October is Dining Month on OnMilwaukee.com. All month, we're stuffed with restaurant reviews, special features, chef profiles and unique articles on everything food. Bon appetit!
I wonder if people in Philadelphia and South Jersey are craving bratwurst this week, because all this talk about the Brewers playing the Phillies has me hankering for a big, messy cheesesteak.
People in Philly are passionate about cheesesteaks. Legend has it that Pat and Harry Olivieri created the sandwich -- chopped-up steak on a hoagie roll -- near South Philadelphia's Italian Market in about 1930. Pat Olivieri opened Pats King of Steaks in 1930.
Geno's Steaks, which is located directly across the street from Pat's, added cheese to the sandwiches. Today, Philly's cheesesteak connoisseurs must decide between American, provolone, mozzarella and Cheese Whiz.
I've been to Pat's and Geno's over the years, and both make a fine sandwich (though I never really developed a preference).
If you're feeling a craving today, there are a couple places you can get a decent cheesesteak in Milwaukee.
The Philly Way, 405 S. 2nd St., has been serving them up since late in 2002. Owner Dave London, a native of Philadelphia, gained national attention by offering customers a free sandwich and fries if they guessed the final score of the Packers-Eagles playoff game in 2003.
This time around, London is offering a free cheesesteak a day for one year to the person who comes closest to guessing the total runs scored in the Brewers-Phillies series (without going over).
London told us that he soon will open a location at 222 W. Wells St., a space that previously housed Wingz. The grilling should begin in late October.
Chubby's Cheesesteaks, 2232 N. Oakland Ave., a favorite late-night stop for North Avenue bar patrons, offers up tasty sandwiches on rolls baked daily by Peter Sciortino's Bakery.
Know of any other good places for ‘steaks?
Host of “The Drew Olson Show,” which airs 1-3 p.m. weekdays on The Big 902. Sidekick on “The Mike Heller Show,” airing weekdays on The Big 920 and a statewide network including stations in Madison, Appleton and Wausau. Co-author of Bill Schroeder’s “If These Walls Could Talk: Milwaukee Brewers” on Triumph Books. Co-host of “Big 12 Sports Saturday,” which airs Saturdays during football season on WISN-12. Former senior editor at OnMilwaukee.com. Former reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
