You guys are making me hungry. Sounds like belly bombs! Yum! Now I want to go down to Philadelphia for the weekend (I'm a long islander) and eat cheesesteaks.

kam is one of the best advisors on this forum. She has been a contributor for years and has excellent information that has helped me plan wonderful vacations to San Francisco and other California locations. I sure wish those who can easily throw hurtful negative reactions to any opinion that doesn't agree with theirs, and especially those who make everything personally hurtful would leave this board for those who can contribute more than ire.

Maybe it's an acquired taste, but on my trip to Philadelphia I thought cheesesteak to be very overrated. I had several of them and I just don't get it. Arbys roast beef tastes better. The city, however, I thought was very underrated.

. . . Nino's on Carrolton in uptown
New Orleans does a definative Philly
Steak Sandwich, but, has anyone tried
a Roast Beef Poboy with Swiss???
Michael Brecker

Michael, the only thing I've ever had on a poboy is fried oysters or shrimp. I didn't know you could get one with roast beef. Do you eat it with onions? I have to stop reading food threads at this time of day - between just coffee for breakfast and not yet lunchtime. It's torture!

The best cheesteaks in Philly can be found at Larry's-Home of the Bellyfiller. I'm not sure what street it's on.

Yooo!!!! Youse guys don't have a clue,a Philly cheese steak's gotta have cheese wiz or it ain't real!!

What in hell is Chez Wiz---are we talking that orange goop in the jar made by Kraft? Oh yuck. Will spend my fat grams better.

Just came across the most bizarre restaurant review from a small town in NE Pa where the reviewer raved about the "California Cheesesteak". I wonder if this is something like the "Vermont Burrito" smothered in maple syrup. www.theweekender.com and click on DISH. I have family there and keep up on local stuff from this site. Just in case anyone thinks I'm making this up.

I Live in PA. and the local pizza /sub shop has a California Steak on the menu. It is a cheese steak with lettuce,tomatoe, raw onions, and mayo, and is very good.

I stand if not corrected then at least informed. I can assure you there are no "California Cheesesteaks" in Ca. but then there probably aren't NY steaks in NY either. I was expecting something more in the way of sushi covered with a ripe gargonzola and smothered with sprouts served on forcoccia with a nice glass of chardonay.

Dear Ess,
Yes, our roast beef poboy (filet
mignon with tomato, lettuce and mayo)
on French Bread is only a short shot
from the "Philly" (thinly sliced filet
mignon with a saute of onion on a similar bread. The two are compatable.
Given the Italian influence in New Orleans and the Italian influence in
Philly, I think we're talking the same
thing. Michael Brecker

I can't believe that someone has brought this back up from the dead after all this time , but then again that's pretty much what happened the last time I had a cheesesteak. As to Kam , she's a mixed bag. Every group has someone who is driven to answer every question although I don't think she's as bad as she used to be , or maybe it's just that I don't check back here as much.

just got back form NAWLIN"S, had a po'doy w/swiss, awesome, but can't touch a philly style cheesesteak. try gaetano's in so.jersy great rolls
also tried the muffalleta swandwich in the BIG EASY, can't touch a hoagie, or better yet a NARDI'S special (Italian deli in W.Berlin,NJ), a great version of the hoagie/hero/sub

To Larry:

Maybe the cheesteak place you mention has peculiar ordering procedures, but the true inspiration for the "Soup Nazi" episode of Seinfeld is a Soup place in NY. The place is called "Al's International Soup Kitchen" on 259 55th street.

To give you an idea on why the place is legendary, the top restaurants in NY get a 28 point Zagat rating. The Soup Kitchen gets a 26...

To the person who asked about Cheez Wiz on the cheesesteak: Yes, it is that orange, gloppy stuff. But lety me tell you, if you're the type of person who worries about "spending fat grams," you don't belong in a thread about cheesesteaks. (Advice: Run a search on "tofu.")