This summer, City Cast Philly podcast host Trenae Nuri is going on a journey through Philly’s vast world of cheesesteaks.
Like it or not, the iconic sandwich is a significant part of Philly culture … and as you probably know, there are a lot of different opinions as to which ones are worth their salt (and calories). So, Trenae is going to try to be as methodical as possible with her challenge: She’ll visit as many shops as she can, order the same type of cheesesteak at each one, and decide how well they measure up to her list of criteria.
And, she’ll be keeping us updated on her experiences throughout the process, from her interactions with other cheesesteak consumers, to how she’s feeling (physically) about eating soooo much red meat.
Trenae’s Rubric
Trenae tapped two experts to help develop her criteria for this quest: Dave Wez, food contributor and creator of Feeding Time TV, and Carolyn Wyman, author of “The Great Philly Cheesesteak Book.”
Here are the elements that Trenae will be taking into consideration:
- 🍞 Bread/Roll: Is it soggy, too hard, or just right?
- 🥩 Meat: For this challenge, it’ll be beef only.
- 🧀 Cheese: To keep things consistent, Trenae is ordering her steaks with American cheese only — the classic option, according to Wyman.
- 🧅 Grilled Onions: You can choose to take them or leave them; Trenae has decided to take them at each shop that offers them.
- 🫙 Condiments: Trenae is eating these sandwiches without any condiments or add-ons (like peppers). She will be considering, though, if the steak seems to need those additions to succeed.
- 👍🏾 Vibes of the Business: Are the workers friendly, welcoming, helpful, etc.?
- ✅ Ease of Order: For example, do you have to go to different windows to order different menu items?
- ✨ X Factors: Is there anything else that makes the shop stand out?
Trenae tries Dave Wez’s favorite cheesesteak, John’s Roast Pork. (Courtesy of Trenae Nuri)
Where To Begin?
Wyman’s recommendation: Pat’s King of Steaks in the Italian Market. “I'm not saying it's the best, but I'm saying that that's where it all started,” Wyman said. “And so you have to bow your knee to the creator, I think.”
Wez’s rec: John’s Roast Pork in South Philly, “my favorite cheesesteak I’ve ever had.”
How It’s Been Going
Hear it from Trenae herself!
- How it feels to kick off this challenge as a Philadelphian
- What’s surprised her most
- How she’s been surviving eating so much red meat
- All about cheese
- The X factors she’s noticed
You can follow along with Trenae’s journey every other Tuesday on the City Cast Philly podcast, during our Great Summer Cheesesteak Quest segments sponsored by Tecovas. Stay tuned for a full week of cheesesteak content next week!
🧀 Which cheesesteak spot does Trenae absolutely have to try, in your opinion? Send us an email and let us know! Or, give us a call and leave a voice message at (215) 259-8170.
This article was originally published on July 15. We have since added further cheesesteak quest updates.
