Sheltered Girl Meets World

Eaten: A Hearty Amish Breakfast @ The Dutch Eating Place (Philadelphia, PA)

(It may not look pretty but this apple french toast with a glob of cinnamon butter was delish)

I'd love for you to think that I am super organized, that I planned every small detail of the great three week summer vacation and left no detail un-researched but I'm not and I didn't.  I planned some things and I kind of knew what we were going to do but most events were planned while we were driving using the boyfriends smart phone.  Sometimes we would drive to a restaurant that were closed, other times we would hit a diner that really wasn't all that special but occasionally we would luck out and be pleasantly surprised at where we ended up.  The Dutch Eating Place was one of those surprises.

(The Dutch Eating Place is operated by the Amish, as are several merchant stands in the Market)

When we went in search of the Dutch Eating Place we didn't realize it was located in the Reading Terminal Market.  We walked up and down Arch Street looking for a traditional restaurant front but we couldn't find it, we saw Reading Terminal Market but ignored it.  It wasn't until something caught our eye that we realized the restaurant was part of the market and we had been walking by it the whole time.  Walking inside of the Reading Terminal Market was something else, it reminded me a little of an indoor version of the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv (only much smaller) with the farm fresh produce, fresh meat, poultry and fish.  I get a little giddy at busy markets so we got in line to be seated before I bought a whole salmon.

Eaten: Cheesesteaks @ Geno's and Pat's, Hoagies @ Paesano's

(Mmmm neon cheesesteak @ Geno's)

After a bumpy start and a small mechanical problem we rolled into Philadelphia late on Canada Day.  Hungry and wanting to start this exploration of American cuisine on the right foot we decided to explore the streets in search of the popular Philly Cheesesteak.  We passed several empty takeout shops advertising cheesesteaks before ending up at 9th and Passyunk Avenue in the glow of the neon signs and fluorescent lights of Geno's Steaks and Pat's King of Steaks - even at 11:00pm there was a line.

(Whiz wit @ Pat's)

A cheesesteak is simply some sliced steak, usually ribeye or top round, that is cooked on a griddle and then scrambled into smaller pieces with a spatula.  It's served on a soft roll from the local Amoroso bakery with your choice of provolone, american cheese or cheese whiz.  It's simple, it's messy and it's delicious.  Since they were so close together and we knew about the rivalry between the two cheesesteak restaurants the boyfriend and I tried a steak from both Geno's and Pat's.  The sandwiches were almost identical, the only difference being the meat on Pat's was left in large chunks while Geno's was cut smaller.  That being said, I enjoyed Pat's steak better.  Yes, they are identical and priced the same but I loved how the server at Pat's taunted the line, telling them they shouldn't be afraid to order and acted disgusted when someone didn't know how to order.  For the record, it's whiz wit or whiz wit-out (cheese whiz with onions or without onions).

(The Gustaio @ Paesano's)

As good as an $8 cheese and steak sandwich can be it wasn't the food highlight of our stay in Philadelphia.  That came the next day while we were searching for lunch and came across Paesano's off of Girard Avenue.  The small sandwich shop offers a variety of Philly style hoagie sandwiches with Italian inspiration.  For the same price as a philly cheesesteak you can get The Paesano: beef brisket, horseradish mayo, roasted tomatoes, pepperincino, sharp provolone and a fried egg served on a soft hoagie roll.  For a sandwich with so many ingredients that is prepared fresh to order and delivers on flavor $8 is a bargain!  While Dima ordered the Paesano I ordered the Gustaio which featured lamb sausage, sundried cherry mustarda, gargonzola, fennel and arugula - heaven.  Each ingredient worked so well together - the sweetness of the mustarda with the lamb and gargonzola, the pepperiness of the arugula and mild anise flavor of the fennel - delicious.

If you're in Philadelphia have the original cheesesteak, enjoy the novelty.  If you want to try something that isn't a tourist attraction or engulfed in neon and flourescent try Paesano's, the flavors will blow your mind.