Cheesesteak

Please give me recommendations where to get an authentic cheesesteak.Thank you.

Philadelphia.

The only authentic philly-style cheesesteak in Chicago is at Philly's Best. Many Philly-transplants swear by it:

Philly's Best
855 W. Belmont Ave.
773-525-7900

I do have a friend who lived in Philly for years who has now switched to the cheesy beef from Max's. Not a Philly cheesesteak, but a cheesy-beefy-sandwich nonetheless.

Max's Famous Italian Beef
5754 N. Western Ave.
773-989-8200

I just tried Philly's Best about a week ago.But never havng been to Philadelphia I really don't know what is considered authentic.

If you want authenticity, then yes, you must go to the source. I grew up outside Boston and decline to consider the Philly cheese steak definitive, as I prefer the cheese steaks I had around my hometown, but if indeed it's the Philly cheese steak you want, go to Philly. If you want cheese and beef on a roll, you should be able to find a good one in any city, but it will be their interpretation of that combination. Even Philly cheese steaks here in Chicago (and in my travels this is the only city I remember that advertises them as "Philly cheese steaks," which sets our proprietors up for failure) are interpretations.

As others have posted, I like Philly's Best but having never had the 'real' thing, I don't know how it compares or how authentic it truly is.

FYI, they have a 2nd location, in Evanston:

Philly's Best
815 Emerson
Evanston, IL
(847) 733-9000

=R=

Everyone thank you for your help.I have been to the Evanston location many times but never tried the cheesesteak until I was at thw Belmont location.I liked it especially because many places I go make them with mushrooms and I have to remember to ask for them without.I am not too fond of mushrooms nut especially not on a cheesesteakAre mushrooms usually on a cheesesteak?

In addition to the original on Belmont and the one in Evanston, there's a newer Philly's Best around Logan Square. I've only been to the one on Belmont and have to agree it's likely to be the closest to the real thing you'll find in Chicago. One little thing that impresses me is the way they wrap the to-go sandwiches in multiple layers of newsprint-like paper. This keeps the sandwich warm but lets it breathe so it doesn't turn into a soggy mess.

I'm curious if anyone has an opinion on the cheesesteak at Clark Street Dogs. I haven't tried it but a friend of mine (not from Philadelphia) swears by it.

Philly's Best
855 W Belmont Av
Chicago
773-525-7900

Philly's Best
815 Emerson St
Evanston
847-733-9000

Philly's Best
2436 N Milwaukee Av
Chicago
773-276-1900

Clark Street Dogs
3040 N Clark St
Chicago
773-281-6690

The problem with cheesesteaks in Chicago is the problem, generally, with eating most great sandwiches outside of their proper geographic context: the bread. Meats, vegetables, fish, wine, one can import or, with some effort, reproduce. But bread is trickier. It can be done, and sometimes is: we are lucky to have great Mexican tortillarias and bakeries that provide a product that is as good as, and often better, than what's on hand on any given corner in the old country.

Cuban bread, oviously for me, comes to mind as the key ingredient that will forever deny us a truly great Cuban sandwich outside of South Florida. The infrastructure, labor and technique for real Cuban bread is pretty serious stuff, as some of my prior posts hopefully demonstrated. Some would say, what's the big deal, "French" or "Italian" works fine. I disagree.

Philly cheesesteaks, and hoagies for that matter, are similarly doomed to inadequacy beyond the Main Line. Ask any Philadelphian, famously defensive about thier great old town stuck between NY and DC, about food outside Philly, and they will tell you that all the bread sucks. Bread, especially for cheesesteaks, must come fresh from Amoroso's.

Of course, we have our own unique bread that is tailored to certain sandwiches, the humble Gonella/Turano beef roll. This tough little rectangle doesn't do much by itself, in fact, it's pretty bad. But it shines as it maintains composure when soaked with beef juices and giardiniera oils. And it pulls off a nice trick when it is heated in the Potbelly conveyor belt broiler, suddenly crisp on the outside, dense and chewy inside. Which leads me to wonder: when Potbelly takes over the world, which it will, believe me, can they get the bread right? And will Chicago-style giardiniera become the next salsa? Who knows.

PS, had some great bread last night at Resis, which had *perfect* schnitzel, eggs over easy, potato salad and kraut. The bread was rye from Baltic Bakery, heavy as a brick but still soft and flavorful.

Since I seem to have cravings lately for Italian beef and cheesesteak I thought I'd revisit this thread.I was searching and came across a mention of Philly Cheese Steak House in Chicago and Philly Cheeses Steak and Hoagie in Elk Grove Village.If you've been,what did you think?

I recommend Philly's Best in Evanston (also Chicago) if you're looking for a good cheesesteak. Get it on garlic bread. Once you do, please report back. Remember, the place is called Philly's Best. That mewans cheesesteak, not Italian beef.

Philly's Best
815 Emerson
Evanston, IL
847-733-9000

855 W. Belmont
Chicago, IL
773-525-7900

855 W. Belmont

The Philly's Best on Belmont has moved a little west from 855 to 907 W Belmont. In addition, there's a third one at 2436 N Milwaukee (I think it's still there).

I have been to Philly's Best.I was curious about the places above I saw on digitalcity.com which I saw on that site months ago and forgot about until now.BTW I loved the cheesesteak at PB,one of my above posts on July 13 mentions them.And one of these days I will get to Max's for Italian beef.

I wouldn't bother trying anyplace else in Chicago for a cheesesteak. Stick to PB.

Philly's Best is quite good, although I've never had a Pat's, a Geno's, or a Dalessandro's in Philadelphia so I'm not sure what criteria I'm judging this on. I'll often hit up Philly's Best when I need a break from Hot Doug's or Italian beef, and it's definitely worth it for a change.

I have to agree with JeffB that until someone can find a roll better suited to the Philly Cheesesteak than the standard Gonella, there will never a great cheesesteak in Chicago. Philly's best is as close as you will come from the inside out.

However, a great cheesesteak has a much lighter roll with a great crispy exterior. A few years back, there was a chain out of Atlanta called Philly onnection that was actually baking it's bread in store. The bread was right. But, sadly, the steak and cheese were insuffcient at that place.

I don't understand why more Chicago restaurants don't partner with small bakeries for custom breads as they do in other cities this size. Perhaps it is that the wet italian beef or sausage or even the breaded steak sandwich are suited to the sturdy abilities of the Gonella roll

I can cofirm the Potbelly locations in Metro D.C. area are using the same bread and giardiniera as the locations here. Or at least very good substitutes.

am not too fond of mushrooms nut especially not on a cheesesteakAre mushrooms usually on a cheesesteak?

Mushrooms and peppers are available at most Philly steak joints, altho the former are usually out of a can. In addition, I find that sweet peppers sometimes clash with the cheese. It's best to keep it simple, and as others have suggested here, it's really all about the bread.

I don't understand why it's so difficult to get the bread right.Not like we cannot get the ingredients or require a special climate.

I don't understand why it's so difficult to get the bread right.Not like we cannot get the ingredients or require a special climate.

Um, technique? Institutional knowledge? Infrastructure? A market?

As has been noted many times, bread poses a particular problem in this regard. High entry cost, low margin stuff that depends on lots of skill and the right equipment (and on people who want to buy it). Consider the lowly tortilla: all you have to do is treat and grind up a ton of corn every morning, make the tortillas, and hope enough folks buy them at 25 cents a pack, before they go stale, to pay the rent. That's why we have good tortillas in Chicago and CA, and everyone else doesn't know what they are missing.

I was looking at hollyeats.com and now I want not just a cheesesteak but a schmitter which has added fried salami,fried onions and secret sauce.Served at H. and J. McNally's.

Hattyn--the Schmitter sounds good. What do suppose is in the sauce? I like to take a Philly's best home with me, and carefully add a runny yolked fried egg (as if there was any other kind) to the sandwich.

trixie-pea wrote:Hattyn--the Schmitter sounds good. What do suppose is in the sauce? I like to take a Philly's best home with me, and carefully add a runny yolked fried egg (as if there was any other kind) to the sandwich.

t-p:

Your combination sounds very much like a sandwich served at my favourite bruin caf cafe, 't Gasthuys, in Amsterdam. Over the years (I've been going there for more than 25 years) the place has turned into more a restaurant than a cafe but one can still go in, have a few drinks and eat a "Santos": thin steak, cheese, fried egg, served on a piece of baguette.

Heel erg lekker!

Antonius

______________

Cafe 't Gasthuys
Grimburgwal 7
A'dam tel: 6248230.

My first thought was mayo based,then I thought mustard.The egg would be overkill but you only live once.

having had 2 philly cheese steaks in philly (from both of the 'infamous' opposing corners), i vowed to never have another 'authentic' philly cheese steak again.

the stuff is disgusting w/ the fake cheese wiz cheese and all.. mushrooms and peppers are NOT part of the ensemble IIRC... and should be considered 'unauthentic'. the grizzled beef otoh...

It's known as a "mushroom steak" or "pepper steak" (or "mushroom cheesesteak" or "pepper cheesesteak") and they're available at both Pat's and Jim's, altho not Geno's. It's difficult to say what an "authentic" cheesesteak really is since it's origins, apparently, are in the "pizza steaks" served up by the Mom's and Pop's in South Philly. Personally, I prefer provolone on my cheesesteak, although I suppose some would consider only cheesewhiz (which IMHO leads the sandwich into the realm of the aforementioned "disgusting") as "authentic."

i've only been to philly once and of course had to have a philly cheesesteak. BUT it wasn't from one of hte famous places (i think i remember that a place called Pat's is the most famous) but was in a food court of an office building w/retail in the downtown area. i forget the address. anyway, it was no different than a philly cheese steak i'd order at any chicago joint. was ok...but nothing special. and i don't think i'd like one w/the cheese whiz type cheese on it as somoen described above.

sounds nasty.

I have to agree with Tony that the "authentic" cheesesteaks on the opposing corners in Philly are rather gross due to cheese whiz crap.

Philly's best is far superior and when you add the garlic spread its like crack.
My only suggestion for improvement would be if they actually toasted the bread with the garlic spead on it before putting the steak on it.
I've only been to the Milwaukee Ave location.
Has anyone ever had them toast the garlic bread first?


I don't know why they put red sauce and no grilled onions on their Cheesesteak pizza. They should make it with the Garlic spread and the same cheese and onions as on the sandwiches.

Yesterday went to watch the NCAA bbal games at ESPN ZONE off of Michigan Avenue. Ordered the philly cheese steak and it was awesome! Tasted *ALMOST* like Pat's in Philly, was $11.99 but worth it!

God, I was trying to resist this thread.

As has been discussed before, Whiz is for tourists and some Main-Liners. Get the prov if you eat at Pat's/Geno's and go to DeNic's/Tony Like's etc. for pork Italian if you can.

Now, this is the first time I have heard anything good, anywhere about any food served at any ESPNZone. If I'm ever trapped there again, I'll take a chance on the cheesesteak, I guess.