BUT...to my surprise and down right disbelief...Chef James has come pretty damn close. I picked up my 6 inches of cholesterol joy last week for lunch with low expectations. I opted for the hogie which basically means it comes topped with lettuce, tomato, onions, oregano, salt/pepper, and oil/vinegar. You can scrap all the fix'ins and go with just cheese and steak if you desire. I thought the oil and vinegar was a bit odd but it actually was very good.
In this picture you see a lot of the hogie topping and not as much of the thinly sliced sirloin and melted american cheese. But trust me...it's in there!
What makes this cheesesteak darn near authentic has a lot to do with the perfect combination of cheese to sirloin ratio and how they prepare the steak. It's shredded not sliced. I get downright pissed when I order a cheesesteak and the steak is sliced. The sirloin is also seasoned well and like the cheesesteak hogies I get back east the toppings are a perfect compliment. And last but not least...the bread. Ask anyone back in Philly what makes an authentic Philly style steak and they'll say the bread. It can't be too hard and it can't be too soft that it soaks up grease and falls apart. The hogie rolls used by Chef James are very good. I applaud him for that. Nothing ruins a perfectly good cheesesteak than crappy bread.
Along with the cheesesteak, Chef James's Place in Geneva, Illinois offers several other sandwich options. If you're interested check out their Menu
Next time I'll selflessly try something new for the sake of the blog...even though the cheesesteak hogie is what I really want!
Chef James' Place
513 S. 3rd Street
Geneva, Illinois 60134
630-262-0023
