Getting back to "Philly and Food", I had my very first Philly cheesesteak sandwich at the Phillies' new Citizens Bank ballpark the other night. The line must have been 30 minutes long. Met some great Phillies and Mets fans in line. The cheesesteak was OK.

when this thread began, the initial poster asked about crabs/seafood. A visit to Philadelphia isn't really complete without a visit to Chickie's and Petes. Two words, Crab Fries. If you're in Center City or going to a game, there's a new location at 15th & Packer. Thats a tough one, cause its in the same shopping centre with a place that offers one of the finest pizza I have eaten at Celebre's.

Also, it wouldn't be a Philadelphia visit without a visit to a WAWA wouldn't it.

Man!! CELEBRE'S!! You got my eyes tearing up. I was weaned on their pizzas when I was growing up -- esp on Fridays (Good Catholic family, no meat, so pizza-time!). Glad to see it is still around and going strong.

I also recommend Pat's. I like the Wiz wit! ^

I knew you were an FTer who could appreciate the appeal of a good cheesesteak outdoors in South Philly. ^ We're doing a cheesesteak run in a few weeks. We might even catch a Phillies game so we can experience their new ballpark.

I had the most incredible, unforgettable crab cake of my life last January at Le Bec Fin. I ate downstairs at the bar, where you don't need a reservation and it's more casual. NOT to be missed.

For you Phillie nuts, there is great news: Josh Wilde, perhaps the man I most admire in the entire world, has written a satire which takes place in Philadelphia.

To see it (this week only) got to www.got2bet.com and look for the "Wilde is the Joker" feature.

I'm getting in late on this thread - over a year late it seems.

Thai - Lemon Grass @ 3630 Lancaster Ave in the University City area. Yum!
Cheesesteak - Dalessandro's Steaks @ 600 Wendover Ave in Roxborough. If you can't make it out there, then Jim's Steaks on South St. wins. I agree w/ those who suggest Tony Luke's. Gotta try the Veal Parm.

Dovster, aren't cheesteaks verboten in Ha'aretz?

P.S. Live 8 was great!

Sadly, I must confess that I have never seen one here -- although cheeseburgers are available at McDonald's and a few other places.

I have also never seen snapper soup in Israel.

We are sadly deficient in these two areas.

I remember when I was young and naieve and visited Israel. I had a craving for a Big Mac. So, I ordered one in the Can'yon in Haifa. They asked me if I wanted cheese on it. I said yes. They also asked if I wanted it on the side. I said no.

I don't think you want a restaurant in Israel making cheesesteaks. They would find a way to make it kosher and taste bad.

Somehow I missed this thread, maybe because there was no hockey season this year. I regularly use the Flyer's games as an excuse to get to Philly and to Tony Luke's before going in to whatever they call the rink as one bank buys the other.

I like the cheesesteak, but the specialty at TLs, found nowhere else that I have been (you will definitely not find it in Israel), is the Pork Italian. This sandwich is on the same steak roll but is composed of pork that has been cooked in broth, broccoli rabe, and the sharp provolone that PHLbuddy mentions above.

And all take note of the fact that there can be no truly successful imitations of Philly sandwiches anywhere because for some reason (maybe it's the water}, a comparable steak roll has never been produced anywhere else except in Atlantic City.

On another note.At the bottom of Josh's column, I notice that he, just like the Dovster, has a UIG (Used Italian Girlfriend). I wonder whether Josh's UIG is acquainted with Dovster's.

For some reason, this is why New Yorkers believe their pizza is the best. The water. Hudson River water is good? Then again, the city of Philly uses water from the Delaware River and the Schuylkill River (I get mine from the Schuylkill). As a native South Floridian now living in Philly for the past few years, I can attest that the hoagie rolls are much better here than anything produced outside of Philly and the Delaware Valley. Even the pizza is pretty good too. Check out Lorenzo's and Sons on South St. for the best pizza in Philadelphia.

As a further coincidence, both Josh's ex and mine share the same name: Dementia.

That is because Philly's Italian bakeries have not been corrupted (as have all too many in New York). They make their bread closer to the original Italian style.

Phillly cheesesteaks, themselves, are the best in the world because they are sold off of the backs of trucks parked near street corners. Cheesesteaks sold in restaurants, even in Philaelphia, are a poor second at best.

I would respectfully dissent on Lorenzo's. While I find them fulfilling after a night of excess libation, those in the know choose Tacconelli's, located in the "rustic" North Philadelphia neighborhood of Port Richmond. One can BYO salad, wine/beer. You must call early in the week to reserve your dough in advance.

Lombardi's on 18/Walnut has recently closed and is a big loss.