I'm getting homesick again. I miss Tastykakes and cheesesteaks and Champs Cherry Cola (Yes, it's still available).

Ever since I had a fix in January all I want is more. It's funny how a food can do that to you. I can't get anything even close down here. Krispy Kreme donuts are darn good and beat Dunkin' Donuts all to hell but I still want an artery-clogging Pat's steak. And a hoagie from my favorite shop Pudge's. Best hoagies around and has been voted Best of Philly.

Does anyone else who has lived here and loved local cuisine feel this loss as much as I do, or am I just nuts?

Brian

Oh gawd yes.

I haven't had a Dalessandro's or Pudge's steak in about four months, but there's something about knowing that I could, if I wanted, drive about a half-hour and get one that makes life a little bit more comfortable. (Sorry man!)

I like the Pudge's steaks the best. I don't think I've even ever had a hoagie from them!

Oh, and I almost forgot: if turnabout is fair play, I would have to drive about an hour each way - to Wilmington - to get Krispy Kreme, and I feel the same way about them. Two hours on 202 is too far to drive just for doughnuts, but at any given time, if I think of them, I just may take off and drive down there to buy them.

But yeah, two hours is just too much to take and I have never driven down there just to buy doughnuts.

But today IS Saturday...

Luckily, there are Krispy Kremes here (but equally luckily not too close - -my arteries would not survive).

Nowhere else are there decent cheesesteaks. I say this from experience. Every city has a place advertising "Philly cheesesteaks" but none hold a candle to the real thing.

BTW, is Pudge's in Roxborough, across from D'allesandro's on Henry Avenue? If so, I liked D's the best but any of them kick the crap out of anything outside of Philly.

Nah...you're not nuts at all...except that you like Pat's. ;-)

I feel lucky to live in a city that has such great food...although we are the 3rd (?) fattest city in the US now...hehe.

I can sympathize with the homesickness...I miss St. Louis's Italian Hill and toasted ravioli. *sigh* Ah well, I'll be going back home for a visit in June. I miss good Maryland crab cakes too...one of the only things I miss from living in the DC suburbs.

Lots of places talk about Philly cheesesteaks. The only place I've ever been to that is somewhat close to a real steak is the Philadelphia Cheesesteak Factory in College Park, MD...and I must say that their prices for a bit high.

They still don't have anything on Philly though.

Yeah, I feel a little bad cos I fear I may have driven up that average quite a bit over the last two years. :p

No, Pudge's is in Blue Bell and there is now a Pudge's II in West Norriton. But only the original Pudge's is the steak king.

See, the important difference between the downtown steaks and the Roxborough/suburban steaks is that they chop the meat up in Roxborough and integrate the cheese in with it. It's not just a big leathery flap of meat.

Oh, yeah...I now recall that it was Chubby's across from D'Allesandro's.

And yes, your point about the chopped up meat and integrated cheese is a good one. Long live integration!

Dem steaks
 

One of these (warmer) days when I can just take the train down and bum for a day or two, I'm gonna walk down Passayunk and head to Geno's. Definitely better than Pat's, imho. What's sad was the number of cheesesteak shops in the San Francisco area that had pictures of Jim's (4th and South) up on the wall. I never had a steak as bad as theirs until I went to Sunnyvale, California.

As for Tatstykakes, the only ones I ever got big cravings for were the pies. My sweet tooth kinda dimmed, and the butterscotch krimpets became just too sugary for me. But give me an apple or cherry a toxic yellow lemon tastypie, and I'm one happy scarfer.

Now that I'm in New Yawk rather than San Francisco, it's pretty easy to grab a pie or three when I'm visiting my parents, not to mention some Yuengling porter and - a new favorite they introduced me to - Hank's (as in State Senator Salvatore) root beer.

Re: Dem steaks
 

I agree...Geno's makes a pretty good steak. I used to walk down there on occasion when I was working on S. 10th.

It's gotta be real cheese though...not the whiz.

I'm currently in Liverpool, England for university and miss things from home terribly! I live in Phoenixville, outside of Philly. But I know I'll miss things from here once I go home again. :-(

I'm right near Phoenixville in Oaks, so... we might as well just start a Phoenixville subject line!

Well, in Lakewoth (aka, Greenacres, West Palm Beach) we went to CC's pizza on Jog Road and 10th Avenue. It's something like $4 for all you can eat pizza and something like $1.50 more for all the soda you want. Not only did they have at least 10 varieties out, they also had dessert pizzas. They also let you special order a pizza at no extra charge. Thin crusts and none of that Pizza Hut doughy flavor.

They have a new cheesesteak pizza that is so close to the real thing you can close your eyes and not tell the difference, except for not having to try to tear your way through an Amoroso's roll.

If these guys ever come north of the Mason-Dixon line, a few pizza places are toast.

Pudges
 

Wazzup philly, king of prussia, norristown!!! Yo I miss
Pudge's so much, my dad use to take me there back in the day and i've been going there ever since. Quick service, even though its always packed, and the best hoagies you will ever find on this planet (nobody uses bread like theirs and everything is cut up perfectly, with tons of cheese and oil, even the lettuce is perfectly sliced thin in smalls strips, all greased up). I live in North Carolina now and all I can think about right now is Pudges... I would pay anything for a big bite of that right now.

Sujan