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I do love the Lehigh Valley but they do have an odd concept of a Cheese Steak. I like the sandwich they make up there but they really should name it something else. The standard Lehigh Valley Cheese Steak has marinara sauce and pickles on it. It's on a very plain roll and the meat is often not cooked on a grill, sometimes it appears boiled or something. Again, it is not a bad sandwich, but it is not a cheese steak.

If you go down into south phila at somewhere like John's Roast Pork or Tony Lukes, the sandwich is rather different. The main difference is the bread used. It is an Italian roll similar to the Sarcone's style like you get at the Italian Market. The meat is grilled up and (with the exception of Geno's Steaks) chopped up and the fixins are added while being cooked. The meat is piled up to about the size of the roll and the cheese is added on top. The roll is put on top of this and cooked for a short while, to bind all the flavors together and get things melty and yummy. You do not see sauce on the steaks like you do in the LV except when people order a Pizza Steak, which is sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Most people think all Phila Steaks are cheese wiz, but that is not true. Some places (like Genos) are known for it but typically you use a white sliced cheese, like Provolone (sharp or mild) or American. The only place you see the orange colored American cheese is on burgers at McDonalds or Burger King, the delis and steak shops use the white American cheese in this area. This is why I suspect so many out of town restaraunts that have a "Philly Style" burger or sandwich always use swiss cheese, as it is the only white cheese the non philadelphians know of . I always find this funny as very little sandwhiches in this area use swiss cheese.

Before Robert Ray was to leave Pa for home I tried to find a steak shop up in the LV but failed miserably.

Perhaps we will have to import fixings and make them at this years nats for some folks.

Ted