2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Cheesesteak Celebration and Much More, January 22, 2010
This review is from: The Great Philly Cheesesteak Book (Paperback)
Between the covers of "The Great Philly Cheesesteak Book" is an incredible amount of information about Philadelphia's well-known claim to culinary fame. Its 175 colorful, eye-catching, glossy pages are filled with restaurant reviews, photographs, sidebars, cheesesteak lore, recipes and much more.
After a brief Introduction, a 10-page section entitled "The Steak Story" relates how a Philadelphia hot dog vendor came up with the first cheesesteak in 1930 and went on to open Pat's King of Steaks. The rest, as they say, is history.
The next section, "Hometown Eateries" (104 pages), profiles 38 cheesesteak shops in the Philadelphia area (fold-out maps are inside the front and back covers). Each gets two to six pages of well-organized, useful information. Each has a sidebar of practical data: driving directions, seating capacity, parking availability, hours of operation and, for the true cognoscente, details of the roll, meat, onion and cheese used in the sandwich. Want to know what kind of grill seasoning the establishment uses? It's in here--olive oil, vegetable oil, lard, whatever. Based on my two vacation visits to just one of the shops, Dalessandro's, the information is spot-on. Interspersed throughout this section are other sidebars of fascinating tidbits, such as "How To Order," "Recommended Liquid Accompaniments," "How Cheesesteak Meat Is Made" and many more.
There's a dishearteningly short section, only 18 pages, of cheesesteaks "abroad"--other than in Philadelphia, that is. Let's face it, the best place to get a Philly cheesesteak is in Philly, and this section reflects that harsh reality for those of us who don't live there. It's organized by state for easy reference. I was a little disappointed not to find Frankie's in Tucson listed, which makes me wonder how accurate and comprehensive this section is. Sidebars in this section describe--but do not rate or pass judgment on--various ersatz cheesesteaks, such as Carl's Jr. Philly Cheesesteak Burger, Domino's Philly Cheese Steak Pizza and even Betty Crocker Philly Cheesesteak Hamburger Helper. On second thought, it's probably better that these are not rated...
A 10-page section, "Celebrating Cheesesteaks," covers cheesesteak-themed garments, websites, competitions, world records, movies and music. It's phenomenal to find out how this local food has managed to find its way into so many aspects of American culture.
Finally, the last 16-page section, "DIY Cheesesteaks," contains 19 recipes, starting with the Original Basic Cheesesteak (including how to make your own rolls) and ranging far afield to such things as Cheesesteak Soup, Cheesesteak Spring Rolls and Cheesesteak Pierogi. Nothing can match a sandwich in Philly, of course, but there are some interesting ideas here to try if you can't get the real thing.
Thc 40-minute companion DVD, "This Is My Cheesesteak," is icing on the cake, so to speak. It features interviews with the owners of several of Philly's best-known steak shops, a little history, how to make a cheesesteak, how to eat one ("the South Philly wrap"), many shots of meat and onions sizzling on the flattop, and lots of other enjoyable, informative and crave-inducing scenes. It's a neat documentary that you'll want to watch more than once.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
No Mis-Steak., December 25, 2010
This review is from: The Great Philly Cheesesteak Book (Paperback)
If you're from Philly, or you like cheesesteak sandwiches, then you'll love this book. It traces the history of Philladelphia's iconic sandwich from it's beginnings at Pat's, King of Steaks, all the way through the beginning of the 21st Century. It gives recepies, reviews of dozens of sources, and some great humor along the way. You can enjoy steak sandwiches alone, but as they say in South Philly, you'll enjoy a Philly Cheesesteak a lot more, "wit" this book in your library.
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