BATTLE OF THE PHILLY CHEESESTEAKS! =D

I'm celebrating the return of the Travel & Living Channel on Destiny (the only cable wiring available in House Pioneer, and so....=( ). Ever since I moved in, it has always been my default channel--up until it disappeared after Starworld and AXN. Bah. In any case, while Hubby Sweet was channel surfing mindlessly one evening, I heard the distinct voice of Anthony Bourdain ("I'm here, what's holding you up?", followed by a distinct la-la-la-la-la, what a beautiful life...) I recognized the sound emanating from the TV to be the Travel & Living "Station ID". I did a secret dance. Woohoo!!! (I adore Anthony Bourdain and Ian Wright, and during the Wander Years, actually wished I had their jobs instead of mine. Haha.)

Long after Hubby Sweet turned in for the night, I was still plopped on the sofa, digesting one T&L show after another. Then this show came up about Philly and the two landmark Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich stalls that stood at the center of town. "This is the best," the loyalists of one declared, even as the loyalists of the other declared, "The one from that other restaurant just does not compare." Aaaaaaahhhhh....I like places like those. It makes for good food discoveries--and good local chismis. Haha.

That said, this post is about Philly Cheesesteak. Might as well. I've had the good fortune of actually coming across three in recent months. I love steak. I love cheese. I especially love Philly cream cheese. Therefore....I should love Philly Cheesesteak, right?

Right. =D

First off, Elbert's Cheesesteak Sandwiches, right smack in the middle of the Powerplant food court. I have long been intrigued by it, but have been put off by the.....uh....oh, fine, I admit it. PRICE. I mean, who pays for P350.00 five-inch hoagies in the middle of the food court (even if it is the Powerplant food court)?! Then again, since this is the little brother of the pricey Elbert's Steak Room (where Angus Beef and Wagyu reign supreme), I figured maybe (just maybe!) these hoagies would be worth every single centavo we would plunk down for it.

It just so happens that the Hubby and I were trying to get out of somber mood at that time, and trying new restaurants always give us a quick pepper-upper, so we thought, price-be-damned, we will go for it! =)

At Elbert's, they prepare your cheese steak right before your eyes. =)

We decided to go for the Whole Wheat American Cheese Steak Hoagie. It was literally quite a mouthful. When we got it, Hubby Sweet and I had to take a moment to try and figure out how on earth we were going to eat it. Haha! =)

We decided that eating it burrito-style was the only way we could bite into it without everything dripping and dropping all over us. =) Still, the cross-section shows that while Elbert's streak strips is good meat, my hoagie was really more veggies than cheese steak....and well...for the price, I really expected more meat. =( So while it was good all around, I don't think I'd be back. I suppose, better value for money could be had elsewhere.

And it could be had here. Charlie's Grind and Grill, long spoken about in hushed tones among the residents of Bo. Kapitolyo as the burger joint beside the neighborhood carwash. Harking on the chance to have a decent meal with an ice-cold bottle of beer while waiting for your car to be washed and waxed, Charlie's has since evolved from being the tambayan of the boys out on their weekend carwash errand to being a meal destination of choice (with the entire barkada/family in tow).

The lines are long and the wait could be even longer. Make sure you have time to spare when you go. Oh, and make sure you are NOT super-hungry yet when you go because Charlie's is not a fastfood joint. They cook everything only after you order. Nothing is pre-prepared. Even when there are no lines, prepare to wait. The locals have gotten wiser. They call ahead so they can just pick-up once the goods are ready. In the meantime, you in the joint would have to wait for your turn.

Is it worth it? =)

Charlie's first came to prominence because of its burger. Hand-crafted burgers, they say (like it's a big deal). 100% Angus Beef. =D Hubby Sweet, therefore, had to order to see (and taste!) for himself.

As soon as he took his first bite, I had to ask, "How is it?"

Wearing a perplexed look, he declared, "Lasang sausage."

"Weh? What do you mean?" I asked as I reached out for a bite.

"Taste it," he said as he brought the burger closer to me.

I had to laugh as soon as I took my first bite. OO nga! Haha. =D It's the way it was seasoned. Smoke. Some familiar spice I couldn't quite put my finger on. It was good, great even! But once again, the Hubby's penchant for weird comments on the food we're trying was on-point. Haha. =D

Still, I did not go to Charlie's for the burger. I went for the Philly Cheese Steak. I've heard people in the office talk about it with reverence. I must see for myself. I must try. This is what they set before me.

So far, so good. Properly sloppy sandwich. More meat. More cheese. Just the way I like it. =) It was also more consistent with the "original" Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich as I found out in that T&L show. The original used nothing but heated Chiz Whiz. Yes. =D

I bit into it. Definitely classifies as one of those things that make you go "hmmmmmnnnnn....". ^_^ And this is not even high-falluting Angus Beef. It is just "Angas Beef" (Batangas Grade A Sirloin, haha), but it was still tasty. The Jalapeno Peppers also provided a surprising twist and kick. My only beef (pun intended) was that the meat and the Jalapeno peppers were not evenly distributed. See, at a certain point, I was too full to continue and decided to leave the bread and just pick on the meat and jalapeno, but I opened the remaining third of my sandwich to find, uh, only bell pepper and cheese. Ngyar. =(

Still, I wouldn't mind going back to Charlie's. One of these darn days when I finally have time to spare. =)

Oh, and for the boys, the other siren-call is the availability of imported beer (typically the best selling beers in other countries). They are displayed side-by-side with all variants of San Miguel. (And all of a sudden, a bulb lights up in all of my male readers' heads, "Now, this (!) makes it worth visiting..." Haha. =))

Now, Bro-in-Law G-Genius also vouched for the new Greenwich Philly Cheesesteak Pizza. It was part of the recently-launched "pang-men" line-up of Greenwich (which is affiliated with the company he works for), and he promised that during one weekend in House Better, he will treat everyone for merienda. One night, however, while the Hubby was out late, I found myself at home with nothing to eat. I had a lightbulb moment and did what I have not done in a long time. I ordered food for delivery. Haha. Yes, it's been a while because Hubby Sweet cooks--whether it's for the sheer love for cooking or it's a matter of survival (since I don't, haha) is something that is still out for the jury to decide. =D

This greeted me when I opened the box. Strips of beef and bell peppers on a thin, crispy crust, topped by cream cheese. Truth be told, when I first tasted it, I thought it was pretty bland. I was used to the sharp salty note of quickmelt cheese on Pinoy pizza, so I literally covered my dinner slices with hot sauce. I downed everything with ice, cold Coke Light. Pwede na. Classifies as comfort food for a night alone at home (which, BTW, soooooooo goes against Greenwich's barkada bonding theme, ngyarks, haha).

The real delish dish-covery, however, is that it actually tasted MUCH, MUCH (!) BETTER the following day. I don't know if the time in the ref allowed more of the flavor to settle or seep through, but one thing is sure, eating my pizza leftovers for breakfast the day after provided a happy boost to start my day. Yey! ^_^

Lesson learned: I must order it the night before and eat it the day after. Haha. =D

Now, the next one is technically not a Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich, but I'll include it anyway because it's a particularly damn good steak sandwich. =) Many working lunch meetings saw me devouring one of these. Haha. If you ever find yourself @ The Stock Market on Bonifacio High Street, order this. Roast Beef Sandwich. I think in the entire menu, this one provides the best value for money. Make sure you say the "sandwich" word when you order though. I made the mistake of not saying it once and ended up with an entire slab of pricey roast beef on my plate. Naku! =( It is usually served on foccacia, but if you're into healthy stuff, Hubby Sweet once asked them to use wheat bread instead, and the kitchen gladly accommodated. (BTW, the pic below is only half of it. I had already eaten the other half before I remembered to take the pic, haha.)

So there! Four-posts-in-one. Haha. Done. =)

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Elbert's Cheese Steak is on the lower level of the Powerplant Mall. In the middle of the food court.

To get to Charlie's, go to Pioneer St. (from EDSA). Turn right on the street after Jollibee (you'll see the gate of Bo. Kapitolyo). Just keep on going straight on that street until you see Charlie's on your right.

To order Greenwich Philly Cheese Steak, call 5-55-55. ;p

For really good Roast Beef Sandwich, go to The Stock Market @ Bonifacio High Street. B3.

Go. =D