Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks

I have been wanting to take my buddy Mike on a Roadfood weekend trip.  Knowing how much he loves hot dogs and cheesesteaks, the destinations were easy to pick out.
 
Friday July 31, 2009
 
Having heard about the size of the burgers that they make at Denny's Beer Barrel Pub in Clearfield, PA, we made this the first stop on our trip.  It is located just about a mile off of I-80 in the middle of the state and even through we arrived at 4:30 in the afternoon, they already had a packed parking lot.  This place is very popular.  Luckily, we didn't have to wait for a table. 
 
The menu here is beyond huge.  I'm talking Cheesecake Factory huge.  But this sign

near the front door will let you know what you should be ordering.   There must be 40 different types of burgers with various toppings you can order.  And here is the part of the page

with the really big burger challenges.  There are plaques on the wall and a Hall of Fame for those who have succeeded.  I know it isn't the greatest photo,

but in the bottom right, you can see that a woman from Bradenton, FL once ate a three pounder in 20 minutes!  That is astonishing!
 
Having no interest in being miserably full the rest of the night, both Mike and I settled on more mundane 1/2 lb. burgers.  But first, we started with an order of jalapeno sticks. 

Not overly hot, with a light, tasty breading, while dipped in brown mustard or marinara, this was a good starter.  Because of the crowd, the burgers took a while, but it was worth the wait.  I can't remember the name of Mike's burger,


but it came topped with a hot sausage patty, cheese and plenty of peppers and onions.  He absolutely loved his burger and had it mostly eaten by the time I got done taking photos.
 
My burger was called the Pennsylvania Beer Barrel Burger.

Well seasoned, with a little bit of a crusty outside and cooked perfectly medium (nice amount of pink on the inside), this was a fine burger.  You could really tell the beer taste in the grilled onions, which is only fitting in a place named this.  And as a 1/2 pounder,

it was the perfect size for one hand.  The fries on the side were ordinary and on my next visit, I will try the wispy onion straws instead.
 
While we were there, some really big burgers


came out to some guys at another table.  Not the shy one, I went over and took some pictures of it.  Both Mike and I assumed that something this big, had to be the three pounders.  Uh, no, these are only two pounders.  And again, someone ate a three pounder in 20 minutes?  Unbelievable!  Unfortunately, we had a schedule to keep and couldn't stick around to see if these guys won in their own personal battle of Man vs. Food.  As we were walking out, we passed four young soldiers heading for the door. 

I said to them, "These guys look like they can put away some big burgers!"  They laughed and one said, "We're gonna try."  Wish I could have seen what kind of damage these guys did.
 
Mike really loved this place.  In fact, he liked his burger even better than the renowned Tessaro's we have in Pittsburgh.  As much as I enjoyed the place, it isn't on Tessaro's level.  Still, Denny's gets a very good recommendation from us.
 
http://www.dennysbeerbarrelpub.com/

Friday July 31, 2009 cont.
 
Before I left work, I checked the weather in State College, PA.  The forecast said 100% chance of thunderstorms.  Crap!  We had tickets to see a minor league baseball game.  The State College Spikes are a minor league affiliate of my Pirates in the low Class A New York-Penn league.  As we were approaching State College and the skies looked ominous, we certainly weren't expecting to get the game in.  But the skies actually cleared up and we saw a fine game with no rain at all.  Consider us lucky!  The stadium, which also doubles as Penn State's baseball team's home, is modeled after PNC Park and has the same outfield dimensions.

In between inning entertainment was provided by something called Zooperstars.  This is Harry Canary

and Bear Bonds.  Mildly amusing, but give me Myron Noodleman anytime!
 
 http://www.myronnoodleman.com/
 
The Spikes ended up beating the Auburn Doubledays 1-0 in a quick, entertaining game.  But I would be remiss if I didn't mention how nice and friendly all the staff we encountered at the game were.  From the ticket taker, to the girls at the concession stand to our usher, everyone we met was extremely friendly and helpful.  Nicely done!
 
Obviously, our late night stop had to be the Berkey Creamery, better known as the Penn State Creamery.  I had slight reservations about bringing my buddy Mike here.  As a huge Pitt fan and an unabashed Penn State hater, I figured he would turn his nose up at this place.  But the high quality ice cream won him over.  Here he is enjoying a cone of Bittersweet Mint

and a bag of pretzels.
 
In all my previous trips here, I always ate the Peachy Paterno and the Bittersweet Mint.  With having a decent sized selection to choose from,

I wanted to try something new.  After the recent visit to Rhode Island, where coffee flavored beverages are very popular, I decided to get the WPSU Coffee Break. 

This is coffee ice cream with chocolate chips.  The coffee flavor was on the subtle side, which is good, since coffee isn't a flavor I typically enjoy.  Mike also got a scoop of this and loved it.  One scoop couldn't possibly be enough, so I went back up and also got a scoop of Peachy Paterno. 

The flavor of peach is much stronger in this flavor and you can see that there are chunks of peaches in the ice cream, too.  One of the things I like about the ice cream is that it isn't too soft.  In fact, it takes a good while until it starts to melt.  But it is also very light on the tongue, too.  This is some terrific ice cream!
 
http://www.creamery.psu.edu/
 
We checked into our hotel in State College for the night.
 
Much more to come.....

Saturday August 1, 2009
 
The first words out of Mike's mouth on this morning was, "What time does the creamery open?"  I recognize a good idea when I hear one, so we made another stop for ice cream before leaving town.  Mike went for a cone of chocolate chip cookie dough.  Wanting to try another new flavor for me, I had the peanut butter swirl.  

No doubt that this is a high quality ice cream, but I'm thinking that I would have enjoyed it more if the base flavor was chocolate instead of vanilla.  Another good idea from Mike came when he spotted something called a cheeseburger pretzel. 

He bought one and had them warm it up in a microwave.  Basically, this is hamburger, with some cheese oozing out of the inside,

between a pretzel exterior.  Not too bad!
 
On many of these weekend trips, I never know if my cousin Johnny will be able to join me or not.  He usually works both days on the weekends, and often doesn't know for sure if he can get off until the last minute.  But, I had a plan.  When I invited him to join us, I used those three little magic words.....  Charlie's Pool Room.  We have been here twice together before and it is one of his all-time favorites.  He called me Friday night to let me know that he was able to get off work for the rest of the weekend on Saturday at 11:00AM.  So, we decided to meet at Charlie's Pool Room, in Alpha, NJ at 2:00PM.
 
I have written about CPR previously and I have no intention of repeating my words or photos.  But this is one of the great Roadfood stops anywhere.  Run by brothers Joe and John Fencz, it is unlike anyplace else I have visited.  By all rights, places like this shouldn't exist anymore.  There is only one thing on the menu and that is hot dogs.  And it is located in a residential neighborhood, far away from the main drag.  Joe will even tell you that if it wasn't for the internet and all the publicity it has received, they would have closed by now.  But the hot dogs are so good, they are not only surviving, they are thriving!
 
We showed up a few minutes after 2:00PM and Joe greeted me, remembering me by buffetbuster from Pittsburgh.  I ordered two mealies (what they call the hot dogs fully dressed with the Hungarian sauce and peppers), while Mike just got one to start.  We sat at the table to catch up with Joe like old friends.  Here is Joe

showing off when one of the mealies made the front page of the Newark Star-Ledger.  Minutes later, we heard the ding of the bell, which meant the mealies were done.  Joe went into the kitchen and brought them out to us. 

Words fail me at how much I enjoy these mealies.  Joe makes the sauce up, usually that morning, from the same recipe created by their grandma in 1925.  It is hot, sweet, oniony and positively addictive.  Eating one will only make you develop a strong craving for more.
 
We were enjoying the company so much, I didn't realize until almost 2:45 that Johnny was considerably late, which is very much unlike him.  Soon after, he called to say that he had been in a minor fender bender and had run into heavy traffic, headed to the Poconos for the NASCAR race.  We waited until he showed up about 3:15 before we ordered more.  Mike got two more, I got two more and Johnny decided to catch up right away with four.  Here is he is,

happy to have some mealies in front of him.  He gobbled those down and quickly ordered two more, which were soon put away, too.  As a chaser,

he finished with a fudgesickle.   Knowing we still had three more hot dog places to hit this afternoon, I decided to rest on those four, knowing I will find a way to get back here again soon enough.
 
We enjoyed chatting with the Fencz brothers so much, before we knew it, 2 1/2 hours had slipped by.  It is very easy to spend an afternoon here, you are made to feel so welcome.  Even John Fencz, who is quieter than his brother Joe, spent a long time talking with us.  Usually, he is too busy in the kitchen, making the mealies on the one 12" skillet they use to make all the hot dogs.  I particularly enjoyed hearing about all the attempts by people trying to break the 18 hot dogs, with sauce in under two hour record.  The idea of attempting this, along with Johnny, has crossed my mind.  I know I wouldn't be able to eat that many in one sitting, but I think Johnny would have a legitimate shot at it.  Before we left, I asked another customer to take a photo of the five of us.

From left to right, that is cousin Johnny, my buddy Mike, Joe Fencz, John Fencz and myself.  My favorite moment of the day, though, was when John pulled an old framed photo of the brothers when they were younger.

Don't all of us have a similar photo hanging somewhere!
 
Charlie's Pool Room is a true Roadfood gem and I cannot recommend this place high enough.
 
http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Review/5921-5997/charlies-pool-room
 
We got back in our cars and headed east for more hot dogs.
 
Much more to come.....

Buffetbuster,
 
Great report so far - what a wonderful idea for a roadtrip.   Just one question about the cheeseburger pretzel.   I have never heard of or eaten one.  Was that food something that you really liked and would order again, or was it just different?

Cliff,

I think you are being too modest about your accomplishment.



Stay hungry, my friend.

Jim

I want some mealies!

JRPfeff-
Thanks for the laugh!

Buffalo Tarheel-
Because I am not a fan of pretzels, I would have never bought this on my own.  Mike definitely liked it enough to get it again, but I probably enjoyed the novelty of it, more than the food itself.

The speed at which you are posting this report makes me feel like *I* am writing this trip report! 

Hopefully, you'll meet some fun and exciting people in Philadelphia!

Wow!  When you get busted on by Travelin Man for how long your trip report is taking, that is truly embarrassing!

It ain't only TTM who's waiting.

Saturday August 1, 2009 cont.
 
As soon as we pulled up outside the West Orange location of Jimmy Buff's,


I knew I had made a mistake.  This looked nothing like what I have seen on tv.  Still, we were here and needed to eat, so.....
 
Neither Johnny or Mike had ever eaten an Italian hot dog or a Newark hot dog.  Am I right in saying they are the same thing?  If you aren't familiar with these hot dogs, it is a deep fried wiener, plus peppers and onions and topped with fried potatoes, all inside a half loaf of Italian bread or pita bread.  Anyway, I ate one at Dickie Dee's around six years ago and was anxious to try it again.  Here is the menu board at Jimmy Buff's. 

The concept seemed to throw Mike off and he was slightly hesitant.  Since he didn't want peppers or onions, we decided he would get a single by himself and Johnny and I would split a double.
 
The people here were very nice and the guy making our dogs didn't mind me taking a few photos of him in action.  Here he is finishing up Mike's single

and starting on our double. 

In fact, he seemed amused by our interest.  Here is Mike's single,

which is basically the wiener, the bread and the potatoes, plus some ketchup.  Truthfully, he didn't like it all.  While he thought the bread was fine and the potatoes quite good, he said the wiener was substandard and he just didn't like the concept on the Italian style hot dog.  Honestly, I wasn't surprised by his reaction and took it with a grain of salt.  
 
I took a few photos of our double,


before Johnny cut it in half.  First of all, that is a lot bread!  As someone who isn't much of a bread eater, I was thinking that it was too much bread and not enough hot dog.  But the bread itself was very fresh and really quite good.  So no complaints about that.  I was also hesitant about the ketchup on the hot dog, but once I realized that it was just for the potatoes, I thought it was a good idea.  Here is my half of the hot dog

after it was cut.  The fried potatoes were wonderful, with a delicious creamy inside.  There weren't a lot of peppers and onions, but what was in there was sauteed perfectly.  The wiener itself appeared to be deep fried, which gives it an unusual flavor.  I liked it as did Johnny, but I just don't think Mike was used to it.  Even though it has been several years, I'm thinking I liked the Italian style hot dog here better than at Dickie Dee's.  I can tell you that the people here were much nicer.
 
Oh, and to drink, a Yoo-Hoo and a C & C Black Cherry. 

Excellent!
 
The only negative about the experience here for me was that I was expecting to walk into the location I had seen on tv.  And that is just a case of poor planning on my part.  Otherwise, Jimmy Buff's gets a thumbs up!
 
http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Review/468-468/jimmy-buffs
 
More to come.....

Wow !!!!

These are  some great places .
Roadfood musts and if you decide to go back to Charlies Pool Room anytime soon bud let me know , we are looking for another meet there in the future .
Dennys is a place I had been thinking of visiting before my bariatric surgery , another great place I see , and you got in a minor league ball game .
And to add Jimmy Buffs !!!!
 
Benzee

Saturday August 1, 2009 cont.
 
We continued north to the beautifully named town of Clifton, New Jersey and found Rutt's Hut.  This is such a famous hot dog place and has been on tv so much, Mike really wanted to come here.  Cousin Johnny and I visited just last summer and weren't particularly impressed, but we still stopped here for Mike.  Here is Mike and I outside,

with the classic Roadfood sign in the background.  Apparently, there is a seperate sit down bar area, but we went to the stand up counter and ordered.  I got a ripper and covered it in the homemade relish, which sits on the counter.  You can help yourself to as much as you want.  As you can see,
 

the rippers are dogs that are deep fried until the skin is mangled and gnarled. The relish is mostly yellow and seems to be some mix of mustard, carrots, maybe pickle and some other things.  It seems to be an acquired taste and I liked it much better this time.  The wiener itself tastes unlike other deep fried dogs I have had.  The outside has a nice rugged crust to it and is a joy to eat, but the inside can be kind of squishy.
 
Johnny considered trying a cremator which is the most cooked dog, but backed off and ordered the "weller", which is the well done dog.  Convered in the relish, he gave it a thumbs up.  Sorry, I forgot to take a photo of his dog.  Like me, Mike got the ripper.  Not sure if he would like the relish or not, he hedged his bet by covering half the dog with it.  The other half he used more conventional condiments. 

That has to be just about the ugliest hot dog I have ever seen.  Apparently, the deep fried dog hadn't grown on him yet, because he didn't like the taste at all and gives Rutt's Hut a thumbs down.  There are no seats here, just counters to lean on.

 
I am still kind of so-so on Rutt's Hut.  Still, I left with a better impression than I had before.
 
http://www.roadfood.com/R...ew/1362-1362/rutts-hut
 
At this point, it was starting to get late in the day and we were getting quite full.  But, there was one more stop on our list, so we continued north to Paterson to visit Libby's Lunch.  This was the first time for all three of us.  When we got nearby, about half a block away, we saw a great old looking sign on the road, letting us know we were close. 

 
Libby's Lunch

wasn't at all what I expected.  I really thought this would be a small divey place, your basic hot dog stand.  Actually, the place was reasonably big, roomy and might even be able to be called nice.  Who knew?  Also nice were the people who worked here.  The three of us sat at the attractive curved counter

and looked through the big menu.  Some interesting looking things here, but we all came for the hot dogs.  Here is that page

on the menu.
 
To start us off, we split an order of the gravy fries. 

The fries were hot and good.  Mike got his Texas weiner with chili only,

while Johnny and I got ours with chili, mustard and onion.

The chili here is not too thick and is plenty spicy.  Great flavor and all three of us loved it.  The weiner itself is also deep fried here, but not nearly as mangled on the outside or squishy on the inside as at Rutt's Hut.  Good stuff!  All three of us agreed that Libby's Lunch was our second favorite hot dog place of the day.  Of course, Charlie's Pool Room was was an easy #1!
 
Tired and needing a break, we drove to our hotel, just on the Jersey side of Philly.  But, we were not yet done eating for the day!

Tremendous report.

buffetbuster


Saturday August 1, 2009 cont.  
 
Like me, Mike got the ripper.  Not sure if he would like the relish or not, he hedged his bet by covering half the dog with it.  The other half he used more conventional condiments. 
 

BB, if Mike ever tells you about a pitchfork and torch-wielding mob outside his house you'll know why.
 
Brad

Brad, I can't imagine that relish and cheese going well together.

Sunday August 2
 
All three of us were tired from a long day of eating and of.....eating.  Johnny napped, Mike watched the Phillies game and I rubbed my tummy and moaned for a couple hours.  We needed to recover quickly because a late night outing was in the works.  Coincidentally, Travelin Man had plans to be in Philly.  But, he was attending an Orioles game in Baltimore with signman and wouldn't be getting to Philly until around midnight.  Knowing Tony Luke's is closed on Sunday, we had no choice but to go that night.  Truthfully though, a place like Tony Luke's comes alive late on weekend nights.  The people watching is a big part of the fun!
 
TTM called me from the road and we decided 12:15AM as our designated meeting time.  We arrived within five minutes of each other and formulated a game plan.  Johnny and I would order a chicken parm sandwich and a Roast Pork Italian with broccoli rabe.  That way, we would both get half of our two favorite sandwiches.  TTM and Mike thought along similar lines, only they got their Roast Pork Italian without the broccoli rabe.
 
About ordering at Tony Luke's.....  Know what you want before you get to the window.  The people who work here aren't necessarily rude, but the lines are usually so long, they don't have time to deal with indecisive people or dillydallyers!  They ask for your first name and in about 15 minutes, they call out your name and you pick it up at another window.  Make sure you have the receipt slip with you when picking up your food or you will incur their wrath!  Ask TTM about that!  Here is part of the long menu board. 

I would love to try so many of these sandwiches, because they are undoubtedly terrific, too.  Here is our chicken parm. 

As you can see, this is a fairly big sandwich.  The chicken parm is nice and lean in a tasty sauce and the bread here is fresh, chewy and excellent.  Still, it is almost an afterthought compared to the Roast Pork Italian.  The sandwich is stuffed with moist, juicy, garlicky pork. 


And the bitter greens of the rabe work so well with the meat, it is just a perfect combination.

This is one of the great sandwiches anywhere and I can still vividly recall my first bite into one a few years ago. 
 
Tony Luke's

is open real late and it looks especially good at night.

Well, it would if this guy and his camera weren't in the way!

Okay, that's better!
 
Like I said, the people watching here is wonderful.  There were guys pulling up in fancy cars, coming from the clubs with their scantily clad dates.  Sorry, no pictures.  Lots of blue collar types, who looked like they were leaving from or headed to work.  We even got to see a guy get fired from Tony Luke's and them call the police on him.
 
In my opinion, Tony Luke's is the best Roadfood restaurant in my home state!
 
http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Review/1232-1232/tony-lukes
 
Back to our hotels for the night.

Wow !!!!
I spoke too soon .
Rutts Hutt and Libbys and then onto Tony Lukes
Fantastic Trip report !!!

Benzee

I had the opportunity to eat at Tony Luke's for the first time a couple of weeks ago. I have to say the Roast Pork with rabe is one of, if not the best sandwich I've ever had. The  garlic and greens with the sweet pork have me wishing I could go back there right now.  We have nothing like that in Alabama!

Tony Luke's is my favorite cheesesteak place. The roast pork is great as well. I prefer it with sharp provolone. Great report.

Excellent pics (as always) buffetbuster.  Next time in Philly, try to hit John's Roast Pork.  My favorite roast pork in Philly (the have spinach instead of rabe), though they kind of keep bankers hours so it's not always possible on a long weekend.
 
Now that I think of it, you likely have already been to John's.
 
 

eruby-
Interesting that you bring John's Roast Pork up.  I have not been there, but Travelin Man has and if I remember correctly, he is a big fan.  In fact, we briefly discussed possibly trying to fit them in.  But the focus of this trip was to get my buddy Mike some really good cheesesteaks, so John's will have to wait until the next trip.

Wow, What a great trip report!
I was in Ocean City, NJ last week, and had my Voltaco's Cheese Steak fix. I think they are the best in the world!  Next time you are near Ocean City, I would highly recommend trying one!

buffetbuster


eruby-
Interesting that you bring John's Roast Pork up.  I have not been there, but Travelin Man has and if I remember correctly, he is a big fan.  In fact, we briefly discussed possibly trying to fit them in.  But the focus of this trip was to get my buddy Mike some really good cheesesteaks, so John's will have to wait until the nest trip.

I should also have mentioned that John's has an excellent cheesesteak too.   One demerit for me. 

buffetbuster


Brad, I can't imagine that relish and cheese going well together.

No, me neither.  I like a cheese dog (with chili and onions) and a relish dog (with mustard and onions) but ne'er the twain should meet for me.
 
God, now you have me wanting a roast pork with broccoli rabe from Tony Luke's.  (droool)

I have to agree with the majority here and say Tony Luke's Pork with the Rabe is one of the best sandwiches I've ever had.  I just wish they were open on Sundays before the Phillies games!

As always BB this is a fantastic report.

I think John's Roast Pork won Best Chessesteak this year for 09'
They also have the current Best Roast Pork too!!!
Check em out !!!! ;)

I stopped in at Jimmy Buffs in East Hanover for lunch today. I had a chili dog with onions and a 1/4 bacon cheeseburger. Both were great, the chili was really tasty and the burger was just what I was looking for. They also had butterfly fries, which I don't see very often, and those were delicious!

wow, that a lesson on how to write a great trip report! well done!!!!!!! I sure wish I was heading up to central PA this Fall. Your burgers had me at hello.  

wow - Tony Luke's looks amazing! The bread makes the sandwich, and those italian rolls look perfect for sopping up the juice from inside, but maintaining that outer integrity to hold the sandwich together.

My apologies that this and all my trip reports take so long.  There is something strange going on with my internet connection that does not allow me to post from home.  So the only time I can post is if I am at work or traveling.  And if work gets busy like it has been lately, the trip reports have to wait.  Thanks for the nice comments and your patience.

buffetbuster, Thanks for taking the time to put together such a great report. 
 
They are some pretty stong words about Tony Lukes.  Makes me want to get there even more.  And I never get tired of looking at pictures of Mealies.  Sorry to hear you are going south for the CPR meet-up. Is Johnny available?  Maybe we can go for the record

Capt Murdock


I have to agree with the majority here and say Tony Luke's Pork with the Rabe is one of the best sandwiches I've ever had.  I just wish they were open on Sundays before the Phillies games!

If I'm not mistaken, Capt, there's a Tony Luke's in Citizens Bank Park at Ashburn Alley. I plan to check it out when we go see the Fightin' Phils clobber the Nationals on September 15. I also hope it's easy to reach from our nosebleed seats.

There is a Tony Luke's at CBP but I have never had it.  I've heard that it doesn't quite stack up with the sandwich at the actual Tony Luke's.  For that reason I usually stick to a hot dog or Schmitter.

If you try it out let me know.  Have fun at the game!

harriet1954

Capt Murdock


I have to agree with the majority here and say Tony Luke's Pork with the Rabe is one of the best sandwiches I've ever had.  I just wish they were open on Sundays before the Phillies games!

If I'm not mistaken, Capt, there's a Tony Luke's in Citizens Bank Park at Ashburn Alley. I plan to check it out when we go see the Fightin' Phils clobber the Nationals on September 15. I also hope it's easy to reach from our nosebleed seats.

 Harriet don't waste your time going to Tony Lukes at the Stadium when the Original is just a couple of blocks away! Prob 5 minutes at most!!!

harriet1954-
From what I have seen and read, the lines for Tony Luke's at the ballpark are so long, you will miss several innings while you wait.

In my opinion, the pork rabe Italians at the ballpark are just as good as the ones from Oregon Avenue.  The only difference is you get the rabe in a separate plastic cup.  But it's true, Oregon is just a few blocks away from the park.
The lines at Tony Luke's at Citizens Bank Park are just like the Shake Shack lines at Citi Field in NY.  If you enjoy baseball, there are really only two choices: get to the park two hours before gametime, or send someone who doesn't enjoy watching the game that much to fetch the sandwiches.

dannybotz

harriet1954

Capt Murdock


I have to agree with the majority here and say Tony Luke's Pork with the Rabe is one of the best sandwiches I've ever had.  I just wish they were open on Sundays before the Phillies games!

If I'm not mistaken, Capt, there's a Tony Luke's in Citizens Bank Park at Ashburn Alley. I plan to check it out when we go see the Fightin' Phils clobber the Nationals on September 15. I also hope it's easy to reach from our nosebleed seats.

 Harriet don't waste your time going to Tony Lukes at the Stadium when the Original is just a couple of blocks away! Prob 5 minutes at most!!!

We wouldn't be wasting our time, because I REALLY don't feel like doing a "comparison test". We may eat something completely different, anyway. We're going to the park and coming right home afterwards. I also know we have to get there early, because our tickets will be at Will Call, and we're more than likely going with my daughter and a date (although probably not all sitting together). We won't be able to wait until after the game to eat; no way - it'll be too late for food for us then, and we can't eat that late. I think I just said the same thing twice in one sentence. We'll have to eat as soon as we get there (I have that hypoglycemic thing). I would never get up and wait in a line during a Phillies game! Are you kidding me?? Except, of course, to go to the ladies' room. My daughter's all excited that she'll be able to drink legally that night! I'll let you guys know. Can't wait to watch tonight's pitchfest on TV between Lincecum and Martinez!

I had a Tony Luke's pork with rabe at a Phillies game in July. It was wonderful! They do serve the rabe in a separate cup but it is easy to put on the sandwich. The lines are long but we went to the stand as soon as we got to the park and had to wait only about 15 minuites. I was glad we went early because the line continued to grow and stayed long throughout the game. It was worth the wait.

With the Phillies in the World Series, it is about time to finish up this trip report. (Actually, I really don't care who wins).  Of course, the prime motivation is the opportunity to take a couple more shots at Travelin Man.

With having a late night, everybody was happy to sleep in or just relax in the hotel for most of the morning.  We decided to meet at Steve's Prince of Steaks a little after 10:00AM.  Before I left on the trip, I emailed Bruce Bilmes on which two cheesesteak places he recommended we try and Steve's was one of his choices.

All morning, the weather had become more and more gloomy and just as we pulled up to Steve's,

the skies opened up and a torrential downpour started.  Good timing!  As always, being the gentleman, I wanted to wait for TTM to eat.  Instead, Johnny and Mike forced me to go ahead and eat.
 
Here is the menu board,

but there was no thoughts of getting anything but a cheese steak, with cheez whiz and onions.  You order at one window and receive your cheesesteak at another.  While we waited for the food, it gave us a chance to read over the rules on how to place your order

and other tidbits.  For this being a Philly cheesesteak joint, the people working here were extremely nice.  Here is what I was given.


What a fantastic cheesesteak this is!  While it is true you don't get a sandwich overloaded with meat, the meat here is plenty thick and grilled perfectly.  And you certainly aren't cheated on the amount of cheese and onions on your sandwich, either.  Johnny and Mike both got the same sandwich and also loved it. 

On a shelf by the ordering windows, they have several types of peppers

to add to your sandwich if you so desire.  The three of us split an order of the pizza fries,

but this didn't work nearly as well for us and it mostly went uneaten.
 
Just as we were finishing our food, TTM finally pulled up. Ever being the rebel, he went for a cheesesteak with, I believe, provolone cheese.

Not my first choice, but I have to admit that it looks good, too.  Here is a photo of TTM practicing to be a Price is Right girl.

 
Earlier while we were eating, I noticed Johnny drinking something I didn't recognize.  I asked what it was and it was a chocolate soda.  Huh?  I didn't know they had those and now I want one, too.  Since I bought two bottles of water, I finished my food with those and said I'll get the chocolate soda before I leave.  Unfortunately, I had forgotten about the Travelin Man factor.  By the time I went back up to the window to get a chocolate soda, TTM had arrived and they were now out.  Now what are the odds of them running out in that 15 minute span?  Still, I should have known better.....
 
http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Reviews/4838/steves-prince-of-steaks
 
We left, following each other to the next cheesesteak stop.

buffetbuster
 

 
Earlier while we were eating, I noticed Johnny drinking something I didn't recognize.  I asked what it was and it was a chocolate soda.  Huh?  I didn't know they had those and now I want one, too.  Since I bought two bottles of water, I finished my food with those and said I'll get the chocolate soda before I leave.  Unfortunately, I had forgotten about the Travelin Man factor.  By the time I went back up to the window to get a chocolate soda, TTM had arrived and they were now out.  Now what are the odds of them running out in that 15 minute span?  Still, I should have known better.....
 
We left, following each other to the next cheesesteak stop.

 
About the same odds of Jiggers Diner running out of Jonnycakes ONCE in the 10 years I've frequented the place- when Travelin Man came to town this past July!

On the way to the next cheesesteak stop, we had to take several detours, since roads were closed due to downed power lines and tree limbs.  Obviously, this was quite a storm Philly had go through here.  Soon though, we arrived at our next destination, Dalessandro's.
 
I was the first one to walk in the door and since there was no line, I walked right up to the counter.  Then it hit me, I wasn't sure what I wanted.  The guy taking the order was very nice and patiently asked me some questions to help me decide.  Since when did Philly cheesesteak joints become so friendly?  It wasn't until after I had ordered that I saw this partially obscured menu board.
 
All the counter seats were taken but by the time we all had placed our orders, some seats opened up and we grabbed them.  One by one, the waitress (also very nice and cute, too) brought our cheesesteaks over.  Here is mine:


As you can see, the meat here is hacked up into little pieces.  It can be hard to see, but there is some cheese mixed with the meat, but not nearly enough.  And the onions seem to be a seperate component of this sandwich, instead of mixing with the meat and cheese.  Other than the very good, fresh bread, my sandwich was a disappointment.  This was my first experience with the hacked up style, so who knows.....  Maybe I should try it at another place.  Johnny got the same sandwich as mine, plus mushrooms.
 
I felt a little bad for Mike.  He had brought a cooler with him to take a couple of cheesesteaks home with him.  But he didn't like Dalessandro's any more than the rest of us, so he didn't buy any extra.
 
There is no doubt that this place has great Roadfood atmosphere (I liked the peppers sitting out on the counter)

and it sure is popular,

but it just wasn't what this out of towner expects in a cheesesteak.
 
 http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Review/6237-6379/dalessandros
 
Before Mike and I head back to Pittsburgh, we had one more stop to make.....

Buffetbuster, great photos and write-up. Have you tried Pat's or Geno's? How do all the places rank for you? I hear Tony Luke's is the best...I really want to try the raost pork and broccoli rabe sandwich.

wanderingjew

About the same odds of Jiggers Diner running out of Jonnycakes ONCE in the 10 years I've frequented the place- when Travelin Man came to town this past July!

Happened to me about a month ago. I was the first customer Monday morning...not good if you're in search of Johnnycakes...they sell well over the weekend apparently. I will be back...oh yes...I will be back.

ETR-
I haven't been to that many Philly cheesesteak places.  Let's see..... Pat's, Geno's, Jim's, Mama's, Rick's (when it was in Reading Terminal Market), Steve's and now Dalessandro's, which was my first disappointment.  I'm thinking the one at Steve's was my favorite.

Obviously, I have been to Tony Luke's many times, but have never tried their cheesesteak.  That roast pork Italian with broccoli rabe is just too good for me to try anything else!
 
Somewhere here in the forums, WJ did a cheesesteak smackdown, which is the best comparitive post on the subject I have seen. 

How about you?  Do you have a favorite?

Ohh...I'll look for Wanderingjew's write-up. I've only had Pat's and Geno's and I give the edge to Geno's. Pat's was very "fast-foody" to me...it was good, but greasy good. Geno's was great, the bread to die for and the meat was very nice, steaky more than meaty...if that makes sense. I've been dieing to try the Italian at Tony's. Soon...if only I could get WS tickets I'd be there this moment!

I can second that WJ's write up of the philly steak scene is wonderful and very informative.

BB:  have you ever tried the pork sandwich with spinach?

Found it here:
http://www.roadfood.com/F...illy-2008-m389918.aspx

I'm guessing he doesn't care for Pat's or Geno's

The  Tony Lukes cheesesteak is really excellent. Usually when I go back up to Philadelphia I get the cheesesteak for breakfast, get a local South Philly hoagie for lunch and stop at Tony Lukes for dinner and get either the pork or chicken cutlet italiano. The cheeesesteak suffers only by comparison. 

I really like Delasandro's cheesteak and glad you tried it.. Its different from most others because of the way its chopped into fragments and is not overly greasy or cheesey. Its one of those places that if you eat there kind of frequently it really grows on you, but in comparison with the more traditional steak places it just doesn't seem quite right. If I'm up in that part of Philadelphia ( called Roxborough ) when I go up there, then I make sure and stop in. There is a bar just up the street, if its still there,  that had a pizza which was also a lot different from any other place because of the cheeses they used. SO when I lived up in that area a long while back we'd either go Roxborough and get either the pizza or the steak, or normal and eat somewhere else in the area. 

When I lived in the northeast section of the city, I'd go to Steve's once or twice a week even though on most nights you'd have to drive around and around the block in order to find a parking place. Worth it though. 

Allan

Great reports! I know the two steaks couldn't be more different in style, but Steve's Prince of Steaks and D'Alessandro's are my two favorite cheesesteak joints in Philly. The rolls are both fantastic, and the different ways in which they cut and prepare the meat both work very well for me.

After leaving Dalessandro's, we decided to conclude the weekend with some ice cream.  Just across the border into Delaware is the wonderful Woodside Farm Creamery, which I ate at a few years ago and loved.  Everybody agreed on this suggestion.  Since all three drivers had their own GPS, there was no need to follow each other and we all took off.
 
Immediately, I got stuck in traffic on a side street on the way to I-95.  By the time I made it to the ice cream place, TTM had been there at least 15 minutes.  I called Johnny and found out he ended up getting stuck in a massive car jam on I-76 and said to go ahead and start without him.
 
Woodside Farm Creamery

is in the farmlands of northern Delaware.  As you can tell by the cows in the nearby meadows, ice cream doesn't get much fresher than this.  There are several buildings on the property, but this is where

you buy the ice cream.  Based on my previous visit, I was surprised there wasn't a long line.  But the rainy weather undoubtedly kept many people away.
 
I started off with a scoop each of the black raspberry chip and the chocolate.

While not as amazing as I remembered it to be, this is still really good ice cream, though it did seem softer than I prefer.  It has been too long, so I can't recall what Mike and TTM ate, but I do know they both liked it.

I was already on my second cup of ice cream

(black cherry and butterscotch chocolate pretzel) when Johnny finally showed up.  Deciding he needed to make up for lost time, he started out with two scoops and a milkshake,

polished that off and then went back for THREE more scoops!

Then, back inside for more ice cream to take home, along with some fudge.  He is, indeed, my hero!
 
A couple more cool things I like about Woodside Farm Creamery.  First, you pay not per scoop, but by the weight of the ice cream.  So, you can try small bits of several different flavors.  And the setting is terrific.  They have lots of picnic tables set up

underneath the trees and there is usually some kind of event going on.  During my previous visit, there was a mini bluegrass festival, with more and more musicians showing up by the minute.  A great experience.
 
http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Review/4143-4076/woodside-farm-creamery
 
From there, we said our goodbyes, with TTM driving back to Philly, Johnny heading home to Baltimore and Mike and I arriving back in Pittsburgh five hours later.

Slim Strummer


I can second that WJ's write up of the philly steak scene is wonderful and very informative.

BB:  have you ever tried the pork sandwich with spinach?

Slim, no I have tried that.  It has always been the broccoli rabe at Tony Luke's.  Is it worth a try?
 
LeadBelly & phlmaestro-
I am starting to think that giving Dalessandro's another shot would be a good idea.  Next time, I will have a much better idea of what to expect and may like it a lot more.

Woodside Farm Creamery sounds fantastic...a Bluegrass Festival...awesome. I like the pay by weight method, I've never seen that. I'd try small scoops of probably 20 flavors

Nice report. Glad you guys enjoyed your steaks at Steve's - still high on my list of favorite shops. In my own opinion, Dalessandro's is nothing like it was before being sold a couple years ago. I no longer take people there on my tours. 
Next time you want or need suggestions, contact me. I'm all about cheesesteaks and have hosted about a dozen tours including a big one we did back in the summer of '04 from this site.

buffetbuster

Slim Strummer



BB:  have you ever tried the pork sandwich with spinach?

Slim, no I have tried that.  It has always been the broccoli rabe at Tony Luke's.  Is it worth a try? 
 

I don't know!  I have inlaws down there and will let you know when I try one w/ spinach.  Which is not soon enough!

Of course, another wonderful write-up and beautiful pictures of Steve's Prince of Steaks. I've been going there for many years and it's always been consistent. I'm due, especially after seeing this. Doesn't take long to get there from here, and I'm from that neck of the woods originally. That property used to be a tailor shop called Yetta's Ladies and Gents, and my mom used to get alterations on her clothing there! We were sad to see it close, but SO glad to see Steve's open in its place!
 
Their steaks are longer and thinner than most other places, but so so totally delicious! I've never taken pictures there, but I certainly plan to on my next trip to Northeast Philly. Those trips get scarcer and scarcer. The neighborhood is not like it used to be, especially when I was a teenager, but it's not like you'd be afraid to walk around there or anything.
 
Now I'm really sorry I didn't meet up with you guys, but...maybe next time.
 
GO PHILLIES!

Wow.  I kind of forgot that we even took this trip.  I vaguely remember it being towards the end of summer.  Signman gave me a few pointers about the Philly portion of the trip - as I think I met up with him right before heading to Philly.  If I remember right, he told me to order the chocolate soda at Steve's (ummmm....fail!) and he warned me that the cheesesteak filling at Dallessandro's could possibly be used to fill pot holes.  Since I missed out on the first suggestion, I can't say for sure that both were spot on - but, he was surely right on at least one of the accounts.

   Hmmm... Woodside farm looks hauntingly familiar    I am SO going to go re-open an old thread!!!!!

John's in South Philly was the winner here:

http://www.610wip.com/pages/351421.php

TTM-
If it makes you feel any better, Steve's was probably out of chocolate soda by the time you showed up.  Nah, that probably doesn't help.
 
AHI MPLS-
Where have you been?  It is good to have you back!
 
acer2x-
Thanks for the link and that gives me plenty of places to try on my next visit through.
 
 

Cheesewit-
I don't know how I missed this the first time around.  Sorry about that!

My buddy Mike and I are already talking about coming back to Philly to try more cheesesteak places.  Once I know when it will be, I will contact you.  Thanks for offer!