A taste of home

Confession: I'm not a HUGE cheesesteak fan. I mean, I eat them and I enjoy them, but I don't really crave them, I don't have strong opinions on what people put them on, and (gasp) I usually eat chicken cheesesteaks over beef. Oh, and I never order them like a Philly native. BUT I'm always excited about anything from Philly, so I couldn't wait to try out the South Philly Experience truck. (Follow them on Twitter)

So, yesterday after work, LPR and I headed to Melrose & Curson. The menu is limited, and from what I understand they're having trouble with the fryer so there are no fries. I got an American with (but I totally ordered it as "a cheesesteak with American cheese and onions, please") LPR got a Provolone with.

I really really wanted to love these. Like, love them the way LPR loves Steve's Prince of Steaks (I actually order beef instead of chicken there. They're melt in your mouth amazing)

Alas, South Philly Experience is no Steve's. But they're not bad. They use Amoroso rolls, which is delightful. LPR thought the bread didn't taste fresh, I disagree. My big beef (hahaha) is with the meat. It was way greasy and had a slightly "off" flavor. Not "rotten-off", just....cheap? LPR described it as tasting like a food-truck cheesesteak, which is not at all an insult.

Overall, it did the job. Since I've never been a regular cheesesteak eater, I can't say when I'll return. Perhaps when I get another bout of homesick-ness. Especially because they have Tastycakes!! (and I was so excited to order that I forgot to ask if they had soft pretzels. Looking at the online menu, it would appear that they don't)

Perhaps they'll add a chicken cheesesteak?

Feeling Homesick

One of the things I miss about Philly is the ability to get soft pretzels easily. It's silly, because I didn't eat them that often. There's a chain called The Philly Soft Pretzel Factory that makes giant twist soft pretzels. And in different flavors, like bagels. I love the "everything" That and a cup of soup made for a perfect lunch.

Shortly after moving here, I got a craving for soft pretzels. Having never made a yeast recipe, I scoured the internets for the perfect one, and came upon Alton Brown's. LPR will say I chose this recipe because I have a crush on Mr. Brown. I argue that this recipe had the best reviews.


It wasn't as difficult as I expected, but then, this is what I ended up with:

Once baked, they tasted fine, but still looked funny. In my expert opinion, I would say that they needed more flour, which probably would have made the dough waaaay less sticky and easier to shape. They weren't quite dense enough, which probably would have been corrected with more flour as well.

I will probably try again, but not until it cools down. Did I mention we don't have AC?