[ithacaartist]

OK eric, don't get me going...

My gal and I drove the 4 hours from Ithaca to Philly just to make our own comparison of the sandwiches from the two classic cheese steak places, Pat's and Gino's--located on diagonally opposite corners of the same intersection.

The upshot was that each was a trade-off in characteristics, and they were effectively equal, overall. However, we decided that we could do better ourselves, at home, to make cheese steaks with MUCH better bread than the wonder bread style hoagie buns from Philly, steak that was trimmed out better as to be tender, melted actual cheese v. Sysco's finest goop, and onions that were caramelized v. merely translucent and slimy! ...and we did. Saves a lot of driving, as well.

Used to visit my great aunt in Orland, 2 houses from the train station--which took a couple of nights getting used to the noise before one could sleep through it. I was always fascinated by the details displayed by the bronze eagle on the ground floor atrium of John Wanamaker's department store (probably another parking lot, by now). The Reading market was great, too. I can still smell the cheese. Oysters on the half shell...Blue Mountain coffee (now more than $45/lb!)...

D.