Back from two days in Philly (PICTURES!)

[Kobi]

While I don't know if my stomach will be forgiving me any time soon, I had a great trip to Philly over the last two days. Left Friday morning and returned Saturday night, so it was brief... but bountiful. I took pictures every step of the way. As best I remember it:

Friday PM

Steve's Prince of Steaks (7200 Bustleton Ave, Philadelphia PA)

Had a Provolone/whiz with. Was VERY good.... will probably, however, be my last time having one with two cheeses. As much as I enjoy it, the cheese certainly (and predictably) overpowers the rest of the steak. Love the hot pepper bar and the options it affords. Overall a great steak, very well done meat, great roll, perfectly grilled onions... the only mis-steak was in the order.

Friday Night

Lolita (BYOB, 13th and Sansom)

Was planning to go to El Vez, but it was too crowded so I ended up at Lolita. Had one of the house specials- I don't remember the exact description, but it was filet tips, with a mildly spicy garlic sauce, rice, beans, and other assorted vegetables served with four tortillas, guacamole and a pasty salsa. A very good dish if a little too adventorous- I would have enjoyed it more without the rice and beans, but the flavors all worked well together. A great, fun, loud, exciting place to eat.

Saturday Morning

La Colombe (18th and Sansom)

A great capucinno to start the day. What more can be said about this place than hasn't already been shared? It is a truly special coffee house... just the right amount of pretention, great coffee, a good crowd and fair prices. One of my favorite stops in Philly.

Reading Terminal Market (12th and Arch)

No where I have been compares, even remotely, to RTM. The only challenging part is figuring out where to eat, so I sampled a couple spots. The roast beef from DiNic's is always one of my favorites... I like it more than the roast pork (which I find a little, gasp, bland) and have yet to try the brisket. I apply the horseradish sauce and hot peppers pretty aggresively but the meat never gets overpowered.

I then washed it down with a pretzel from Fisher's, with a little mustard for good measure.

Saturday Night

On my way out of the city, I stopped at the epicenter of all that is good about food: Pat's Cheesesteaks (9th and Passyunk). I know it is taboo to call Pat's the best in the city, but I have sampled them most and would argue until I was blue in the face that they are. Tonight was no exception, as my whiz with onions was as close to perfection as it gets. I would write more, but I am getting too hungry just thinking about it.

Overall, a great eating weekend in Philly. I would certainly go back to Lolita, but this time with a group, and the other places are all old time standy slam dunks. A great weekend!!!

- KOBI

[Jason Perlow]

Its all about the Cheesesteak porn.

[philadining]

hey Kobi, thanks for the post!

I've never made it past the pork at DiNic's, but next time, I'm trying the roast beef, just like you had it, it looks great.

And yeah, nobody ever believes me either, but I sometimes get an awesomely perfect steak at Pat's. Maybe not every time, but when they're on, they're on. So I hear ya man....

Edited November 27, 2005 by philadining (log)

[Joanne]

Kobi..

your weekend of Philadelphia cuisine sounds amazing...your photography and food critiques were impeccable!! Keep up the good work! (but perhaps you should lay off beef for a few days!!) Thanks you for sharing.

Edited November 27, 2005 by Joanne (log)

[mrbigjas]

hey Kobi, thanks for the post!

I've never made it past the pork at DiNic's, but next time, I'm trying the roast beef, just like you had it, it looks great. 

i don't believe they're giving me special treatment, so i'ma let you guys in on a little secret: they'll do a combo if you ask them. so you wanna try the beef but don't want to miss out on the pork? get a half beef and half pork.

the other thing about dinics that a lot of people overlook is that they make a great italian sausage sandwich. i don't know where they get their sausage from (martins maybe? it's right there after all. i'll ask next time) but it's damn good.

[Daniel]

Nice photos Kobi.. I am a provo whit whiz through and through.. And I too will argue that Pat's is the best.. One more recruit just in case the ominous "steak wars" ever come..

Edited November 27, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[jrichman]

Kobi - That Philly food tour looks amazing, and the pictures make me want to drive to Philly right now! What other cheesesteak places have you been to in Philly?

Edited November 28, 2005 by jrichman (log)

[MarketStEl]

Nice photos Kobi.. I am a provo whit whiz through and through.. And I too will argue that Pat's is the best..    One more recruit just in case the ominous "steak wars" ever come.. 

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Wait a minute.

Provolone and Whiz?

(Yes, I noticed that double-threat combo in the first picture.)

Wouldn't these two either cancel each other out or induce a cheese coma, or maybe even both?

BTW, usage note: "Wit" and "witout" are always the last words in the sequence. Neither refer to cheese. Cf. my current .sig quote, which is lifted from SEPTA's current and highly original ad campaign (saw the quote on a Broad Street Subway car card). Full disclosure: I am currently working at the agency responsible for the campaign. Wish I'd thought of it.

[Kobi]

Off the top of my head:

Pat's, Geno's, Rick's, Steve's, Jim's, D'allesandro's, Abner's, Tony Luke's, Freta's, numerous food carts. In NYC, Carl's, Tony Luke's, and BB sandwich bar.

Didn't really like D'allesandro's, liked Jim's only for the atmosphere, so I am certainly a "sliced meat" guy. Otherwise my quick list would be something like: 1) Pat's, 2) Steve's, 3) Rick's, 4) Geno's, 5) Tony Luke's then the others....

- KOBI

[KOK]

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BTW, usage note: "Wit" and "witout" are always the last words in the sequence.

←

I always thought the last word was "walkin'", if you were getting them to go. Whenever I drove to New Jersey from D.C. for Thanksgiving, I would always detour to Pat's and say the words "Five cheese wit, walkin" expecting and getting five whiz steaks with onions to go. I hope all those times they weren't laughing behind my back

Thanks,

Kevin

[Rich Pawlak]

Off the top of my head:

Pat's, Geno's, Rick's, Steve's, Jim's, D'allesandro's, Abner's, Tony Luke's, Freta's, numerous food carts.  In NYC, Carl's, Tony Luke's, and BB sandwich bar.

Didn't really like D'allesandro's, liked Jim's only for the atmosphere, so I am certainly a "sliced meat" guy.  Otherwise my quick list would be something like: 1) Pat's, 2) Steve's, 3) Rick's, 4) Geno's, 5) Tony Luke's then the others....

- KOBI

←

Freta's?

Who/what/where is Freta's?

I would also add Chink's on Torresdale Ave, Frusco's on Frankford Ave and the Grey Lodge on Frankford Ave as purveyors of some of the very best cheesesteaks in the city. Grey Lodge's steak is amazing.

[Kobi]

Rich:

Freta's is a food cart in front of the venerable Palestra on 33rd street. Not a particularly great cheesesteak, but one of my favorite carts- the meatball hero is awesome (ask for hot peppers and extra sauce). The chicken cheesesteak is better than the original, as I personally often find when the meat/chicken is chopped.

Next time down I am definitely going to Grey Lodge- it is a cheesesteak or just a steak sandwich?

Thanks!!

KOBI

[philadining]

hmmm... never heard walkin' used down at Pat's, but they're not a subtle bunch, if they were going to mock you, you'd probably know it! So they probably understood you.

I was in the neighborhood today, hungry and in a hurry, so I grabbed a Pat's steak for lunch, and it was not bad, but the meat was a little gristley, the onions not quite sauteed enough. Still pretty tasty, and better than many I've had from various places.

[Rebecca263]

Oh my holy oats. My arterial walls thickened just looking. I MUST drive to this Philadelphia town soon.

[mrbigjas]

come on down, rebecca, you're welcome. bring your statins.