"Scott Kaczorowski" > wrote in message
> How 'bout another one: The Philly cheesesteak (disclaimer: I've never
> been to Pat's or Geno's). There's a reason you can't get a "real"
> Philly cheesesteak outside of, what?, two venues at the source? It's
> just a stupid ****ing mess of a sandwich. Not a hard sandwich to make -
> give me 30 minutes notice and I'll whip one up for you. And yeah, I
> can. I'll have to go scare up the ribeye, Cheese Whiz, and "Italian"
> roll (I suspect Italians have the same opinion of Geno's roll as you do
> about BJ's pizza). Onions I have, and it seems to me that they should
> be required rather than optional. The roll *might* be the only thing
> that gives me trouble.
>
> While there's certainly something to be said for a mess of a
> meat'n'cheese sandwich, I'd rather have some green crunchy stuff,
> perhaps some garlic, real cheese, tomatoes - sure, habenero sauce, etc.
> on mine. And I'd rather not have to bend over to eat it 'cause I just
> don't care for that position. So, here's another example of something
> that doesn't translate well (IMO) and yet is successful locally. Fine.
So frickin' wrong. Who said it was an "Italian" roll? Maybe the folks who
buy them at Sarcone's in the "Italian Market" on 9th Street? It's a steak
roll, or maybe you use a hoagie roll. It's like michigan rolls in
Plattsburgh: you cannot get 'em like that anywhere else. Everything is NOT
better with garlic on it, and all that other shit is just wrong, belongs on
a hoagie. If you put all that shit on it, it is no longer a cheesesteak. If
you let it sit for more than 15 minutes, it is no longer a cheesesteak.
As for the reason you can't get a real Philly cheesesteak more than 50 miles
from Philadelphia (my experience, and anyone who says you can only get them
at Pat's or Geno's is working for the city tourism board), it's because
everyone who makes them farther away than that ****s 'em up. Why? I don't
know. Maybe it's because of a lack of respect, maybe it's because they keep
thinking of ways to make them "better," maybe it's because they try to make
them cheaper, maybe it's because they don't have the right kind of grill or
the right kind of technique or the right kind of tools.
But I have never had a cheesesteak that was worth a shit that was made more
than about 60 miles from Center City, and I only say that because there's a
place in Lancaster, PA, that makes an uncannily good one, and there's some
good places down the shore. North? South? They don't get it. I ordered a
cheesesteak one time in upstate PA, I got a jeezly hot dog bun, chunks of
beef and lamb, green bell peppers, and mint. ****ing MINT! The reason you
can't get a good cheesesteak outside of this area is because everyone thinks
they know so much. Fine. Whatever.
Now...about the roast pork and greens sammich...From that, you guys really
don't know.
What about spiedies? Beef on weck? Michigans? Any of you *******s think you
can make THEM where you live?
Jesus wept.
--
Lew Bryson
"GOOD or SHITE?" -- Michael Jackson, "Thriller", 1982
www.lewbryson.com