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"Any place that says it serves a 'Philly cheesesteak' doesn't."
To date, I have run across one exception to the rule, and it's in my hometown.
It's a pub and music venue called Grinders, located in Kansas City's Crossroads Arts District, about three blocks east of the building that housed The Kansas City Star for most of its existence.
The first time I went there, it was to meet a Star columnist I was interviewing for a feature I wrote on the Power & Light District entertainment zone downtown for Next City. I noted that the menu stated that not only did it serve "Original Philly" cheesesteaks, it had this boast:
"Voted Best Cheesesteak West of the Mississippi"
I refrained from ordering one, observing my rule of thumb. But I did ask the waitress who served us what made the cheesesteaks there so good.
"We have the rolls flown in every morning from Amoroso Baking Company," she replied.
So on my next visit there, five years later, with a friend from here in tow, we went back. They no longer called their cheesesteaks "original," but the menu still called them "Philly" cheesesteaks, and that best-west-of-the-Mississippi claim still appeared on the menu.
My friend ordered one. He said after taking the first bite that the cheesesteak at Grinders would hold its own against any he had eaten in Philly.
Given that Kansas City is a historic cowtown and that the cattle are slaughtered and packaged a little to the west of it, I figured it would have great meat. But after taking a bite, I had to agree that the rolls made a huge difference.
Your savior from here (as you yourself noted) needs to bring better rolls with them as well.
Love those rolls, thank you for sharing the story, I've been so let down by their so called Philly Cheesesteaks out here in Bowling Green, that I will never order another.
Most people that want great food drive down to Nashville....it's a shame b/c I'm telling you locals here think their food is great, but I bet they haven't traveled much...and tasted food else where.....
Place in Tulsa, OK with the owner from Philly called "Steak Stuffers USA", it was a fairly good duplicate of a true Philly cheesesteak. Yes it's rare to find a good one outside of the Philly region. I've found great ones in S Jersey recently...Lillo's in Hainesport and Mama's Pizzeria in Pennsauken.
yes I'd say it's safe to say South Jersey's would be pretty tasty....
the closest thing they have here to Italian food is an Olive Garden, (yuck)
What no one has mentioned yet.....the REAL, true sign it's not a cheesesteak?!!
When they call it "steak and cheese."
I walked into a place somewhere decades ago, don't even remember where -- maybe DC where I lived, or the South or West when I was visiting someone. And I/we went somewhere and there on the overhead menu was a "Philly Steak and Cheese." I was like -- what the #e!! is that? Steak and cheese. No. Just. No.
And, to be fair, I'd say I'd expect to get a decent cheesesteak in any Philly suburb and South Jersey....with half of S. Jersey being from Philly (originally or descended) anyway. (same with hoagies BTW)
How far north, south and west would I try one? Don't know.
South? -- Wilmington, DE, maybe.
West? -- Coatesville,?
North -- Doylestown, in PA?...and maybe Willingboro, in NJ
I saw a place in Arizona somewhere I think that was featured on the TV show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives that supposedly was the real thing. On day of taping lots of Philly transplants were there attesting that it was the real thing. Place was by former Philly folks if I recall.
As far as other general comments:
1) Yes Philly's food scene is among THE best in the country. A little further down the list, to be sure but maybe even in the world.
2) When you're from Philly you might think everywhere has lots of great food and cuisine choices. All it takes it visiting or living elsewhere to realize that ain't so.
3) Grits in the South, but not in KY..... Don't know if that's "south enough." The South is such a vast region. Just like "the northeastern U.S." Sometimes, many times?, food is regional within a region.
I learned my lesson about that when I was in Arizona and ordered Chinese food.
Learn from my mistake -- don't do that.
What no one has mentioned yet.....the REAL, true sign it's not a cheesesteak?!!
When they call it "steak and cheese."
I walked into a place somewhere decades ago, don't even remember where -- maybe DC where I lived, or the South or West when I was visiting someone. And I/we went somewhere and there on the overhead menu was a "Philly Steak and Cheese." I was like -- what the #e!! is that? Steak and cheese. No. Just. No.
And, to be fair, I'd say I'd expect to get a decent cheesesteak in any Philly suburb and South Jersey....with half of S. Jersey being from Philly (originally or descended) anyway. (same with hoagies BTW)
How far north, south and west would I try one? Don't know.
South? -- Wilmington, DE, maybe.
West? -- Coatesville,?
North -- Doylestown, in PA?...and maybe Willingboro, in NJ
I saw a place in Arizona somewhere I think that was featured on the TV show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives that supposedly was the real thing. On day of taping lots of Philly transplants were there attesting that it was the real thing. Place was by former Philly folks if I recall.
As far as other general comments:
1) Yes Philly's food scene is among THE best in the country. A little further down the list, to be sure but maybe even in the world.
2) When you're from Philly you might think everywhere has lots of great food and cuisine choices. All it takes it visiting or living elsewhere to realize that ain't so.
3) Grits in the South, but not in KY..... Don't know if that's "south enough." The South is such a vast region. Just like "the northeastern U.S." Sometimes, many times?, food is regional within a region.
I learned my lesson about that when I was in Arizona and ordered Chinese food.
Learn from my mistake -- don't do that.
I think the Philly area for good cheesesteaks can be expanded a little. I've had great cheesesteaks in Reading and Allentown. Those places are still culturally Philly area. Maybe even out to Lancaster.
I was thinking about that also....I can agree with you....
I would, however, say that the case of Grinders demonstrates that non-Philadelphians can learn to make a decent cheesesteak.
However, it seems that the rolls present a formidable obstacle, and if you can't or won't obtain the right ones, the enterprise is doomed.
And I don't run across the kind of crusty rolls Amoroso and several other Philly bakers, like Sarcone's, produce once on the other side of the Alleghenies.
See.....not that I've thoughta lot about it but....
If they can cook the steak right, right cut -- with the right "chop," right cheese, right flavor on the onions....I think I'll give a bit of a pass on the exact roll used.
I guess I'm saying I'm not sure how much of the success of the cheesesteak is roll compared to getting everything else right.
Obviously, don't put it on sliced white bread -- but IF the bread TASTES right, the right chew and flavor.....I'll cut some slack if it's not Amoroso/Sarcone's, etc.
That's a lot of "ifs"....
Not to derail just as example...hoagies...There's Jersey Mikes with the very soft roll...and there's Jimmy Johns with the crisper roll, with a crust, and there's Primos -- which is in-between.....as long as the inside of the hoagie -- right meat, right ratio, right flavors is good.....I'll take any of the rolls. I have a preference. But I'll accept any of them.
Same with pulled pork. As long as the meat is good. I'll take a soft sandwich roll or a firmer one that's more like a kaiser. It's the pulled park that's the star.
I would, however, say that the case of Grinders demonstrates that non-Philadelphians can learn to make a decent cheesesteak.
However, it seems that the rolls present a formidable obstacle, and if you can't or won't obtain the right ones, the enterprise is doomed.
And I don't run across the kind of crusty rolls Amoroso and several other Philly bakers, like Sarcone's, produce once on the other side of the Alleghenies.
A 'grinder' is a funny word that means different things in different places. In and around Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley, you will find places selling 'Grinders' but that specifically means a sandwich that has been put in an oven and is hot such as a Chicken Parm Grinder.
Just looking at the Wikipedia for it, it does have a pretty good explaination:
Quote:
Grinder
A common term in New England, especially Connecticut and Western Massachusetts, is grinder, but its origin has several possibilities.[24] One theory has the name coming from Italian-American slang for a dock worker, among whom the sandwich was popular.[5] Others say that it was called a grinder because the bread's hard crust required much chewing.[25]
In Pennsylvania, New York, and parts of New England, the term grinder usually refers to a hot submarine sandwich (meatball, sausage, etc.), whereas a cold sandwich (e.g., cold cuts) is usually called a "sub".[8] In the Philadelphia area, the term grinder is also applied to any hoagie that is toasted in the oven after assembly, whether or not it is made with traditionally hot ingredients.
The main thing is you have to use actual sliced ribeye steak. That’s why it’s a cheese “steak”. The vast majority of places, particularly outside of Philly, will use a “Steak-um” type frozen product, which are universally terrible. Also, you can’t get decent rolls in many parts of the country. There’s only about 6 ingredient to a cheesesteak, it’s not rocket science.
I believe that's what IHop used the other day....it was so bad, I couldn't finish it....
I should have known better....
the guy fried it so hard, it was crispy and awful....
several of the places around here hire cooks that cannot cook....I've noted that Ihop here is on the verge of closing, it does a good breakfast but the rest of their food is horrible...and the place is empty after breakfast....in Doylestown PA there is a constant line to get in....
also, don't know if you've heard of a Salad Works, there is one in Lansdale PA and it is delicious...they prepare the kind of salad you want, with all the fixings, you just tell them what you want, and they serve a roll with it, the salad is so cold and crispy fresh, delicious.....
when I saw one here, I was so excited, went in and the salads and fixings looked days old....I mean it looked awful...I left...it is closed now.
But they certainly cannot make a Philly Cheesesteak...and the roll is half the battle...Amoroso rolls
A real disappointment was a Texas cheesesteak shop chain called "Texadelphia."
Yes, you read that right. The founder of the chain hailed from Philadelphia.
He decided to replicate what he remembered from home in the Lone Star State. I think there are seven locations statewide. (Yes, and one in Oklahoma City.)
I ate at the one on Seawall Boulevard in Galveston. (It's since closed.)
The meat was actual ribeye, and they made their own homemade cheese sauce, for which I gave them points. Then I had to take them away because of the soft rolls they used for the sandwiches.
I was too polite to diss them when I ate there, but I did make a note of this for reference.
I do note that the website does not call what they serve "Philly cheesesteaks," however. At least they have the decency to call theirs "The Original Texas Cheesesteak." But, in typical Texan fashion, they brag that theirs is an improvement: "Invented in Philly, Perfected in Texas!" read the back of the T-shirt they sold. (I did buy one.)
LOL, good story.....
There are a whole lot of professional transplants coming here from the East Coast...I spoke with a nice young man from NJ and the horrible food here was the topic...everyone who comes here from the East says the same thing, so it's not just me....I keep hoping the word gets out and some chef from back east comes out here and opens a huge diner, b/c people here love to go out to eat...and if they'd see a menu from back east, they'd be overwhelmed...as my DIL was when we took her out to a few places, she said she couldn't believe the quality of the food and the dessert cases....believe it or not, they don't make many soups here either...just potato soup, I don't believe they know what french onion soup is
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