Philadelphia Sandwiches - North Hollywood, CA

On my way to the Verizon Store today, I stopped at a local joint in North Hollywood. The name was quite unassuming, but it described just what I was craving, so I stumbled into Philadelphia Sandwiches.

Most who know me know that I am a sucker for cheesesteaks and would rank them, along with wings, as my two favorite foods. That said, I did a search on Yelp and discovered Philadelphia Sandwiches. Being a weekday and with a full schedule, I ordered at the counter and grabbed a seat, intent on eating quickly.

The man who took my order, presumably the owner, was friendly, inquiring if I was from Philadelphia upon my asking if they offered whiz. Although whiz was not offered, I have grown to not expect to find that frequently in Los Angeles. Instead of getting my typical whiz, I opted for melted Yellow American instead of Provolone. The sandwich was not on an Amoroso roll, typical of Philly Cheesesteaks, but instead came on a toasted roll. Given the differences from the cheesesteaks I have been spoiled by while growing up, one would not expect this to turn out well. However, surprisingly it all comes together for an above average sandwich. The bread was a little bit crispy, but I did appreciate the fact that it was toasted. A good portion of thinly sliced, chopped ribeye makes this quality meat for a cheesesteak sandwich.

Although this falls short of a true Philly cheesesteak, it is Los Angeles, so expectations must be tempered. Philadelphia Sandwiches offers a pretty good cheesesteak worthy of a chance if in the North Hollywood area.

Bread: 6

Meat: 7

Cheese: 7

Overall: 6.5

Steel City Sandwich - Los Angeles Food Truck

As an avid viewer of the food programs featured on the Travel Channel, it would be hard to miss the legendary Primanti Brothers, holding a spot on nearly every food-related show the channel offers. Primanti Brothers first opened its doors in 1933 in the warehouse district of Pittsburgh, where the famous Primanti Brothers sandwich was born. The idea behind the sandwich was to give truckers that needed to get back on the road their meal in an all-in-one package. Hence, the idea to include the fries, cole slaw, tomatoes, meat, eggs (if desired), and cheese between two slabs of Italian bread, and you have a Primanti sandwich! The sandwich could be eaten using one hand and combined all the elements needed.

Having long craved one of these sandwiches and never having the opportunity to make it to Pittsburgh, I was enthused to find a Los Angeles food truck based on these Steel City staples. Although often across town, I checked Twitter one day to find that it had ventured over to the Burbank vicinity. Naturally, I headed over for lunch to get my first taste of the sandwich that had so long eluded me. After juggling menu decisions for a few minutes while waiting in line, I stepped up to the counter and was greeted by a friendly girl taking orders. I settled on the The Champion, which packs double meat (I chose capicola), a fried egg, and provolone cheese along with the typical slaw, fries and tomato.

One bite in and I was already impressed, the sandwich tasting even better than I was expecting. The hot, salty mixture of the meat and fries is offset by the cool touch of the tomato and vinegar-flavored cole slaw. One tip to really add to the flavor, not that it needs any more, is to add some hot sauce to the sandwich. The fries are the perfect style for this sandwich, soft with a strong flavor. The oil and vinegar in the sandwich serves as the perfect complement to the delectable fries. It must be noted that the sandwiches must be consumed quickly, as they fall apart quite easily if you let them out of your grasp. It is also important to get a bit of everything in each bite for the full effect of the sandwich.

Although the Steel City Truck does offer some other options in addition to sandwiches, such as pierogies, you really probably do not need any sides considering your sandwich already includes them! The prices are acceptable, but not great. My sandwich was $9, though you can get a Yinzer, which has single meat and no egg, for $7.

Bread: 6

Fries: 10

Slaw: 8 (Not usually a fan, but if I had to get it, this was up there)

Meat: 7

Egg: 7

Overall Taste: 9.5

Value: 6

November Mix

November Mix

On a non-food related topic, I have posted my new mix for November on Soundcloud. This mix is not one to miss so go download it!

The Breslin - New York, NY

The Breslin

I first saw The Breslin on the show Best Thing I Ever Ate, where someone mentioned it for their remarkable Lamb Burger.  Interest piqued by the great-looking bread, I suggested it to my Dad as a possible place to check out on a recent trip to New York.  Located on 29th Street and being in the area, we decided to stop in for lunch.  It was a Friday afternoon on a weekend that counted Monday as a holiday and the place was filled with people either taking an early weekend or in for a quick lunch.  

Situated in a hotel, The Breslin is probably not the place you want to go with a group of people with widely varying taste palettes as the menu is rather small.  They did have a decent collection of local and craft beers though, making it a place that a beer aficionado can sip one down with the meal.

Knowing our order before arriving, we promptly ordered two Lamb Burgers.  Served on a cutting board, the burger comes out with a side of fries.  At around $16, this burger is not cheap, but one must also consider that the price of lamb is a bit higher than beef.  The bread that the burger comes on is top notch, reflective of a brioche.  The meat in the burger has a great flavor and is nice and juicy.  Unfortunately, where the burger falls down a bit comes in the cheese department.  Although there is nothing wrong with the feta cheese, inspired by the Greeks and their heavy use of feta with lamb, I found it to overpower this burger a little too much.  I would have found a thinner slice to be preferential given the strength of feta.  However, overall the burger was still enjoyable and something I would order again.  As for the fries, they were a treat.  A great blend between crunch and soft potato flavor made these a terrific side dish.

Overall, The Breslin was a solid experience, but given the price, not one to frequent except for rare occasions.  In a city like New York, where restaurants occupy every corner, this is one to try once and then continue the quest for new food.

Burger: 7

Fries: 8

Price: 5

Overall: 7