Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

THE PHILLY CHEESE STEAK SANDWICH
I am always looking for the great Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich. During my early years, living in Hamilton, New Jersey from 1963-1970 I must have eaten a zillion of these. Back then I probably didn't appreciate just how good these things are. I remember eating them with birch beer, sometimes draught and that was a great combination.

A number of years ago, while at the World Famous Farmer's Market, located at 3rd and Fairfax in Los Angeles, I found a sandwich stand which made a pretty good Philly Cheese Steak. Up until a few year ago, I considered this to be the best I had ever had. While visiting relatives in Pennsylvania a few years back, I had the pleasure of eating a really great sandwich. It was huge....lots of steak (probably rib-eye) with plenty of cheese packed into a roll and absolutely smothered and overflowing with delicious peppers and onions. It was really great and I can not find anything here on the West Coast that compares with it.

I've tried places like the Cheese Steak Shop and they are somewhat okay, but can not compare. I've had many steak sandwiches at fairs and festivals we have done, but nowhere near. The best Philly I have had at a festival are the ones at the Coos County Fair in Myrtle Point, OR. I usually have a couple during our yearly summer stay there. They are good, but just do not compare.

A cheese steak sandwich is not really a steak at all – it is a sandwich made with chipped steak, steak that has been frozen and sliced really thin) and cooked on a grill top. Locals think in terms of steak sandwiches with or without cheese. Without cheese, the sandwich is referred to as a “steak.” With cheese, it is a “cheese steak” or "cheesesteak." Cheeze Whiz is the topping of choice for serious steak connoisseurs. However, you can also use provolone cheese.

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The Philadelphia cheese steak is truly one of the most delightful and beloved foods available in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is said by most Philadelphians that if a restaurant offers something called a "Philly Cheese Steak" then it's not authentic. According to Philadelphians, you simply cannot make an authentic Philadelphia Cheese Steak sandwich without an authentic Philadelphia roll. The rolls must be long and thin, not fluffy or soft, but also not too hard. They also say that if you are more than one hour from South Philly, you cannot make an authentic sandwich.

1930s - During the 1930s in the Italian immigrant section of South Philadelphia, brothers Harry Olivieri (1916-2006) and Pat Olivieri sold hot dogs and sandwiches.

Tired of hot dogs, Pat suggested that Harry go to a store and buy some beef. Harry brought it back, sliced it up and grilled it with some onions. The brothers piled the meat on rolls and were about to dig in when a cab driver arrived for lunch, smelled the meat and onions and demanded one of the sandwiches. Pat never got a bite because a cab driver drove by, smelled the sandwich, and asked how much? He didn’t know what to charge, so he charged a nickel.

The cab driver supposedly said, “Hey . . . forget about those hot dogs, you should sell these.” It was not until 20 years later that cheese was added to the sandwich by a longtime employee, Joe Lorenzo, who was tired of the usual sandwich and added some cheese.

In 1940, the brothers opened Pat's King of Steaks at 1237 East Passyunk Avenue. The business has been there ever since, open 24 hours a day. Cheez Whiz was added to the steak and onions starting in the 1960s, and provolone, American cheese and pizza sauce later became options in the concoction along with various condiments, and side dishes.

Residents and tourists who come for paper-wrapped Philly cheesesteaks and sodas can study the wall of celebrity photos before taking seats at the no-frills picnic tables. For the uninitiated, a sign explains the drill: with or without onions; specify provolone, American or Cheez Whiz; have your money ready; go to the back of the line if you make a mistake.

On the way back from a New York trip my friend Izzy (the guy pictured in the hoodie) and I, decided to make a pit stop to taste test Geno's and Pat's (adjacent corner) so we could decide for ourselves who makes the best Philly Cheesesteak. Unlike George Bush, we knew to order ours "wiz wit." We tried Pat's first and were blown away by how good it was. After we each finished our first footlong+ cheesesteak (don't tell my fiancée) we walked accross to Geno's and got another one (please don't tell my fiancée). Even though I went into the taste test with the hope of liking Pat's better, since it was the original, Geno's seemed to be a little juicier and was my pick as the best Philly Cheesesteak. So there you go. Well, actually my buddy Izzy liked Pat's a little better. Either way you can't go wrong. The only place we've been able to find in the DC area that makes a Philly Cheesesteak even close to Geno's or Pat's is South Street Steaks in College Park, MD.

Many Philadelphians proclaim allegiance to a particular steak shop as the maker of "the best" cheesesteak. There is much lively debate to be had in Philadelphia over what makes one establishment's cheesesteak better than another's. Street vendors also prepare and sell cheesesteaks from trucks and carts in and around the city, especially on the larger college campuses.

Pat's grandson, Rick Olivieri operates Rick's Steaks in the Reading Terminal Market and also in Citizens Band Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. As Patti LaBelle notes, "when we were growing up, Llona and I always went to the same little shop to get ours—this twenty-four-hour hole-in-the-wall that made the best ones in Philly.

Real cheesesteaks are cooked fresh, covered with American cheese, provolone or Cheese-Whiz and rest in a roll dripping with grease. Sound disgusting? You're obviously not from this town.

Cheesesteaks were invented in South Philadelphia in the 1930's at Pat's Steaks, located in the heart of South Philadelphia, hence the addition of "Philly" to the name. They were originally topped with a pizza sauce, (now called a pizza steak).

Where to find the best cheese steak is a question that will forever be debated throughout the area. Only in Philadelphia could two places stay open all night selling cheese steaks -- right across the street from each other -- and both do a thriving business.

The debate over whether Pat's or Geno's steaks are the best goes on every night. Both are located on Passyunk Avenue near Ninth Street in the heart of South Philly. Other neighborhoods have also staked their claims to have the best cheesesteak. Jim's Steaks at 4th and South Street has been in business for over 60 years, and is a favorite of many locals. Dallessandro's at Henry Avenue and Wendover Street in Roxborough, PA has received much acclaim in recent years for their fresh rolls and large sandwiches.

John Russ, who maintains a website called The Best Philly Cheesesteaks says that his choice is Leo's at 1403 Chester Pike in suburban Folcroft, Delaware County.

There are a number of things you need to consider in your search for the perfect cheesesteak. First, there's the cheesesteak itself. As already noted, a proper Philly cheesesteak is made with real beef -- fresh, not frozen. It is cooked on a grill using grease.

As it is cooked, it should be chopped to bits. You then choose which cheese you prefer and whether you want onions, peppers or other toppings. When the sandwich is served the juices should drip from your cheesesteak. In order to avoid ruining their clothes, Philadelphians have learned, what is referred to as, the "Philadelphia Lean", bending forward to eat the cheesesteak, instead of bringing it to your mouth.

The perfect cheesesteak shop has ample seating for the clientele. Outdoor seating is best in South Philly. You will find older folks eating right next to teenagers and tourists. The most popular shops are open late into the night. A midnight cheesesteak is a Philly tradition. Many of the more famous shops have signed celebrity photos decorating their establishments. Or you can always make your own.

A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE ON WHERE TO FIND THE BEST PHILLY CHEESESTEAKS

A cheese steak sandwich is not really a steak at all – it is a sandwich made with chipped steak, steak that has been frozen and sliced really thin) and cooked on a grill top.

Locals think in terms of steak sandwiches with or without cheese. Without cheese, the sandwich is referred to as a “steak.” With cheese, it is a “cheese steak” or "cheesesteak." Cheeze Whiz is the topping of choice for serious steak connoisseurs. However, you can also use provolone cheese.

1930s - During the 1930s in the Italian immigrant section of South Philadelphia, brothers Harry Olivieri (1916-2006) and Pat Olivieri sold hot dogs and sandwiches.

Tired of hot dogs, Pat suggested that Harry go to a store and buy some beef. Harry brought it back, sliced it up and grilled it with some onions. The brothers piled the meat on rolls and were about to dig in when a cab driver arrived for lunch, smelled the meat and onions and demanded one of the sandwiches. Pat never got a bite because a cab driver drove by, smelled the sandwich, and asked how much? He didn’t know what to charge, so he charged a nickel. The cab driver supposedly said, “Hey . . . forget about those hot dogs, you should sell these.” It was not until 20 years later that cheese was added to the sandwich by a longtime employee, Joe Lorenzo, who was tired of the usual sandwich and added some cheese.

In 1970, Pat Olivieri quit for southern California. A dispute over ownership broke out with Pat's lawyer son Herbert on one side and Harry and his children, Frankie and Maria, on the other. In 1974 Pat died, and later Frankie bought the business out.

Residents and tourists who come for paper-wrapped Philly cheesesteaks and sodas can study the wall of celebrity photos before taking seats at the no-frills picnic tables. For the uninitiated, a sign explains the drill: with or without onions; specify provolone, American or Cheez Whiz; have your money ready; go to the back of the line if you make a mistake.