Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (CheeseWit)

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:19:24 GMT

A couple of quick additional comments. As you can read on the soda menu, there are many options. They use real syrups added to carbonated water or Coca Cola. They make great chocolate sodas and chocolate egg creams (Vanilla too!) if that's your thing.

Landon and I split a small American cheesesteak with fried onions. For years the only side option was potato chips, now they have fries too. We declined the fries and chips.

The staff is very cool with photographing everything. In fact, they asked us to submit our photos to their website where they have a gallery page. There's a shot of the 4 of us at the counter taken by our lovely waitress.

This is just getting good. I love the photos. I can't wait to read the rest.

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (buffetbuster)

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:56:35 GMT

This past weekend, I took place in a fun cheesesteak eating tour around Philly. Travelin Man had been working in NYC and drove down Friday night. We had discussed a late night jaunt to the great Tony Luke's, but by the time he got to the hotel at almost midnight, we decided it was too late.

At 11:00AM on Saturday, long time Roadfood poster Cheesewit, along with his son Landon, picked us up at our hotel in Mt. Laurel, NJ. This was the first time ever meeting CW, although I have long been a fan of his posts.

Since CW was the local expert, TTM and I were happy to let him decide our itinerary. Our first stop was the Roadfood reviewed Chink's.

I got to admit, this place won me over just by it's outside appearance. Doesn't it just scream Roadfood? And from the street, you can watch the cheesesteaks being prepared through the front window.

And with the short counter, wooden booths with jukeboxes

and tin ceiling, the inside

is even more charming.

No menu here that I saw, we just ordered from the old fashioned signs on the wall.

To drink, Landon went with the cherry coke,

while the other three all ordered milkshakes. CW raved about their banana milkshakes and being a lover of all banana desserts, that is all I needed to hear. What I didn't expect, was the young lady asked us what flavor ice cream we wanted. CW went with vanilla, I got the chocolate, while TTM ended up with strawberry. Here is all three of these extra large, thick shakes

lined up in a row. These were some fine shakes! Since the four of us were seated at the counter, we also had the pleasure of watching the young ladies making our shakes.

Like Michael Stern says in the review, Chink's makes them the old fashioned way with ice cream, syrup and milk.

While waiting for our food, I went up to the grill and watched the cheesesteaks being made.

He did a masterful job of juggling all the orders, with different cheeses and keeping everything moving. Very impressive to watch.

Soon, our cheesesteaks showed up on white butcher paper. Since we had a very busy day of food ahead, we all ordered the small size. Being a non-traditionalist, TTM gets his cheesesteaks with provolone.

Although I am a fan of provolone cheese, that sandwich didn't appeal to me as much, since I prefer the meat and cheese to be more mixed up together. I believe both CW and Landon ordered their's with American cheese. Being a fan of Cheesewhiz, here is my sandwich.

As you can see, the meat comes in long sheets instead of being hacked up. And there is more than enough cheese, well mixed with the meat. Perfectly fried onions and a quality, chewy roll complete the sandwich. In other words, just how I like my cheesesteaks. Chink's version runs neck and neck with Steve's Prince of Steaks for me as my favorites, although I have only been to each place once now.

BTW, they do give you a bowl of pickles and peppers

to add to your sandwich as you like, but mine was just fine the way it was.

Now, as to the 800 lb. gorilla in the room, the name of the place. From what I read, it is indeed named Chink's because the original owner of the place, a white guy, supposedly looked Chinese. I don't particularly like that the name is used as a racial slur. I asked one of the young ladies if they ever get complaints from people and she told they do, rather frequently. On the other hand, I have a wonderful girlfriend, who is 50% Chinese and when I told her about the place, she just laughed and said she would like to get her photo taken in front.

While I don't approve of the name, if you can get past that, the cheesesteaks, milkshakes and atmosphere make this place a very worthy stop.

Chink's
6030 Torresdale Avenue
Philadelphia, PA
215-535-9405

http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Reviews/6300/chinks

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (buffetbuster)

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:02:29 GMT

Cheesewit-
That is a very gracious offer, but once you see how much Mike and I can eat, you may be regretting it. How about we take turns paying?

I am already looking forward to the trip to Philly!

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (CheeseWit)

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:56:02 GMT

It would truly be my pleasure! And I'll buy. Now I know you can't refuse that deal!

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (buffetbuster)

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:37:01 GMT

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!

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (buffetbuster)

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:19:21 GMT

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.

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (acer2x)

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 09:51:15 GMT

John's in South Philly was the winner here:

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

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (AHI MPLS)

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 09:30:58 GMT

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

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (The Travelin Man)

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 03:37:02 GMT

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.

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (harriet1954)

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:11:56 GMT

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!

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (Slim Strummer)

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:45:58 GMT

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!

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (CheeseWit)

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:06:40 GMT

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.

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (EatingTheRoad)

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:06:53 GMT

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

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (buffetbuster)

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:11:17 GMT

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.

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (buffetbuster)

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:02:58 GMT

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.

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (phlmaestro)

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:16:08 GMT

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.

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (LeadBelly)

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:05:31 GMT

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

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (EatingTheRoad)

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:29:29 GMT

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

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (Slim Strummer)

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:53:07 GMT

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?

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (EatingTheRoad)

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:08:17 GMT

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!

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (buffetbuster)

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:46:16 GMT

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?

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (EatingTheRoad)

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:40:51 GMT

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.

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (buffetbuster)

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:27:21 GMT

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.....

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (wanderingjew)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:34:31 GMT

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!

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (buffetbuster)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:03:09 GMT

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.

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (Lizzieslulu)

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:21:41 GMT

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.

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (harriet1954)

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:56:45 GMT

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!

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle)

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:12:55 GMT

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.

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (buffetbuster)

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:05:38 GMT

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.

Re:Jersey hot dogs/Philly cheesesteaks (dannybotz)

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:47:44 GMT

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!!!