Eat, Play, Run

Pike Place Market: I Love NY Deli

If you're going to blow your diet, go big, right?

There are five foods I grew to love while living in New York:

1. Hamburgers-- Lunchbox Lab and Red Mill can quench my desire

2. Ramen-- Thankfully I live a couple of blocks from Samurai Noodle

3. Lobster Rolls-- From what I can tell, they don't exist here in Seattle

4. Cupcakes-- Cupcake Royale and Trophy are both excellent

5. Pastrami Reubens-- Here is where I had big problems... until today

The I Love New York Deli, a tiny stand, next to that mini-donut place in the market, just made me, uh, take a break from my diet. As I walked past, I saw the woman making a corned beef reuben. It actually looked like a sandwich you could find in NY: big, sloppy, delicious. I HAD to have one.

I ordered the Pastrami Reuben and waited for it to be built. The wait was definitely worth it. The light rye bread was nice and the pastrami and kraut were piled high. The Swiss cheese was melted perfectly, the Russian sauce delightful. I could only half the sandwich, but man it was good.

Add to the sandwich, Wise potato chips, found everywhere in the northeast, and for 15 minutes, I felt like I was back in New York. At $10.95 for the sandwich, even the price felt like New York.

Central District: The Original Philly's

I have been jonesing for Philly cheesesteak for, oh, I don't know, about nine months, or as long as I've been in Seattle. See my original post on my grand Philadelphia experiment.

The other day, while meeting some friends in Columbia City, I passed a little shop called The Original Philly's. I was determined to get there this weekend.

There isn't much ambiance to the place, nor would I expect it. What I wanted though, was a greasy, fatty, great cheesesteak. That's not exactly what I got... but it's not necessarily a bad thing.

The cheesesteak at Original Philly's is great in it's own way. The steak they use is excellent. They also subtly mix in the cheese and onions. Combined, it makes for a fantastic sandwich. But, when I eat a cheesesteak, I prefer greasy slop running down my chin. This sandwich is actually a little too clean, a little too "healthy". Still, it's a really good sandwich, and as it's only a five minute drive my apartment, I'll add to my 'visit often' rotation.

Oh, the fries. Crinkly fries, cooked perfectly. I like the way they pepper them. Very good.

Philly's Best: Pat's Cheesesteaks

Last summer, I pulled off something they said could not be done. I downed two foot-long Philly cheesesteaks in one sitting.

I was determined to choose, once and for all, which iconic Philadelphia cheesesteak stand, Pat's or Geno's, served up the best sandwich. If you're not familiar with them, they are literally across the street from each other.

In the end, I enjoyed Pat's sandwich much more. The meat and bread were simply of higher quality. Geno's, while good, is really more of a tourist trap.

When in the City of Brotherly Love, swing by Pat's. You won't be disappointed. You may have a heart attack, but at least you'll go out with a smile.

(For those of you who read my now defunct blog, this stuff is old... though presented differently. Again, I'm stalling until my domain issue gets cleared up. Once I'm up for real, I'll start in with new posts.)