Greetings readers! I hope that you had a fantastic weekend....I know I did! This blog is a follow-up to a post on
August 7, 2011, entitled
" Cheesesteak...yum!" regarding my discovery of a cheesesteak eatery in Stone Mountain, GA, called
Weeyums Philly Style. In the post I mentioned I had yet to have a "real" cheesesteak from Philly, well this weekend I finally had the opportunity to have one hot off the grill from none other than
Max's Steaks in Philadelphia, PA!
If you have ever watched the Food Network or know anyone from Philly ( or who have been there) they all have their own favorite spot that they frequent. Food Network declared Pat's and Geno's as having some of the best cheesesteak sandwiches in Philly, but according to some locals Max's is the best....and I went to find out.
Over the past month I have had the pleasure of living in and exploring Washington, D.C. . In doing so, I did not realize that Philly was just a 2 hr train ride away and needless to say I took my first train ride on Amtrak.....which was different, relaxing, cheaper than a flight and a lot freer ( that is a whole nother blog). Anyway, once I arrive in "the city of brotherly love" I found what I was looking for and I felt the love.
To describe Max's is best by describing the location, which is in the "gutter" part of town as the natives say. This part of town is known by some as Germantown and is no way deemed a "tourist" location. However, there were a few who dared to venture to Germantown from the likes of D.C., LA and Atlantic City, and they were all waiting to get a taste of the greatness. Max's is my type of place because it has character, not only in the location but also in the staff that works in there. The friendly cook was the highlight of my experience after he found out that this was my first. He declared " you are family and I am going to take care of you" and that he did. So, as I waited in line as the lady from D.C. ordered 7 steaks to go, I was amazed at the level of care taken as they packed and marked the steaks "to travel" as they say.
So, when my time finally came, I placed my order for a large steak with only mayo and cheese and proceeded to take my experience to the trunk of the car.....because there was no seating, again! As you can see from the picture below, this thing was huge ( no I did not eat the whole thing)! Not only was it huge, it was delicious! Everything from the bread, which I found out is Amoroso bread made in Philly and it is the key to a great sandwich. The seasoning was on point and the steak it self was tasty! So tasty, that I did not want the experience to end.
After that experience, I am happy to finally say that I have had an original cheesesteak from Philly. Although, I do not have anything to compare it to at the moment, I can offer a recommendation as to what I enjoyed. If I am ever in the area again, I will definitely try Pat and Geno to see what all the fuss is about.
Happy Eating!!
The farmer's market and food trucks are a great conclusion to my week and this little outing allow me to enjoy the great weather, fresh air ( from being inside all day) and the people. I love walking down the row as I look at what each truck has to offer for the day, and each truck is distinct in their cuisine and look, and I love it! The first week I tried the cheeseteak truck, which was pretty good and the second week I tried the Korean truck and got a bulgogi rice bowl ( Korean beef BBQ) and it was pretty good. I also enjoy watching the many people sitting on the grass and anywhere there is a seat hanging out and enjoying their lunch selection as well. 
