Top Five Cheesesteak Rolls

Those of you who have read at least a few of my cheesesteak posts probably realize by now that I prefer sturdy to soft rolls. In this context, ‘sturdy’ relates primarily to the crust and can mean that it either is at least slightly crispy or has a chewy quality to it that is usuallyContinue reading “Top Five Cheesesteak Rolls”

My Year-Long Cheesesteak Odyssey – and What’s Next

*There is an alphabetical list of links to all of my cheesesteak posts at the bottom of this post. While I’ve always lived in the Philadelphia region, I didn’t start eating cheesesteaks at the rate of a little over one per week until roughly a year ago. It was at that point that circumstances andContinue reading “My Year-Long Cheesesteak Odyssey – and What’s Next”

Pat’s and Not Quite Geno’s

The two most iconic steak shops in Philly are unquestionably Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks. They sit across the street from each other and have been rivals for many years. Pat’s was founded in 1930 by Pat Olivieri, who is credited as being the man who created the cheesesteak. Geno’s goes back toContinue reading “Pat’s and Not Quite Geno’s”

Mo, Larry and Richie

As a nearly lifelong Philadelphia sports fan, I have had my share of favorites among the many athletes I’ve seen play for the Sixers, Phillies and Eagles. But there are three who hold a special status for me, not only for their stellar careers on the field and court, but because they returned to workContinue reading “Mo, Larry and Richie”

Back to South Philly to Revisit Last Year’s Best

The restaurant that serves the best cheesesteak to cross my lips in 2021 is going through a branding change. Granted – I didn’t get to most of the heavy hitters until this year. But the steak I had there with Cheese Whiz – rather than the usual Cooper Sharp or American – back in DecemberContinue reading “Back to South Philly to Revisit Last Year’s Best”

Something Old – Something New

I mentioned in my last post that I had a big week of cheesesteak-eating ahead of me. It got underway Tuesday, when my friend Robert joined me for a pair. I’ll be accompanied by another friend Friday as well. The plan is to split steaks from two different shops both days. That would enable meContinue reading “Something Old – Something New”

Back to South Philly – This Time for An Old Standby

After my memorable visit to South Philadelphia’s Angelo’s Pizzeria to try their cheesesteak and pizza earlier this week, I had long-standing plans to meet up with two friends and former colleagues Friday for lunch at another well-known South Philly establishment. Kamala and Helene have been with me for a few of the meals I’ve reportedContinue reading “Back to South Philly – This Time for An Old Standby”

Belated Visit to a Vaunted South Philly Standout

As was the case for my visit to Curly’s in March, there had been a huge amount of anticipation building up within me for almost as long as I’ve been blogging about cheesesteaks to try the steak – and pizza – at Angelo’s Pizzeria in South Philly. Their reputation is at a lofty level thatContinue reading “Belated Visit to a Vaunted South Philly Standout”

Manayunk’s The Rook

Manayunk is one of Philadelphia’s more interesting neighborhoods. It’s main drag – conveniently called Main Street – is home to an array of shops and restaurants, while its side streets are lined with old houses, extremely narrow and, in some cases, on small, but steep hills. While I’m by no means anti-Manayunk, for whatever reasons,Continue reading “Manayunk’s The Rook”

Late Addition to My Steak List – with Pizza to Boot

There are probably hundreds of cheesesteaks available in Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs. I have never had any intention of attempting to try anywhere near all of them. After casting a wider net during the early months of this project, in the interest of saving time and calories, I’ve limited myself to visiting shops thatContinue reading “Late Addition to My Steak List – with Pizza to Boot”