Best Sandwich in the Universe
Ok, it's the best sandwich in the country, but I'm sometimes prone to hyperbole. As a general rule, the food blogging is done by my lovely and talented wife, but this outing deserves a mention in my too infrequent ramblings.
We went to Vesuvio's in South Philly to sample the Cheesesteak BLT, the sandwich that the Today Show dubbed the best in the land. I was expecting the place to be style over substance, full of trendy whiny Gen X and Y types. Man, was I pleasantly surprised.
Although there is a full restaurant there, we hit the bar. The bar is full of local autographed team jerseys (Jon Runyan does a local radio show there on occasion), and has a great neighborhood pub feel. Micros on draft, well appointed bar, good bartenders, it's the kind of bar there really should be more of in the world.
We started with the calamari appetizer. This had to be the biggest, meatiest squid I've seen. The rings were the size of small onion rings, and they were coated with sourdough pretzel crust instead of the everyday breadcrumbs. Meaty, cooked perfectly, little extra salty goodness, drool, drool.
Then the sandwiches came out. Amazing bread, fillet, crisp bacon, sriracha mayo, provolone, lettuce (I don't do raw tomato). I took the first bite, my eyes widened, and I put the sandwich down.
I've never put a sandwich down to savor it between bites. I've set a couple down, but it was to talk, sip a beverage, or just get a better grip before the continuation of a feeding frenzy. This sandwich deserved, and got better. Every bite was savored, and each was sublime. This sandwich was a reminder of what food can be.
In a world of haughty chefs and pretentious food, this was a revelation. Forgive a bad analogy, but the late Bruce Lee once said "...before I studied the art, a punch was just a punch, a kick was just a kick. When I was studying the art, a punch was no longer just a punch. Now that I understand the art, a punch is really just a punch, a kick is just a kick." Too many foodies are stuck in that middle stage. Overanalysis is all they know, and I cannot help but wonder if they can still find the joy in simple things.
I had a cheesesteak. To anyone who can appreciate life's small wonders, I strongly recommend this one. You'll not be disappointed.
We went to Vesuvio's in South Philly to sample the Cheesesteak BLT, the sandwich that the Today Show dubbed the best in the land. I was expecting the place to be style over substance, full of trendy whiny Gen X and Y types. Man, was I pleasantly surprised.
Although there is a full restaurant there, we hit the bar. The bar is full of local autographed team jerseys (Jon Runyan does a local radio show there on occasion), and has a great neighborhood pub feel. Micros on draft, well appointed bar, good bartenders, it's the kind of bar there really should be more of in the world.
We started with the calamari appetizer. This had to be the biggest, meatiest squid I've seen. The rings were the size of small onion rings, and they were coated with sourdough pretzel crust instead of the everyday breadcrumbs. Meaty, cooked perfectly, little extra salty goodness, drool, drool.
Then the sandwiches came out. Amazing bread, fillet, crisp bacon, sriracha mayo, provolone, lettuce (I don't do raw tomato). I took the first bite, my eyes widened, and I put the sandwich down.
I've never put a sandwich down to savor it between bites. I've set a couple down, but it was to talk, sip a beverage, or just get a better grip before the continuation of a feeding frenzy. This sandwich deserved, and got better. Every bite was savored, and each was sublime. This sandwich was a reminder of what food can be.
In a world of haughty chefs and pretentious food, this was a revelation. Forgive a bad analogy, but the late Bruce Lee once said "...before I studied the art, a punch was just a punch, a kick was just a kick. When I was studying the art, a punch was no longer just a punch. Now that I understand the art, a punch is really just a punch, a kick is just a kick." Too many foodies are stuck in that middle stage. Overanalysis is all they know, and I cannot help but wonder if they can still find the joy in simple things.
I had a cheesesteak. To anyone who can appreciate life's small wonders, I strongly recommend this one. You'll not be disappointed.
posted by PKav at 6:50 PM
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