Sunday, November 22, 2009

Pat's Vs. Geno's. Simple Choice.



Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Home of Jimmy Rollins, a cracked bell, the neighborhood surrounding Temple. Doesn't seem to have a lot going for it... Until you travel down 9th street and see Vegas lights erupting into the sky. A beacon of freedom? No. Dueling cheesesteaks with a sad, empty BBQ joint in between. And after you delve into the world of cheesesteaks, you quickly remember Rocky, South Street, and the fictional character "Master William," otherwise known as the Fresh Prince.

Geno's has a giant picture of a cheesesteak lit up against the night sky. It also has neon signs everywhere. Think Old Vegas--dirty, excessively tacky, and has the unique ability to cause your superego to go NOOOOO! Stay away!!!! Plus, I've eaten here. The bread is good, but a cheesesteak requires more than just bread.

Pat's is simple, white, and not glowing mutant cheese whiz yellow. 'Nough said.

The procedure is simple enough. You stand on-line for a long time. You get closer. You see there's a menu. You ignore the menu. (Think about those credit card commercials where everyone is using their card and then someone wants to pay in cash and everything squeaks to a halt. It's like that.) You step up to the first window. You say "Wiz wit" Which translates to cheesewhiz and onions (trust me, I'm the first person to state that cheese from a giant can is wrong, but for some reason, on a cheesesteak in Philly, it transcends morality.) Then you step to the next window and order a Mountain Dew. This is important. The Mountain Dew on tap might just be the best Mountain Dew on tap in all of America. Add fries (with whiz, obviously), if you're feeling risky... if you think your left arm won't go numb anytime soon, basically. Then sit at one of the picnic benches (regardless of the temperature outside), pick up some cherry peppers and ketchup, and take that first incredibly bite of diced onion, seasoned beef, and creamy cheese on Italian bread. Don't be afraid to get the cheese all over your mouth--they also supply napkins.

1 comment:

  1. boo, I like Geno's better. It's just sooo good. Plus, they have the sign that says, "This is America: Please speak English"

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