Tyler Lauletta / Business Insider
- The humble cheesesteak is Philadelphia’s most iconic meal.
- Raised in the Philly suburbs, cheesesteaks were an essential part of my adolescence, with Pat’s, Geno’s, Jim’s, and Tony Luke’s serving as my go-to spots in the city.
- Recently, I returned on a personal pilgrimage of sorts, taking down four cheesesteaks in one night to determine which sandwich reigned supreme.
The Philly cheesesteak is not an enigma.
A coalescence of cheese, steak, bread, and sometimes fried onions, a good cheesesteak creates a whole supremely greater than the sum of its parts.
But despite its simplicity, the sandwich evokes strong emotions amongst Philadelphians. Like any food a local community takes pride in — pizza in New York, tacos in Los Angeles, or barbecue across the south — cheesesteaks are plentiful in Philadelphia, with many outlets vying to be the best in the city.
Raised in the Philadelphia suburbs, cheesesteaks were a fairly regular staple of my childhood diet. Trips into the city, whether for concerts, movies, or Phillies games, were often capped off with a trip to one of four spots for our favorite sandwich — Pat’s, Geno’s, Jim’s, and Tony Luke’s.
In college, I would go on to learn the beauty of John’s Roast Pork and Dalessandro’s, but in my youth, these four were the greatest cheesesteaks that existed on the planet, and in Philadelphia fashion, I was ready to fight anyone that disagreed.
While attending the Phillies season-opener, I decided to put the memories of my youth to the test, taking on all four steaks in one day.
After a day that ended with pure cheese whiz coursing through my veins, here’s how the meals stacked up.
Our journey of cheesesteaks began at the Tony Luke’s located inside Citizen’s Bank Park.
Tyler Lauletta / Business Insider
As you can see, the line was long, filled with Phillies fans looking to get their cheesesteak fix. In addition to cheesesteaks, the ballpark menu also included their popular roast pork sandwich with broccoli rabe and provolone.
Sandwiches were $13 each — a bit steep, but hardly unreasonable when accounting for the stadium tax that accompanies any purchase at a ballpark.
I ordered my usual "whiz wit" along with a Yuengling to start the day.
Tyler Lauletta / Business Insider
Tony Luke’s was at an immediate disadvantage compared to some of the other cheesesteaks that would be eaten this day, as their sandwiches are pre-wrapped to make for a more efficient purchasing process at the stadium.
This meant that the fried onions came on the side and that the cheesesteak lacked a bit of that "fresh of the grill" brightness that is a vital component of the sandwich.
After some work, the cheesesteak was satisfying, especially given the atmosphere of the ballpark.
Tyler Lauletta / Business Insider
That said, once I had constructed my cheesesteak with onions and a few hot peppers, it was a delight.
The ratio of meat-to-cheese was sound, and while it wasn’t as fresh as you’d typically desire a cheesesteak to be, the ambiance of the ballpark and a Phillies win went a long way to make Tony Luke’s a positive experience.
I would not ordinarily recommend starting your day with a cheesesteak, but after skipping breakfast and dealing with car trouble on the way to the stadium, Tony Luke’s was a beautiful and tasty respite from a chaotic day.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Tyler Lauletta)