For true foodies, there are a few regional specialties that just cannot be beat: NY pizza, Chicago pizza, Texas BBQ, the list goes on and on. If you find yourself in Philadelphia, the name of the game is cheesesteaks. To those uninitiated, a cheesesteak seems simple enough: meat, roll, cheese. However, the options are endless: onions, mushrooms, type of cheese, other toppings, etc. To find a great cheesesteak is akin to finding a great mechanic: once you find it, you never want to let it go.
There are a few key elements that you should look for when finding a true, authentic cheesesteak. First, the roll. No matter what anyone else says, anything but a true Amoroso roll is not a true cheesesteak. Slightly crunchy on the outside, not overly fluffy and bready on the inside. Enough to soak up enough of the juices without become either too wet or too bready. The meat should be rib eye, and cut as thin as possible. While Cheez Whiz is true authentic, american and provolone are well accepted substitutes. Finally, if your cheesesteak is clean and dry leave immediately. A cheesesteak should be wet, messy, and dripping.
In the battle for Philly cheesesteak in Philadelphia, it’s the battle between Pats and Genos. There is no other. Pats’ zealots refuse to go to Genos, and Genos patrons won’t even speak of “the place across the street”. There are rumors of bad blood between the two, but that’s like saying there’s bad blood between Pepsi and Coke. We can go on and on about the merits of both, but in the end there is only one solution: try both and decide for yourself.
Pats is located at 1237 East Passyunk Avenue, and Genos is located pretty much across the street at 1219 South 9th Street.
