Jaunted

Cheesesteaks / Restaurants / Martha Stewart / → All Tags

Martha Stewart Weighs In On Philly Cheesesteak War

Food-loving visitors to Philadelphia always face an eternally difficult question: Whether to get your cheesesteak fix at Geno's or Pat's. Philly natives will talk your ear off about the relative merits of the two legendary meat-and-cheese hawkers, and while it is possible to do both in one meal (they're right across the street from each other), the results won't be pretty.

So when Martha Stewart stopped by Philly to promote her newest cookbook, you know they weren't letting her out of town without having her weigh in on this pressing culinary controversy, and getting her opinion on camera.

Martha, shockingly, claims she has never even tried a Philly cheesesteak before. Or maybe it's not so shocking, given the disdain with which she examines the gooey cheese whiz and soggy onions.

The verdict: Martha majorly hates on Pat's, saying their offering is "kinda bland," and "maybe they forgot the salt and pepper." Geno's, however, gets the thumbs up from the domestic goddess.

Argument settled?

Related Stories:
· Martha Stewart Eats Cheesesteaks [Philly.com]
· Martha Stewart Tries Philly Cheesesteak for First Time, Prefers Geno's to Pat's [Serious Eats]
· The Front Lines of Philly's Cheesesteak Wars [Jaunted]

[Photo: Marvin Kuo]

Cheesesteaks / Restaurants / → All Tags

The Front Lines of Philly's Cheesesteak Wars

Our intrepid steak-loving correspondent Hunter Walker has this dispatch from the front lines in Philly...

After a long journey down I-95, I found myself standing on the greasiest corner of the city, face to face with two foot-long cheesesteaks and a pile of fries. My eating adventure began when some friends and I decided we simply had to taste the famous sandwich on a road trip that took us through town. Not wanting to make a rookie mistake and get stuck at some tourist trap, I called a friend from Philly for some cheesesteak recommendations.

My Philly expert quickly told me:

You have to go to Pat's and Geno's. They're right across the street from each other. You gotta get one steak from Pat's and one from Geno's and compare them.

I told my friend that I didn't think I could make it through two whole cheesesteaks alive and she replied simply: "It's what you must do."

more ›

2008 Candidates Travel / Barack Obama / Hillary Clinton / Cheesesteaks / → All Tags

Cheesesteak Travel: Obama Skips Philly's Finest

Maybe it was the fear of repeating John Kerry's "with Swiss" gaffe or maybe he just wanted to avoid an immigration debate at Geno's, but Barack Obama skipped the cheesesteak on his recent visit to Philadelphia's Italian Market. The democratic front-runner instead sampled some grub from Claudio Specialty Foods and DiBruno Brothers.

Hillary Clinton hasn't done much better, as she's also skipped the steaks in Pennsylvania. Back in October, Rudy Giuliani had no problem ordering his sandwich in English when he was part of the Republican race.

The candidates will be scrounging for votes for another couple weeks, so there's plenty of time to track down a good sandwich. Our Philly Cheesesteaks Map will point you in the right direction, Barack!

Related Stories:
· Obama: I'll Try That Cheesesteak Next Time [Daily News]
· Rudy Goes Native in Philly [Jaunted]
· Philly Cheesesteaks Map [Jaunted]

[Photo: Barack Obama]

Where-To-Find-Philly-Cheesesteaks / Restaurants / Cheesesteaks / → All Tags

Philly Cheesesteak Hunt: Rick's

While we spent most of our recent weekend in Philadelphia geeking out on comics and Star Wars, we still had to eat. Since we weren't in the mood for a hike out to Rudy Giuliani's fave spot, we ducked into the Reading Terminal Market for a taste of Rick's.

Like most steak spots, Rick's is a no-nonsense affair. There's a menu, but why consult it? Just order your sandwich "whiz with," slathered with Cheez Whiz and topped with onions. These sandwiches are big--but not so big you can't finish 'em. Just make sure you don't have anything scheduled for after lunch.

On the other hand, if you're on an all-out eating binge, you're in the right spot. Aside from Rick's, the market has a ton of other grub. We'd recommend the Amish baked goods, but anything's pretty much worth a shot.

Related Stories:
· Rick's Steaks [Official Site]
· Reading Terminal Market [Official Site]
· Philadelphia for Geeks coverage [Jaunted]
· Where to Find Philly Cheesesteaks Map [Jaunted]