AlwaysInvestigating: Philly’s Eternal Food Questions
GutterGourmet — August 04, 2010
A Philadelphia sandwich trio: a Cheesesteak from Pat’s Steaks, DiNic’s Roast Pork Sandwich, and an Italian Hoagie from Sarcone’s Bakery.
In ancient times travelers would seek answers to the eternal questions from the Oracle at Delphi. Recently, we sought food wisdom on an Odyssey in Phila-Delphi-a, but these questions were of far greater import than the Riddle of the Sphinx at Thebes:
1. Which cheesesteak is better— Pat’s or Geno’s?
2. What the hell is an Italian “hoagie” and is it better than a New York hero?
3. Is the Philly Roast Pork sandwich truly the greatest sandwich in the universe?
AlwaysTraveling: Dilly’s Corner (Bucks County, PA)
GutterGourmet — April 12, 2010
The Dilly Dog: a 1/4b Hot Dog with Fried Peppers, Onions, and Potatoes on a Toasted Torpedo Roll.
Restaurant: Dilly’s Corner
Address: 2998 River Road, New Hope, PA
Hours: Tue-Sun, 11:00am-6:00pm.
Contact: (215) 862-5333
Grade: B+
Recommended Dishes: Dilly Dog, Curly Cheese Fries, Chocolate Malted.
Dilly’s Corner is on River Road in the heart of Bucks County, not too far from where the father of our country crossed the Delaware River on Christmas Eve, and surprised some partying Hessians in what was a turning point in the Revolutionary War. The Dilly’s Corner sign may not have the same historic significance as Washington’s Crossing, but once you try a Dilly Dog, all other hot dogs will be history.
AlwaysTraveling: Steve’s Prince of Steaks (Langhorne, PA)
GutterGourmet — April 06, 2010
Double Meat Cheesesteak “wit” Onions, Cheese Whiz, White American, Cherry Peppers, and Red Pepperoncini at Steve’s Prince of Steaks.
Restaurant: Steve’s Prince of Steaks
Address: 1617 East Lincoln Highway, Langhorne, PA
Hours: Mon-Wed, 10am-11pm; Tues, Wed, Sun, 11:00am-12:00am; Thur-Fri, 11:00am-3:00am.
Contact: (215) 943-4640
Grade: A-
Recommended Dishes: Double Meat Cheesesteak “wit” Onions, Cheese Whiz, and White American.
If you find yourself driving in northeastern Philly, there’s an oasis in the desert of strip malls on East Lincoln Highway near Levittown, the 50’s suburban development dreamtown. It’s one of three locations of Steve’s Prince of Steaks, which was founded in 1980 by Steve Iliescu, who called himself a “Prince” in deference to Pat’s King of Steaks. It took just 12 short years for Steve’s to supplant Pat’s according to Philadelphia Magazine. They voted Steve’s #1 Cheesesteak in 1992, and as recently as 2007.
So how is this cheesesteak different from all others? Unlike Pat’s, and, for that matter, Carl’s (a go-to spot in Manhattan), the Prince slices the steak rather than chopping it. In that regard, Steve’s takes after Geno’s, Pat’s lifelong deadly rival in South Philly. But Steve’s slices the steak thicker than most any other cheesesteak you’ve seen.
AlwaysTraveling: Le Bec-Fin (Philadelphia, PA)
The Gluttoness — October 08, 2009
Exterior and interior of Le Bec-Fin on Walnut Street across from “Georges Perrier Place.”
Restaurant: Le Bec-Fin (view)
Address: 1523 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA (map)
AlwaysHungry Grade: B+
AlwaysHungry Recommends: Spanish Octopus, Chilled Maine Lobster Salad, Escargots, Veal Chop, Diver Sea Scallops, Chocolate Banana Tart, Grand Marnier Soufflé
It was a long twenty-five years before I got to enjoy my first meal at Georges Perrier’s famed five-star eatery. Growing up in Philadelphia, there was no finer dining destination. Yet the aura of stuffiness and pretension shrouded behind the wrought iron awning turned out to be merely a figment of fanciful imagination. Of course Le Bec-Fin is impeccably high class, but along with the dramatic chandeliers and gilded crown molding awaits a truly comfortable, effortless, dare-I-say, “fun” dining experience.
Japanese Black Bass with Baby Vegetables “a la Grecque,” Kohlrabi and Yellow Tomato Consommé.
I expected fancy French food, like you’d find at Per Se or Daniel, where the chef de cuisine, Nicholas Elmi honed his craft before moving to Philadelphia, but the plating was as relaxed as the warm, ambient environment. Decorative adornments, like a messy stroke of red onion aigre-doux aside Spanish Octopus, weren’t exemplary of French finesse. Yet the dish, with its chorizo and charred melon accompaniments was one of the meal’s standouts. The surprising departure from that which is inherently French was balanced by the “Le Bec-Fin Classics” portion of the menu, which features traditional items like Escargots poached in hazelnut garlic butter, Sautéed Foie Gras and the Gallette de Crabe, one of the dishes you could have eaten at Le Bec-Fin during its early heyday.
AlwaysTraveling: Pizza Capital of the World (Old Forge, PA)
GutterGourmet — September 29, 2009
Arcaro & Genell’s “tray” ($12.50) with, in thirds from front: chopped clams, hot peppers and plain cheese (toppings $0.25/cut, 1-11 cuts).
Restaurant: Pizza Capital of the World
Address: Old Forge, Pennsylvania, 18518 (view map)
AlwaysHungry Grade: A-
AlwaysHungry Recommends: Red and White ‘cuts’ from Revello’s, Arcaro & Genell, and Ghigiarelli.
We’ve all butted heads over which city deserves the moniker Pizza Capital of the World. Most (including me) would objectively say New York City. Others would look to the mother country’s famed city, Napoli. Those who like to invoke Wooster Street in New Haven, Connecticut (either Sally’s or Pepe’s) shouldn’t be considered insane. I’ll even tolerate the Chicago Deep Dish fringe weighing in and the Alice Waters/Wolfgang Puck/California Pizza contingent. So it was with a mild feeling of terror that I discovered a place which can only be properly described by the late, great Rod Serling, the creator and host of The Twilight Zone: cue theme music Doo Doo Doo Doo, Doo Doo Doo Doo.
“You’re traveling through another dimension — a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. There’s a signpost up ahead: your next stop: Old Forge, Pennsylvania, population 8,798, established 1899.
[cue Len Berman echo machine] Pizza Capital of the WOORRLLDDD!!!!”
AlwaysTraveling: Charlie’s Hamburgers (Folsom, PA)
The Gluttoness — May 20, 2009
Charlie’s Hamburgers was first opened by Charlie Convenry in 1935. When the restaurant was forced to relocate further away from Route 402, Charlie sold it to long-time manager, Bernard “Bunny” McDonald, who opened the new Folsom, PA, location in 1986.
One juicy bite of a Charlie’s hamburger makes it easy to understand how they have maintained a loyal fan base despite a no-frills attitude and an influx of fast-food chains— little besides the location has changed. The same family of Jewish butchers has supplied the restaurant since 1935 and aside from the ice cream, nothing is frozen. The secret behind the beef is that they use meat from the front portion of the stomach. When asked about the smaller than average burger size, it’s explained that things are done the way they were first done and that, “people had smaller appetites back then.”
To compensate for the smaller patty size, most customers order doubles (above). Cheeseburgers are topped with thick slabs of yellow American cheese cut the old-fashioned way, from a giant brick. At Charlie’s, hot dogs (right) mean Philly Franks sliced through the center and weighted so the insides get blackened and extra crispy. Burgers and dogs are served on Baker’s Touch Sandwich Rolls, and the buns are always grilled on the greasy flattop. Condiments include ketchup, mustard, relish, pickles, tomato, onions, but you also have the option of ordering “à la Charlie,” with pickles, tomato and fried onion (top). Charlie’s has always used Potts Ice Cream to make their super thick milkshakes. It’s said that this is in return for Mr. Potts having lent Charlie Convenry part of the stake he needed to originally open the restaurant.
It might seem easy to saddle up to the counter and consume burger after burger with a cool Black-and-White milkshake, but if you’re the competitive type, keep in mind you’ll have to best the current record of 28 burgers if you want the title for most eaten. According to the folks at Charlie’s, this record is the legacy of Pat Ryan, who played the Mayor in The Toxic Avenger. Considering the cult following for these hamburgers, it’s fitting that an actor from a cult classic holds Charlie’s hamburger-eating title.
Restaurant: Charlie’s Hamburgers
Address: 336 Kedron Ave, Folsom, PA (view map)
AlwaysHungry Grade: B
AlwaysHungry Recommends: Hamburger, Cheeseburger, Shakes
Notes: Closed Tuesday.
AlwaysInvestigating: Philly vs. NY Soft Pretzels
The Gluttoness — May 14, 2009
I’ve never had the physical evidence to back up an assertion I’ve made many times: New York City’s street vendor soft pretzels don’t hold a candle to Philadelphia’s soft pretzels. During a recent trip to Philly I made a point of going to the Philly Pretzel Factory to bring back proof.
The Philly Pretzel Factory’s slogan is, “Real Pretzels Travel in Packs.” Stumped? Philadelphia soft pretzels come in sheets, usually rows of ten. They’re long and narrow, like squashed New York City pretzels with thicker ropes. During baking, the sides adhere to each other as they expand, creating the sheet effect (right). Enough about aesthetics— let’s focus on taste.
from left: Philly Soft Pretzel, New York Street Vendor Pretzel
Since I grew up in Philadelphia, I turned to two impartial members of the CORE:
CORE Member, The Hungry Goat:
“Philadelphia Soft Pretzels are much denser, the salt MAKES this pretzel. It’s tough and very chewy, especially the outer layer, and I wish it was softer. As far as New York pretzels go, bigger is not better. While I prefer the texture of the NY pretzel, the dough is totally bland, and there is not enough salt to make up for the lack of seasoning. It’s like eating something that has the flavor of a water cracker but in doughier form.”
CORE Member, Arthur Bovino:
“I’ve got New York pride so I’m loathe to cede ANYTHING to Philadelphia and I mean anything (I’m not even a Mets fan). So it really makes me mad that even with the significant advantage of being just bought from a vendor before I ate it, New York soft pretzels lost out to day-old Philly ones that sat overnight in a fridge. The charcoal smokiness I enjoy smelling as it wafts from the New York pretzel street carts during the winter isn’t enjoyable to taste and not only were the exteriors undersalted but they were somehow dry on the inside too. The Philly pretzel was properly salted, still moist and tasted like I remember enjoying soft pretzels as a kid. In the name of all things NY-pretzel-holy, somebody do something, please.”
Philadelphia pretzels are also a better deal wallet-wise. At the Philly Pretzel Factory, ten pretzels cost $3.00. Two pretzels from a New York City vendor cost $4.00. No contest—Philly wins.
AlwaysTraveling: Zahav (Philadephia, PA)
The Gluttoness — May 12, 2009
Zahav has been garnering considerable attention lately. This month, Travel & Leisure named it one of their 50 Best New US Restaurants for 2009 and the Sunday of my Mother’s Day visit, The New York Times included it in 36 Hours in Philadelphia. The good press is justified— each small plate features grand, international flavors and the chef even ably turns typically mundane street food into impressively gourmet dishes. The Israeli-born chef, Michael Solomonov, has created a menu based on Israeli cuisine with North African and Middle Eastern riffs.
Stone walls, draped ceilings and blown-up photographs of crowds evoke the atmosphere of a shuk (marketplace) in Jerusalem. Meals begin with “Salatim,” a selection of eight salads, served with za’atar-seasoned, house-made laffa bread. Zahav serves some of the best hummus I’ve ever eaten. You can opt for traditional “Hummus-Tehina” or investigate more complicated variations like the “Hummus-Masbacha” (with warm chickpeas), “Hummus-Foul” (with warm fava beans) or Turkish Hummus (served warm with butter and grilled garlic). Halavi (dairy) selections include outstanding Borekas, Baked Kashkaval (one of Zahav’s best dishes) and an exemplary Fried Cauliflower with Labaneh. Meats (Basari) range from Fried Kibbe to Moroccan Pastilla, and the Shipudim offerings (grilled over coals), include Lamb Tenderloin, Merguez and Ground Beef Sausage. The best way to end your meal is with an out-of-this-world Pistachio Baklava and some Turkish Coffee. Individual dishes max out at $12, making Zahav an affordable opportunity to explore the flavors of the Middle East.
Restaurant: Zahav
Address: 237 St. James Place, Philadelphia, PA (view map)
AlwaysHungry Grade: A
AlwaysHungry Recommends: Salatim & Hummus with Laffa, Crispy Haloumi, Baked Kashkaval, Fried Cauliflower, Kibbe Naya, Moroccan Pastilla, Monsieur Merguez, Konafi, Pistachio Baklava
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