Returning to South Jersey for Another Steak and Pie

One of my most common cheesesteak-related assertions on this blog has been that proportion and moderation are preferable to a more-is-better approach to meat and cheese. That preference led me to leave several very popular steak shops – each of which is known for using a huge amount of meat and cheese – off of my list of the top 20 cheesesteaks in the Philly region. 

But one that managed to make the list in spite of using a pound of chopped ribeye was Lillo’s of Hainesport, New Jersey. In addition to the meat being very well seasoned, they managed to use a healthy dose of Cooper Sharp cheese without overwhelming the taste of the beef. They also apply a garlic spread to their rolls for an additional flavor punch. 

I had been overdue for a return visit to Lillo’s but decided to hold off when I read that they were opening a second location in Gloucester City, New Jersey, which is right across the Delaware River from South Philadelphia and a shorter ride for me than Hainesport. After much delay, that opening finally took place in early March, and I headed there for lunch with my friend, Jim, a couple weeks later. 

The restaurant is situated in a quaint and what appeared to be mostly residential neighborhood in an attractive corner building. While ordering is done at the counter at the original Lillo’s, the new spot features table service and also has a bar in addition to both table and counter seating. It was a very impressive space that I’d gladly make a regular hangout spot if I lived nearby. 

The menu, on the other hand, appeared to be identical to the one at the Hainesport location. The owners are from Trenton and highlight that fact with their tomato pies, which is the name used for classic Trenton-style pizza. The plan was for Jim and me to split a cheesesteak and a plain tomato pie. 

There was a miscommunication when we ordered that resulted in two cheesesteaks being dropped off at our table instead of the one that we ordered. They didn’t charge us for the additional steak and wrapped it to go as these sandwiches were way too hefty for either of us to eat more than a half if we were also going to sample the tomato pie.  

The chopped ribeye rose above the roll line on both halves

And all of that meat was well coated with Cooper Sharp that was melted to a liquid state. On the one hand, they get points for evenly distributing the cheese throughout the entire sandwich. But there was too much of it for my taste and Jim felt the same way. I mentioned above that they managed to avoid having the cheese overwhelm the taste of the meat during my earlier two visits to the original Lillo’s. But that wasn’t the case on this occasion. I had trouble tasting anything but the Cooper Sharp. 

Their rolls were supplied by Liscio’s during those previous visits. I would guess that’s still the case, but I didn’t see any bakery boxes to confirm that. They toast the rolls. While I tend to prefer them untoasted, Liscio’s rolls are usually softer than I prefer, so the bit of crunch that came from being toasted likely made the sandwich better from a textural standpoint. 

I’m sure the garlic spread was on there, but again, I couldn’t taste it because the steak’s flavor was so dominated by the Cooper Sharp. 

The tomato pie came out not long after the cheesesteak and was a thing of beauty. 

Trenton-style tomato pie features a thin crust that usually is on the crispy side without fully sacrificing a good chew. The sauce is ladled on top of the cheese in circles or less well-organized blotches. 

My preferences for proportion and moderation weren’t fully satisfied by Lillo’s cheesesteak this time around, but their pizza had both characteristics in spades. 

When it comes to cheese on a pizza, more-is-better is the approach that predominates in much of the U.S. But good East Coast pizzerias tend to be a bit more subtle in their approach and don’t go overboard with the Mozzarella. Lillo’s also proportions its savory sauce beautifully. 

While this pie didn’t match the ones from Pizzeria Salvy that I posted on last week in terms of overall flavor, it was still top notch pizza. I am very fond of Trenton-style pizza and extremely happy to now have the option of having it in such a pleasant setting only a half hour from where I live. 

Lillo’s is part of an expansion trend among some of the Philadelphia area’s most celebrated cheesesteak and pizza purveyors. Angelo’s Pizzeria, Gazzo’s and Johnny’s Pizza have also opened second locations. As long as these places are able to maintain the quality that put them on the food map in the first place, it’s a trend I can get behind. 

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This may be my last post for a while. The last few have been for meals I ate in mid to late March. It was towards the end of that month that I had oral surgery. And one of the results of that is my need to be careful about what and how I eat over the next few months. While it’s possible there will be an isolated post or two during that period, I likely won’t return to posting on a regular basis until some time during July.