Go through Jersey to get to Philly
| Wednesday, Jul 22 2009 05:00 PM
Last Updated Wednesday, Jul 22 2009 05:00 PM
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4715 Coffee Road
588-2711
Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.
Prices: Wraps $6.75, soup and salad $2.75-$6.50, cold subs $4.90-$10.75, hot subs $7.25-$11.25.
Payment Options: MasterCard, VISA, American Express, Discover accepted. Does not accept personal checks.
Dress: Casual.
Amenities: Wheelchair accessible; no alcohol served; some vegetarian options.
Web site: www.jerseymikes.com/
Food: HHH1/2
Atmosphere: HHH
Service: HHH
Next week: Camino Real
I still have trouble letting go of Philadelli's, the late, great steak sandwich restaurant on Ming Avenue.
The staff there made a sandwich that was even better than what you find in the city of Brotherly Love (those folks use Cheez Whiz! Yuck!)
If there is justice in this world, the owners will resurface somewhere eventually. And what makes it even worse is that since that restaurant's demise I've tried so many other Philly cheesesteak sandwiches and found them all wanting, lacking the pure beefy taste of what I remember from Philadelli's.
Until now, and wouldn't you know it would be something of a neighbor (New Jersey, right near Philadelphia). Jersey Mike's Subs, a chain with more than 300 restaurants nationwide, has opened in the Rosedale area, on Coffee near the intersection with Hageman, and they have a couple of cheesesteaks that I think make it worth a visit. I ordered the Famous Philly ($7.50, or $10.75 for the giant), and was wowed. Of course Jersey Mike's makes its bread fresh daily, virtually a competitive requirement since Subway and others became bakers. One difference they tout in their ads is that the beef used in the sandwiches is top round cooked on the premises.
Maybe that was a key part of the sandwich's charm, but it could also be the thin strips of onions, red and green peppers that were cooked until soft and mixed in with the beef and provolone cheese. Especially the red peppers. I hadn't seen that before, and it added a captivating flavor. I will definitely be back for this cheesesteak, though next time I may choose the Chipotle Cheesesteak (flavored with chipotle mayo) or the Big Kahuna, which includes mushrooms, jalapenos and extra cheese ($7.75/$11.25).
I wish I could rave about the rest of what we sampled, but it just wasn't as special. My companions selected the Baja chicken wrap ($6.75) and the meatball and cheese ($7.25), and they were merely OK. The wrap was made with white American cheese (why?), salsa, jalapeno peppers and grilled sliced chicken breast. There was little mingling of flavors, and it struck me as something you might find in a department store cafeteria.
The meatballs in my companion's sandwich were soft and fairly garlicky, but I had recently had a meatball sandwich at Caesar's in Rosedale, where everything seemed so homemade that it suffered in comparison. This version was merely average, and not exceptional like the Philly cheesesteak.
We'll be back to try the grilled veggie wrap ($6.75, made with grilled onions and peppers, Swiss and provolone cheeses, lettuce tomato and ranch dressing) and the "Famous Roast Beef and provolone" ($5.75), to see if it's as good as the Philly cheesesteak.
The restaurant's interior is small and not much to write home about. There's a cool posting on the wall explaining the chain's original restaurant, which opened in 1956.
I do have to give the young staff some credit for their knowledge of the menu and the customer interaction I overheard. They seemed obviously well-versed on the menu and were able to make recommendations after talking to people about their likes and dislikes. That's one way Jersey Mike's Subs can stand out in what is an ultra competitive niche of the restaurant industry.
