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Chow down and check out South Jersey’s best cheesesteaks Page 10
EASTSIDE
February 2014
P.J. Whellihans
■ By Kaylin Magosin (‘14)
■ By Jacob Borowsky (‘16)
February 2014
DiVello’s
Eastside Editor-In-Chief
Eastside Sports Editor
T h e immaculate blend of thinsliced beef, onions and melted cheese goes flawlessly in sandwich form. P.J.’s pub’s very own Cheesesteak Nachos replaces the bun with nachos and its own nacho sauce—a combination more delicious than the original. The delectable nachos go perfectly as either an appetizer or a meal on their own. The nachos’ only problems may be the colossal amount of nacho cheese and many uncovered nachos that accumulate at the bottom, beneath the grilled onions, cheese and steak-covered top. Aside from that minor inconsistency, the appetizer is one of P.J.’s best dishes, a perfect variation of Philadelphia’s favorite food.
Kaylin Magosin (‘14)/ Eastside Editor-In-Chief
DiVello’s makes tasty cheesesteaks for South Jersey.
Jersey Mike’s Subs
T h i s DiVello’s cheesesteak was not very messy, as the contents mostly stayed inside the soft roll. Thus, it was easy to eat. I got an original cheesesteak—steak mixed with melted American cheese. I also ordered it with fried onions and ate it with a moderate amount of ketchup. The meat was juicy and shredded thinly so that it was easy to chew. The cheesesteak was ready within 10 minutes and served warm but not hot enough that I would burn my mouth if I ate it right away. There was a nice balance of meat, cheese and onions, and they were mixed thoroughly so that when I took a bite, I tasted all three.
Phil’s Deli
■ By Liza Rothkoff (‘16)
■ By Liam Mahoney (‘14)
Eastside Staff
For Eastside
Jersey Mike’s Subs, located in multiple locations in South Jersey and around the nation, brings the taste of the famous Philadelphia cheesesteak around America. Jersey Mike’s Famous Philly Cheesesteak is aimed to please. The cheesesteak can be ordered with either steak or chicken and comes with grilled onions and peppers. The cheesesteak, more cheesy than most cheesesteaks, seemed almost too cheesy. The thinly sliced steak is served with a golden bun. The bun was soggy due to the gooey texture of the cheese. Overall, the cheesesteak from Jersey Mike’s Subs is not the best in South Jersey, but still satisfying.
Eastside’s picks Twelve Eastside editors blind-tasted six different cheesesteaks from Pizza Fresca, Vito’s, Cherry Hill Pizza, Romanza, The Boyz and Healthy Garden.
Best: Most enticing cheesesteak: The Boyz Best quality meat: The Boyz Best quality cheese: Healthy Garden Best quality bread: The Boyz Taste: The Boyz Best presentation: Vito’s Worst: Least enticing cheesesteak: Pizza Fresca Worst quality meat: Pizza Fresca Worst quality cheese: Cherry Hill Pizza Worst quality bread: Pizza Fresca Taste: Romanza Messiest: Pizza Fresca Worst presentation: Pizza Fresca
For me, the key to any good cheesesteak is in the bread. Without a good roll, the sandwich will fall flat. So as I took my first bite of my cheesesteak from Phil’s Deli, I was happy to find a quality roll. The rest was history. The sandwich held together nicely, the steak to provolone ratio was just right, and I was left feeling satisfied. If anything, the meat was a little on the dry side, but it was countered nicely by the sharpness of the provolone. Overall, I commend Phil’s Deli on its classic Philly Cheesesteak. Julia Rothkoff (‘16)/ Eastside Community Editor
Jersey Mike’s Subs brings a taste of the Philly cheesesteak all around the nation. ■ By Julia Rothkoff (‘16) Eastside Community Editor
In the early 20th century, cheesesteaks first appeared in Philadelphia. Hot dog vendor, Pat Oliveri, and his brother, Harry Oliveri, are often credited with inventing the first Philadelphia cheesesteak, when Oliveri made a hot steak sandwich out of sauteed steak and a long roll. The warm sandwich, made with sliced meat and melted cheese on a long hoagie roll, has become a popular item among locals of Philadelphia. Oliveri soon opened up Pat’s King of Steaks on 9th Street in Philadelphia. Soon, a friendly rivalry started when J o e y Vento opened up Geno’s Steaks across the street from Pat’s King of Steaks. Many people think that Vento was the first person to put cheese into a cheesesteak. Both Pat’s King of Steaks and Gino’s continue to thrive as businesses. They are both open 24 hours a day and their creations continue to satisfy taste buds locally and nationally alike. Variations of the cheesesteaks have become popular recently. Local restaurants like Iron
Hill Brewery and Catelli Duo are offering cheesesteak egg rolls on their menus. Purists of the cheesesteak may enjoy a cheesesteak hoagie, which is a cold cheesesteak with cheese, steak, lettuce and tomato. People who are not fans of red meat may enjoy a chicken cheesesteak, a traditional cheesesteak that substitutes steak for chicken. Pizza lovers would enjoy a pizza cheesesteak, a cheesesteak with steak, mozarella cheese and marinara sauce. People who have a gluten-free diet can also enjoy the taste of the classic Philadelphia cheesesteak, but without the bread. Cheesesteak soup contains chicken broth, onions, cheddar cheese, parsley and beef steak. Cubes of b a k e d bread can also be added to the soup for gluten eaters. Vegetarians may enjoy a vegetarian cheesesteak. These untraditional cheesesteaks substitute portobello mushrooms for steak. The warm sandwich is completed with provolone cheese, onions and a long, toasted hoagie roll Traditional or untraditional, cheesesteaks are sure to delight the locals of Philadelphia and people all around the country with a classic taste of Philadelphia.
More cheesesteak restaurants in the area: Chick’s Deli: 906 Township Lane Cherry Hill, NJ People’s Pizza: 1500 Rte. 38 Cherry Hill, NJ Tony Luke’s Cheesesteaks: 39 East Oregon Avenue Philadelphia, PA
How to make a cheesesteak:
EASTSIDE
Cheesesteak 101:
A cheesesteak, also known as a Philadelphia cheesesteak, Philly cheesesteak, cheesesteak sandwich or steak and cheese, is a sandwich made from thinly sliced pieces of steak and melted cheese in a long roll. Place of Origin: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Creators: Pat and Harry Olivieri Serving Temperature: Hot Main Ingredients: Meat: Rib-eye Top round Bread: Amoroso Vilotti-Pisanelli Cheese: Cheez Whiz Provolone American
Cook time: 10 minutes
Popular Add-ons: Sauteed onions Ingredients: Peppers 1 hoagie roll 1/4 pound of thinly sliced meat Mushrooms 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1/4 pound of cheese (Provolone, Mayonnaise American, Cheez Wiz) Hot sauce Salt Salt Ground black pepper Pepper 1 onion Ketchup
Directions: 1.) Cover a heated griddle with vegetable oil. 2.) Put a sliced onion on the Sal Vito Pizza: griddle and cook until carmel910 Haddonfield-Berlin Rd. ized. Voorhees, NJ 3.) Add the sliced meat to the griddle and cook until the meat is not pink. Phil’s Deli and Market: 4.) Add salt and pepper. 2079 Marlton Pike East 5.) Mix the salt, pepper, meat and onion together. Cherry Hill, NJ 6.) Put the cheese on top of the meat and cook until the cheese Gaetano’s Steaks is melted. 7.) Use a spatula to transfer the Subs & Pizza: 15 North Burnt Mill Rd. meat and cheese from the griddle onto the soft hoagie roll. Cherry Hill, NJ 8.) Slice the sandwich in half.
Calories: 759 per serving Variations: A cheesesteak made with chicken instead of beef is called a chicken cheesesteak. A cheesteak topped with pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese is a pizza steak. Another variation is the cheesesteak hoagie, which contains lettuce and tomato. Ingredients art by Helena Sirken (‘15)/ Eastside Art Director All cheesesteaks by Rachel Pacitti (‘15)/ Eastside Art Director Cheesesteak 101 by Allie Grossman (‘16)/ Eastside Community Editor
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