October 10, 2006 – I must admit that after watching a Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys football game, I developed a huge anchoring for a Philly Cheesesteak. The game was broadcast from Philadelphia and the broadcasting station just kept showing cheesesteak after cheesesteak. They were showing how they were being cooked, how they were being sold and how they were being eaten. It wasn’t like it was a commercial, but it should have been.
The problem with seeing all of those cheesesteaks though, was that I was not in Philadelphia but in New York City. I couldn’t order a genuine Philly cheesesteak and I certainly could not walk outside my door and get a genuine one. However, New York is no slouch to food either. And in a city where pizza, Italian food, Coney Island Dogs and New York Steaks are the best of their kind in the world, you can certainly find a better than decent cheesesteak. Don’t believe me? Well, if you go to any of these three places, I’m sure I’ll prove you wrong.
Option A. Carl’s Steaks – Carl’s Steaks is one of the most beautiful things about Philly cheesesteaks; it comes from the heart of Philadelphia. Carl is married to an indigenous Philadelphian who is a lover of great Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. So Carl’s cheesesteak is probably one of the best replicas of any Philly sandwich you are going to get this side of New Jersey. The steak is finely cut and they give you more than enough in each sandwich. And just like in Philly, they keep it simple. You get Cheez Whiz with your sandwich, and you get sizzled onions, and that’s what you get. And if you go to Carl’s you’ll see that everyone eats there. Lower-class, middle-class, upper-class, they are all there. And you should be there, too! – 507 3rd Avenue (& 34th Street); 212-696-5336 for delivery
Option B. 99 Miles to Philly – Look, when I ate a sandwich from this place, I almost cried. The Philly cheesesteak here was so good that I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t ordered another one when I got mine to go. It is such a wonderful thing to get a Philly Cheesesteak in NYC with a fresh roll, hearty amounts of meat and a taste that is just oozing with flavor, and yes….grease! They offer a pizza sauce to go with your cheese whiz and you lightweights can even get a chicken or vegetable “cheesesteak” if you can’t handle all of the hearty beef. You can also get waffle fries and chili to complement your Philly cheesesteak, and those sides are no slouch either. – 94 3rd Avenue (& 12th Street); www.99milestophilly.net; 212-253-2700 for delivery
Option C. Philly Slim’s – I must admit that of the three options this is probably the least favorable. But it is New York, and so to get a great Philly cheesesteak, you’re lucky to even have a 3rd option. However, Philly Slim’s takes you back to that true blue-collar mentality of Philadelphia. Slim’s serves cheesesteaks they way Philadelphia purists would serve them, with cheez whiz, loads of fired onions, piles of green peppers, and hunks of grilled steak all forced into a nice roll. With that said, they do offer their patrons a little variety by serving of up variations of the Philly Cheesesteak, such as the Slim’s Pickens sandwich and the Pizza Steak sandwich. 789 9th Avenue (& 53rd Street); 212-333-3042
