Philadelphia, home of the Liberty Bell, the Phillies, and most importantly, the cheesesteak. However, as a tourist, one may automatically go to Pat's and Geno's to try their luck. While I must admit, being in Philly it is great to see all of the great landmarks, including the cheesesteak rivals, as a Philly girl born and raised, I think it's important to share knowledge of where the REAL steaks (as well as other great eateries) are found within the city. So grab your forks and let your mouth water as we take a trip to some of the tastiest (and most affordable) restaurants in town!
PIZZA AND OTHER ITALIAN SPECIALTIES - MARRA'S
OTHER ITALIAN EATERIES - ZACCONE'S and PAISIANO'S
SNACKS - PHILLY SOFT PRETZEL FACTORY and ESPOSITO'S ITALIAN ICES
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CHEESESTEAKS - CHINKS
Most people come to Philly in search of 3 things - soft pretzels, hoagies, and of course a cheesesteak. Tourists may stand in line at Geno's AND Pat's, buying a little from each and having a taste test, but skip the tourist trap and head to Northeast Philly for what really could be the best steak in Philly. When you get there, you may expect another flashy store like Geno's, but instead will find a hole-in-the-wall on Torresdale called Chink's (don't be offended, that really is the name of the place!). It's meager appearance, Chink's has the feel of an old shop - probably because it is as old as it is and still in the original building. There is a great, neighborhood feel rather than the overwhelmed tourist feel (personally, when I go to new places, I prefer where to find the neighborhood joints and see what REALLY goes on). Chink's steaks is exactly that - the best cheesesteak - wit or witout - in the city that I have tasted! You have a choice of American, provolone, or swiss (I know, no Whiz, but it really is worth it!) Wash it down with a delicious, thick and frothy shake, which I also find to be one of the best shakes I've ever had! And they serve flavors other than chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry - how about a creamsicle? Unfortunately, you won't be able to et a side of fries, but the size of the steak and the thickness of the shake should be enough to fill even the hungriest person - tourist or native!
If you happen to be in South Philly driving down the crooked Passyunk Avenue, your mouth may begin to water from the smell of a local pizza place, a little place known as Marra's. As not only a Philadelphian, but as an Italian American, I am basically a pizza fanatic, and have tried a good variety of pies within Philly as well as other areas (including the homeland of pizza, Italy). Though there are quite a number of great places to grab a pizza in Philadelphia, I have to say that Marra's is hands-down the best in the city! In addition to pizza, they serve other Italian faves such as chicken parm, lasagna, antipasto, escarole soup (Italian Wedding Soup), mussels and linguini (either red or white) as well as a large variety of other mouth-watering creations. Marra's is also fair in price and a good place to go, whether on a date or with the family. My only complaints are: A) they are closed on Mondays, and B) it is a small, cramped space, especially when busy. However, that is no reason not to visit! So, next time you are hungry and in South Philly (or just feel like taking a drive), make sure that you find Marra's (as long as it is not on a Monday!).
In this melting-pot of a city, there are many varieties of eateries to find; however, let's face it, it is easy to go back to Italian! In Northeast Philadelphia, there happen to be not just one but two home-style Italian restaraunts: Zaccone's and Pasiano's.
Zaccone's is a tiny place located on Cottman Avenue. In fact, it is so small that driving by one may miss it. However, as we all know size isn't everything. Inside this tiny block of a building is nothing but homemade Italian food. In fact, as a guest you can see the pots boiling and cooking from your seat! Imagine having a huge group of Italian grandmother's just constantly cooking for you - the only difference is that here you will have to pay for it.
Paisiano's is a newer place located in the Tacony section of the city. It has only been open since October of 2008 and already has a phenomenal reputation! It is a small yet nice space in a main part of the neighborhood, and is visited by those who live in Tacony as well as those who do not. Since it has been open, I have already been there twice and highly recommend it. Prices are fair but a little high, but the food is absoltuely wonderful! For an every now and then type of place, it is perfect! It is an everday place with a touch of class, and perfect for the small, Italian neighborhood.
During the summer, there is nothing like a soft pretzel accompanied by your favorite flavor of icy cool water ice - and Philly is the only city that TRULY knows of this luxury! While it is possible to get a pretzel and water ice from the same stand, it really is hard to beat the pretzels at the factory as well as the Italian ice from Esposito's.
At the Philly Pretzel Factory, located on Frankford Avenue (right in the middle of the bar scene), one can get a variety of delicious snacks, from a warm, fresh baked pretzel, to cinnamon-sugar pretzel nuggets, to pretzel dogs. The factory is open extremely late, so if you happen to be having a late night and randomly get hungry, the factory will more than likely be able to satisfy your craving.
While many water ice stands in the city are great, Esposito's holds a special place in my heart, the place where I had my first water ice ever. It is a small stand found in Tacony, located on Torresdale Avenue, and has homemade ices. Though their flavors are very basic, there is a better taste just due to the fact that they are not a chain. If you can't decide between water ice and custard, simply ask for a radio ball (lots of other places call them gelato, although gelato is actually a totally different thing). So take a walk through the neighborhood on one of those nice days - you can get from one place to the other in about ten minutes or less - and dip your factory pretzel into a homemade Italian water ice!
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