places out there.

[MarketStEl]

BTW, I've actually been inside Geno's Steaks; I was invited to be a fly on the wall when Kevin Kennedy recorded an episode of his podcast "Your Valuable Home" there, interviewing Geno Vento. (There's a seating area in the far corner (relative to the 9th/Passyunk intersection) of the triangular space.)

Geno had a great attitude and operating philosophy: "Check your ego at the door." In his interview, he sang the praises of "the red knobs" (Wolf gas ranges).

And this place was the cleanest sandwich shop I've ever seen. They had a thorough daily cleaning routine, and the floors really were so clean you could eat off of them.

Regardless of reputation, that's enough to recommend Geno's to just about anyone, IMO.

[cremebrulee]

Originally Posted by PHL10

So I had a steak from Geno's for the first time in well over a year. Very good. My only complaint was that it was under seasoned but that was quickly remedied by the salt and pepper shakers that they have on all the tables.

I still have trouble with the whole "tourist trap" narrative considering that in my estimation, they use superior ingredients - good roll and fresh slices of ribeye. You can't that about many places out there.

boy those rolls are excellent, they don't have anything out here in BG KY like that, they are so good.

[cremebrulee]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

BTW, I've actually been inside Geno's Steaks; I was invited to be a fly on the wall when Kevin Kennedy recorded an episode of his podcast "Your Valuable Home" there, interviewing Geno Vento. (There's a seating area in the far corner (relative to the 9th/Passyunk intersection) of the triangular space.)

Geno had a great attitude and operating philosophy: "Check your ego at the door." In his interview, he sang the praises of "the red knobs" (Wolf gas ranges).

And this place was the cleanest sandwich shop I've ever seen. They had a thorough daily cleaning routine, and the floors really were so clean you could eat off of them.

Regardless of reputation, that's enough to recommend Geno's to just about anyone, IMO.

interesting....and Geno's philosophy was a great one....there is nothing like a clean are where you pick up your food....

I used to go to Franks in, PA for a great cheesesteak, and there were many that made great cheesesteaks...but one day I asked if they bought a new range, and he said, nope, I cleaned it with this, and he held up a glass jar of pickle juice.....lol

[BajanYankee]

I feel like Max's is quickly becoming the most popular cheesesteak/hoagie spot in the city due to all the celebrity from "This Is Us" and "Creed." 20 years ago, I'd say a lot of West and South Philly natives didn't even know about it, but now I hear about out-of-towners making Max's a part of their trip.

[cremebrulee]

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

I feel like Max's is quickly becoming the most popular cheesesteak/hoagie spot in the city due to all the celebrity from "This Is Us" and "Creed." 20 years ago, I'd say a lot of West and South Philly natives didn't even know about it, but now I hear about out-of-towners making Max's a part of their trip.

Well tell him to open one up out here in Bowling Green, Ky
They keep making what they call a Philly cheese steak and let me tell ya honey, not even close

[thedirtypirate]

There’s a cheesesteak place in New Zealand, and our reporter at the World Cup tried it



A cheesesteak place in Auckland, NZ with a picture of Obama probably taking a bite into a Chicago Italian Beef lol.



I always like Pats and Genos. I don't care what the haters say. What's funny about the people who hate them, will unironically turn around and try to pass of places like Jim's and Delassandro's as 'non'-touristy spots even though they are also super touristy.

[Hermit12]

Originally Posted by thedirtypirate

There’s a cheesesteak place in New Zealand, and our reporter at the World Cup tried it



A cheesesteak place in Auckland, NZ with a picture of Obama probably taking a bite into a Chicago Italian Beef lol.



I always like Pats and Genos. I don't care what the haters say. What's funny about the people who hate them, will unironically turn around and try to pass of places like Jim's and Delassandro's as 'non'-touristy spots even though they are also super touristy.

It's usually a suburbanite or transplant that starts in with the 'tourist trap' claims.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by Hermit12

It's usually a suburbanite or transplant that starts in with the 'tourist trap' claims.

Neither Pat's nor Geno's are "tourist traps," which is a bit more pejorative than "touristy."

The latter term simply means that tourists tend to patronize a place so described more than locals do. A "tourist trap" is designed to lure unknowing visitors to it by offering some sort of simulation (often overpriced) of the thing the tourist came to see/get/experience.

And I would say that Dalessandro's is less touristy than the dueling shops at Cheesesteak Corner simply because it's harder to reach from Center City. Lots of tourists check out the Italian Market thanks to "Rocky"; no one visits Roxborough just to see it. You have to want to go to Dalessandro's, and most tourists won't have heard of it until they get here. And with nothing else nearby to do or see, it will be easy for tourists to strike it from their list.

Max's, at Broad/Erie/Germantown, isn't touristy yet; locals still way outnumber outsiders in the lines that form there on weekend nights. That may change once the new hotel opens in the Boner 4Ever building, but not yet; the tourists will only visit during the day because of the area's still-rough character. However, it does get more tourists than Dalessandro's does because of two things: its TV and movie exposure ("Creed," "This is Us") and its location right atop an express station on the Broad Street Line, making it easy to get to and from. (I'm there twice a day almost every day because there are places I frequent in Center City and this is where I transfer between the bus and the subway. But I've only ordered a cheesesteak at Max's once so far in the year-plus I've lived where I live now.)