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A favorite at McNally’s Tavern in Chestnut Hill for more than 40 years, The Schmitter® is packed with sliced beef, extra cheese, fried onions, tomato, grilled salami and special sauce all onto a flash-broiled Kaiser roll. (Photo by J. Varney for GPTMC)

[This is the latest installment in our ongoing post series "Amuse Bouche Philadelphia," in which we highlight must-try menu items at restaurants and eateries around the city. We're calling the post series "Amuse Bouche" because, like a traditional amuse bouche that you might receive before a meal, these posts are intended to tease and excite your taste buds. Only we'll have to try to do it visually. Hope you enjoy.]

Amuse Bouche is back for 2012 and we’re starting it off by highlighting some of Philadelphia’s most iconic foods. Next up is the uniquely delicious Schmitter® Sandwich from McNally’s Tavern in Chestnut Hill. (So good, in fact, it has actually been copyrighted.)

McNally’s is a Chestnut Hill landmark, however it’s one without a big sign. Instead, there’s just a small plaque on the door and a green flag hanging above. But locals know how to find it just fine — it’s been located here near the top of Germantown Avenue for more than 80 years.

McNally’s, of course, is famous for its signature sandwich, the Schmitter®, which is a variation of Philadelphia’s famous cheesesteak sandwich. The Schmitter® includes the traditional grilled steak, fried onions and melted cheese but adds grilled salami, grilled tomatoes and a special sauce and comes on a toasted Kaiser roll instead of a long hoagie roll.

While the combination might sound strange, it’s famous for a reason — it’s frighteningly delicious. Go ahead and put it on your Philadelphia bucket list.

McNally’s Tavern
8634 Germantown Avenue
www.mcnallystavern.com

Boom. Amuse Bouche is back for 2012 and we're kicking it off by highlighting some of Philadelphia's most iconic foods. First up, the world famous Philly cheesesteak. (Photo by J. Varney for GPTMC)

[This is the latest installment in our post series "Amuse Bouche Philadelphia," in which we highlight must-try menu items at restaurants and eateries around the city. We're calling the post series "Amuse Bouche" because, like a traditional amuse bouche that you might receive before a meal, these posts are intended to tease and excite your taste buds. Only we'll have to try to do it visually. Hope you enjoy.]

Here in Philadelphia, cheesesteaks are a civic icon, a tourist draw and a cultural obsession. Often imitated around the world, the cheesesteak is rarely duplicated successfully outside of Philadelphia.

Why? Let’s call it “precision sandwich engineering.” Everyone agrees that an authentic Philadelphia cheesesteak, first introduced by Pat Olivieri in 1930, requires thinly sliced ribeye beef and a somewhat soft/somewhat crusty long roll, but the choice between provolone, American and Cheez Whiz is a matter of great debate, as is the best place to eat the famed sandwich.

The good news is that no matter if it’s your first cheesesteak or your 101st, each bite is always worth savoring.

Pictured here is a steak topped with Cheez Whiz and onions — known as a “Whiz Wit” to locals — from one of the most famous cheesesteak shops in town, the incomparable Tony Luke’s in South Philly.

Go ahead and treat yourself to one. You won’t regret it.

Authentic Philly Cheesesteaks [Visit Philly]

The steaks are high at this culinary showdown, and you get to taste the competition. (Photo courtesy Square 1682)

To mark its second anniversary, Square 1682 at the Hotel Palomar will host the “Cheesesteak Challenge: High Steaks” (get it?) block party on Sunday, October 16 from 3–5 p.m. benefiting Philadelphia Academies.

To pay homage to one of Philadelphia’s signature sandwiches, top local chefs will share their own renditions. The winner will receive a Cheesesteak Challenge trophy, plus bragging rights for the year.

Participating chefs include: Chef Guillermo Tellez, Square 1682; Chef Peter Woolsey, Bistro La Minette; Chef Mike Stollenwerk, Fish; Chef Daniel Stern, R2L; Chef Marcie Turney, Barbuzzo’s; Chef Townsend Wentz, McCrossen’s Tavern; Chef Konstantinos Pitsillides, Kanella; Chef Nick Farina, Verdad; David Boyle, Davio’s; Brian Turowski, Jackson 20 (Alexandria, VA) and Lynn Rinaldi, Paradiso.

Sandwiches will be judged by a panel of experts, including WMMR’s Matt Cord, City Hall’s Melanie Johnson, Thrillist Editor Nick Hamner, GPTMC President Meryl Levitz and cheesesteak expert Frank Oliveri Jr. (of Pat’s King of Steaks).

For an admission fee of $20, 100% of which will benefit The Philadelphia Academies (a charity dedicated to Philly public school students), 300 guests can watch the chefs compete and sample their cheesesteaks. Beer will also be on sale from Victory.

Tickets are available online. Let the chow-down begin.

Square 1682’s Cheesesteak Challenge: High Steaks
When: Sunday, October 16, 3–5 p.m. (rain or shine)
Where: Block party on Sansom Street between 16th & 17th Streets
Cost: $20 (includes samples of all cheesesteaks)
More info: www.square1682.com

 
So The Roots drummer Questlove is continuing his push into the food world with a new specialty roll at Zama, the awesome Japanese restaurant on Rittenhouse Square.

Questlove has teamed up with Chef Zama to create a delicious new specialty sushi roll to be featured on Zama’s regular menu.

Ever the Philly ambassador, Questlove decided to go with a roll that would promote Philadelphia.

The “Drum Roll,” also known as the Questlove Roll and the Cheesesteak Roll, is a Japanese take on a classic Philly cheesesteak. The roll is made with premium Japanese Wagyu beef, provolone cheese and sautéed onions, plus a little spicy mayo, all rolled in a red pepper flaked soy paper and served with horseradish aioli. It even comes with a cherry pepper on the side.

Check out the above video to see Questlove in action behind the sushi bar with Chef Zama as they prepare Questlove’s specialty roll.

The Questlove Roll will be available on the menu at Zama beginning next week. $1 from each sale of the roll will go toward Harlem Village Academies, Questlove’s chosen charity.

This is latest in a series of Celebrity Rolls at Zama that already include entries by Marc Vetri, Pierre Calmels of Bibou, and Tony Luke.

Zama Restaurant
128 S. 19th Street
www.zamarestaurant.com

Cheesesteaks, barbecue and Crab Fries – Oh My! The food at Citizens Bank Park is award-winning, and deservedly so.
(Clockwise from top: G. Widman for GPTMC, R. Kennedy for GPTMC, B. Krist for GPTMC)

We’re just nine, that’s right, nine short days away from Opening Day at Citizens Bank Park, so it’s time to start getting excited about what’s new at the ballpark this season.

We’ve already mentioned the giant new HD jumbotron — 7,372 square feet large to be exact, the largest in the National League — that has been installed for the new season.

We also tipped you off about the “At the Ballpark” feature in the MLB At-Bat app that lets you order ballpark food through your iPhone and have it delivered directly to your seat, which debuted with a test run at the end of last season. It was a success, so the ordering-food-from-your-seat component of the At-Bat 2011 app will be in full operation at CBP this season.

And today, the Phillies released what else is new at the ballpark for 2011. Here’s a rundown on some brand new concessions being offered:

• The Return of Tastykakes: After not being available at the Phillies’ stadiums for years due to melting issues, Aramark is bringing back Tastykakes to Phillies games complete with a custom cooler to keep them chilled on hot summer days at select concessions. Chocolate Cupcakes, Butterscotch Krimpets and Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes will be available at South Philadelphia Market stands (behind Sections 106, 177, 128, 206, 318 and 323) and Hall of Fame and Diamond Clubs. Sugar-Free Tastykakes available at Philly Fresh (behind Section 139; see below).

• A New Philly Fresh stand: This new stand will be located behind Section 139 in Left Field and feature healthier menu options than the ballpark standards (not that there’s anything wrong with crab fries, cheesesteaks, BBQ and the like…).

Fare at the new Philly Fresh concession will include the Hall of Fame Salad (mixed greens, red grapes, pistachios, dried cranberries, blue cheese, balsamic vinaigrette); Shanghai Chicken Salad (grilled chicken breast, mixed greens, crispy Asian-style noodles, carrots, scallions, low-fat ginger soy dressing); trail mix; whole-grain pretzels; strawberry banana and mango smoothies; low-fat yogurt and berry parfait; hummus dip with pita crisps; carrots and celery with low-fat ranch dressing; Go-Gurt yogurt and sugar-free Tastykakes.

Below, we have info on a few more tasty additions.

(more…)

 
Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro were on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Friday night to promote their new movie Limitless, some of which was filmed here in Philadelphia last year.

During the interview with Fallon, they talk about filming some of the movie here and how Bradley Cooper is from Philadelphia, which made him really want to impress Robert De Niro with a great Philly Cheesesteak while they were in Philadelphia.

Said Cooper: “I was more concerned with impressing Bob [De Niro] with the food of Philly, I think, than with the movie.”

And then the cheesesteak debate began. Jimmy Fallon jumps in with his (and supposedly Tina Fey’s) favorite cheesesteak, and Questlove jumps in with his favorite cheesesteak, before Bradley Cooper reveals that he’s a Pat’s supporter and he had them deliver a bunch of cheesesteaks to the set while they were filming here.

So here’s the favorite cheesesteak tally:

Jimmy Fallon (and Tina Fey by hearsay): Jim’s
Questlove: Tony Luke’s
Bradley Cooper: Pat’s
Robert De Niro: Undecided

Check out the video clip above. The cheesesteak discussion begins around 3:30.

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon – Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper [Official Site]

Remember the extreme food challenges we rounded up recently? From two-foot cheesesteaks to 11-patty burgers, there’s an audacious eating extravaganza for every palate in Philadelphia.

Now you can challenge yourself to some mobile gullet-stuffing with the Junk Food Tour, a historical and cultural food-based insider look at all of Philadelphia from Manayunk to the Sports Complex, the Italian Market, South Street, the Universities, the Zoo; everything river to river.

Along the five-hour way, you’ll be in and out of a first-class luxury motor coach to sample the city’s gustatory classics: think sweet sausages with roasted peppers and onions; succulent roast pork and brisket; hoagies of every sort made with the finest capicola, Italian ham, turkey, salami and prosciutto; and cheesesteaks, plus so much more. Unlimited free soft drinks, juices and water are included with your ticket.

The hosts are entertaining and informative, and they leave you with a free eco-friendly tote bag to take home any unfinished items along with additional edible surprises.

Adults are $125, seniors $115 (63+) and teens $115 (12-17). Tickets are available online.

The Junk Food Tour [Official Site]

It's time for some gastronomic feats of strength.
(Credit: iStockPhoto)

Remember the 5-Pound Philly Challenge at Jake’s Sandwich Board that we recently mentioned?

Turns out there’s a lot more where that came from, at places all around the Philadelphia area.

Looking to pack on some pounds? Want to substantiate your Philadelphia pride? Just trying to stare in amazement at the incredibly brave souls who would endeavor such gustatory extremes? Whatever your reason, we won’t judge.

Here’s our list of the best and boldest of the extreme eating food challenges that you can find in and around Philadelphia. Do enjoy.

• Delicatessen: Now through next Wednesday, January 19th, the restaurant is running a competition to see who can complete their newly introduced “Big Macher,” a 24 oz. beast of a pastrami sandwich, in under 15 minutes. The current record is just over 7 minutes. The top six finalists will be invited to compete the following day, Thursday, January 20th, to finish the 48 oz. “Maccabee.” The winner gets a catered pastrami party for 25, and hopefully not coronary artery disease.

• Joey’s Famous Philly Cheesesteaks: The Ultimate Death By Cheesesteak Challenge, soon to be featured on Food Network’s Outrageous Foods, consists of a two-foot cheesesteak loaded with mushrooms, sweet peppers and fried onions. Complete it? You get your picture on the “Wall of Death.”

• The BRGR Joint: Order the “OMG BRGR” and answer “How high do you wanna go?” in stacked hamburger patties. You can pile up to 11. Good luck getting a mouthful of that.

• Tony Luke’s: Remember the “Ultimate Philly Cheesesteak” featured on the Travel Channel’s Man v. Food in September 2009? It’s still around, and you can try it yourself. For $43, you get a 20-inch bun covered with six heaping piles of steak and cheese, and topped with a half-pound of fried onions, for a total weight of about five pounds.

We’ve got nine more below, including a five-pound burrito, a Shame Burger and a sandwich known simply as “The Annihilator.” (more…)

(Image courtesy Tony Luke's)

This past weekend, Tony Luke opened a branch of his eponymous cheesesteak shop, Tony Luke’s, in Bahrain in the Middle East.

CNN caught up with the man and he had some pretty nice things to say:

The Cheesesteak IS Philadelphia. It is one of our most prized possessions. We love it. We represent it no matter what. We love our cheesesteak just as much as we love our sports teams and that’s a lot. [...] And I’m happy that we get to share the cheesesteak around the world now.

I’m a Philly guy through and through. I love this city; I’ve always loved this city. And to be able to not only share one of my favorite foods with the rest of the world, but to share the city that I’ve grown to love more than anything and grew up in… to be able to share that too to different cultures around the world… I feel like the luckiest guy in the world.

Congrats to Tony Luke’s on the international expansion. Sounds like Philadelphia has a great new ambassador.

Check out the full article and video on CNN. And check out some of Tony’s tweets from Bahrain.

Get Your Philly Cheesesteak On – In Bahrain [CNN.com]

Square 1682 is turning one! (Photo courtesy Hotel Palomar)

Square 1682 at the Hotel Palomar is celebrating its one year anniversary with a high “steaks” cheesesteak competition and block party on Sunday, October 17.

Ten local chefs will face off to see whose cheesesteak interpretation is superior. Among the chefs competing: David Boyle from Davio’s; Matthew Levine from Adsum; Brinn Sinnott from Noble; Mike Stollenwerk from Fish; Peter Woolsey from Bistrot La Minette; and, of course, Guillermo Tellez from Square 1682.

The cheesesteak sandwiches created will then be judged by a panel of local experts, including Tony Luke of Tony Luke’s.

Victory Brewing Company will be on hand providing the beverages.

Tickets are $20 and will get you samples of the various cheeseteak interpretations as well as plenty of Victory beer. The event runs from 3-5 pm, which should make it a very nice prelude to Game 2 of NLCS.

Proceeds from ticket sales benefit The Philadelphia Academies, a charity dedicated to expanding life and economic options for Philadelphia public school students through career-focused programming, preparing them for employment and post-secondary education.

Square 1682 [Official Site]