This evening, a couple of us decided that we couldn't visit Philadelphia without having a cheese steak. The two places that we have heard about all the time are Pat's and Geno's. After talking to a several locals, it was unanimous to not bother with either of them but to go to
Jim's Steak at 400 South St. We passed by Independence Hall while walking but I suspect I'll get a better picture during the day. At least I now have a starting point for exploring tomorrow afternoon. The Internet
2 meeting will wrap up tomorrow at noon.
At Jim's Steak, I got a
stereotypical cheese steak. Meat, Whiz, grilled onions, mushrooms and peppers. It was tasty but I must admit, it wasn't anything special. The cheese steaks that I can get in Fairbanks and even Barrow are at least as good and maybe even better. Personally, I think that provolone would've been a better choice than the overly salty processed cheese spread. But that is the "standard" or as one website put it, "Cheeze Whiz is the topping of choice for serious steak connoisseurs."
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I've got to agree. I'm not a fan of Cheese Whiz. I much prefer provolone, peppers and onion on a nice lightly toasted bun.... Now I'm getting hungry!
ReplyDeleteThey were adament, if it wasn't Whiz then it isn't a Philly cheese steak...
DeleteRichard, they put processed cheese food spread on a sandwich and call it a Philly cheese steak? I can't believe it's real.
ReplyDeleteAnything else would be a cheese steak but not "Philly". The restaurant offered provolone, American or Cheese Whiz (that brand not just generic cheese sauce).
DeleteI thought the 'real thing' would be done with real cheese... Another dream shattered (well, not that I eat cheese but still).
ReplyDeleteApparantly not in Philly.
DeleteCheese Whiz? That's just cheezy. You have to go find another place now and find the real thing. That's gross. Demand the proper sandwich with the proper cheese!
ReplyDeleteApparantly, Cheese Whiz brand is the proper cheese. Anything else was a poor substitute.
DeleteAccording to all my information, Cheese Whiz is the "connoissuer's choice" for a genuine Philly cheese steak. I've always had it with provolone so I felt obligated to try the recommended "cheese".
ReplyDeleteI guess, then, I'd like to know the origin of the sandwich, the date. I think I will now go look that up.
ReplyDeleteAnd shame on PA for using "cheese" in a can. And thanks, Richard, for taking one for the team. Ew.
OK, so the sandwich was created in the 1930s before Cheese Whiz came into being. Most people agree provolone is the original cheese, although the canned goo became the most popular choice later on.
ReplyDeleteThe menu had a steak sandwich, a cheese steak and a Philly cheese steak. The difference being whether or not you wanted cheese and what kind you wanted.
DeleteOh Richard:
ReplyDeleteI feel so sorry for you for having to endure processed cheese. I think those sandwiches would have been too gooey and salty
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
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Since no seasonings are added to the meat or vegetables, it wasn't overly salty at all. In fact, it was probably just about the right amount. Also, the Cheese Whiz isn't piled on but smeared on the bread like you would put on mayo or mustard,
DeleteThe other guy I went just couldn't stomach the idea of Cheese Whiz and had provolone but it wasn't melted on or mixed with the meat. Just put on the bread and the sliced meat piled in followed by whatever vegetables you wanted.
I don't think I've seen Cheese Whiz since we left Canada. I had no idea they put it on Philly Cheese Steaks.
ReplyDeleteThe sandwich looks like something off of Man vs. Food. Bummer it wasn't as good as the ones you get at home. How anti-climactic.
Man vs Food went to Tony Luke's and took on the 5 lb cheese steak and opted for American cheese instead of the more traditional Cheese Whiz according to Wikipedia. Rachel Ray went to Jim's Steaks with the Food Network on the $40/day show a few years back.
DeleteIt was a bit anti-climactic but sort of fits with what I remember. The last time I was in Philadelphia, I just went to a place near the hotel and had a cheese steak. It also didn't really stand out and I just thought that it was the place I went to.
That looks pretty tasty, even if probably really crappy for my heart. But still looks tasty! I miss some of those things. I agree that provolone or maybe even Swiss would be better than the processed "whiz" stuff.
ReplyDeleteJim
By adding the vegetables (onions, mushrooms and peppers) it became healthy, right?
DeleteWe run a rest stop for a bicycle ride that sometimes features canned cheese. Cyclist will wrinkle their noses, slander the product as "not real food", then proceed to slather it on the nearest cracker/chip they can find and gobble it down.
ReplyDeleteGuess there must be something to these fakey-cheesy non-food things, but I'm not sure I'm convinced.
I'm one that would slander the product then go on to have some. When I made homemade mac and cheese, I used to get complaints from the kids who preferred the processed cheese look and flavor of the cheap box variety. There's no accounting for taste...
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