The main reason most "Philly cheesesteaks" prepared elsewhere don't taste as good is the bread. Philly still has a number of family-owned Italian bread bakeries going back generations, some with brick ovens. If you are ever in Philadelphia, buy bread from the best—Sarcone's Bakery on S. 9th St between Fitzwater and Catherine Sts. But get there early because they sell out, and close at 3 pm. Hoagie rolls, Kaiser rolls, dinner rolls, long dinner loaves, big round loaves, oval loaves, sesame loaves, pizza dough... incomparable tastes and textures.
I lived across the street from Sarcones. You should see the line on Christmas Eve day.
New Orleans Po Boys….it’s the bread
New York City area pizza….the water
U raise cogent point
The day of the slow speed chase of OJ in the white Bronco was the day I came back to Philly from sailing the Gazela tallship all over the Eastern seaboard. As I was walking from Penn’s Landing to my apartment on Catharine I started noticing burning embers landing on the ground. Palumbo’s restaurant was burning down. I walked into the apartment and found my fiance writing me a Dear Jane letter. He was going back to his Eagles cheerleader ex-girlfriend. I was okay with it because I was carrying on a torrid affair with a crewmen from another tallship all summer. It was a very interesting day.
Oh, yeah, I get that. Saying “Provalone or Cheese Whiz?” is understandable. No, I mean “Whadya want on it?” while he stands in front of lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, olives, broccoli, etc. I’m like, hey, you’re the sandwich expert. At least suggest the normal range of toppings so I don’t end up with a Dagwood sandwich by accident. I ask “What’s typical?” and he sais “I dunno, whatever you want” isn’t helping but I get he’s a kid in a sandwich shop.
Oh, and I just roasted and sliced up some Chicago-style Italian beef, from a brisket I got for $4.99/pound the other day. Sliced up paper-thin, thanks to the Kramer-style slicer I got earlier this year.
Just doing the “gravy” and giardiniera, no rolls. But I do have some Provolone cheese and onions. I just may have to grill some of this with onions and melt some cheese on it later.