Is a hoagie with chicken an abomination?

Torrere · 06-09-2004, 10:03 PM

There's a new food place in Seattle, Charlie's Steakery. I ate a sample of their Philly Cheesesteak, but bought the chicken-and-not-beef equivalent instead. Regrettably. I did this because I do not eat beef - the only other time in the past 10 years that I have eaten beef was at Chez Monique's on the West Coast Trail, and there because I thought that a hamburger had beef, while a cheeseburger had cheese... oops.

I feel that, at this place, the right thing to have done would be to compromise my principles, not the Philly Cheesesteak.

How is a hoagie with chicken regarded in Philadelphia?

elSicomoro · 06-09-2004, 10:17 PM

Not well, from what I've seen. Then again, I got people on PhillyBlog giving me a bunch of shit b/c I like sandwiches from Quizno's. Fuck them.

Torr, in reality, you're not gonna get a good Philly cheesesteak unless you're within a couple of hours of Philadelphia anyway. Therefore, I wouldn't compromise your principles...until you come to Philadelphia.

jinx · 06-09-2004, 10:27 PM

Chicken cheesesteak? I don't think they are scorned. I used to love the ones at Victory Brewing with goat cheese and onions.

elSicomoro · 06-09-2004, 10:30 PM

I personally love chicken cheesesteaks, though I haven't had one in ages.

Shit...when did I last have a cheesesteak? Ah...it was April 25...the same day as my last cigarette.

wolf · 06-10-2004, 12:39 AM

A hoagie and a cheesesteak are two entirely different animals.

There are places that do a hoagie with chicken lunchmeat (although turkey is the more often used poultry meat, unless you're talking a chicken salad hoagie).

There is such a thing as a good chicken cheesesteak. Done properly it has just as much drippy fat as a regular cheesesteak, so that there are no real dietary benefits to ordering the chicken.

There is one place in Norristown, Main Street Pizza, that makes their Chicken Cheesesteaks with chunks of chicken breast rather than finely chopped chicken meat.

Buffalo Chicken Cheesesteak is a joy to behold. Bleu Cheese Dressing optional.

Nothing But Net · 06-10-2004, 12:57 AM

You could rename a Chicken Cheesesteak to a Cheesecock Sandwich. It couldn't be any more unappetizing to me.

/unrepentant beef eater

Torrere · 06-10-2004, 01:17 AM

sycamore, I would take your word for it (and I'll take your word for it anyway), but these cheesesteaks were REALLY frickin' good -- not Tomas Rueda-good, but still the best food that I've had in the past two months.

Thank you for the correction, wolf. I had called it a hoagie because of a character limit, and because I didn't know much better.

wolf · 06-10-2004, 01:40 AM

To clarify for non Philadelphians ...

A hoagie is kind of like a sub, only better.

A cheesesteak is a type of loose meat sandwich particular to Philadelphia.

vsp · 06-10-2004, 06:04 AM

The Pepper Mill (suburban Philly pizza joint) has had a Grilled Chicken Breast Hoagie for several years now. Take a standard-issue hoagie, remove the meat, add grilled chicken tenders. It's not bad if you're in the mood for that kind of thing.

Quizno's is okay, as long as you keep two things in mind:
* They're allergic to substitutions on their sandwiches, and
* They're serving designer sandwiches, not Philly-style hoagies with oil and oregano and the usual toppings.

My dad went to the one in Lionville a while after they opened, went to order an Italian hoagie, and left befuddled as to "just what kind of a hoagie shop they were." I'll go there sometimes if I'm headed towards the Turnpike, because they're close to the Downingtown interchange, they're decent, they have a pretty good chili sauce and they had the Spongmonkeys doing commercials for them (which is automatic cool points).

SteveDallas · 06-10-2004, 07:16 AM

I'm sorry, I'm not a native Philadelphian, so my opinion may not count, but for my money, once you've decided it's OK to put Cheez Whiz on a sandwich, I don't see how you can diss any other ingredient anybody would want to put on.

vsp · 06-10-2004, 07:47 AM

That's all right -- I'm from around Philly, and I'll rag on people who put Cheez Whiz on ANYTHING. It's not a Cheezsteak, it's a cheesesteak; use provolone or call it something else.

My wife gets her cheesesteaks with mayo, which marks her permanently as an outlander.

BrianR · 06-10-2004, 08:13 AM

Sounds to me like you ate a chicken cheezesteak and not a chicken hoagie.

Both can be yummy when prepared correctly and neither are particularly looked down upon here in Phila as our sandwich institutions are not compromised by them.

The age-old debate between the Whiz and cheese eaters goes on, however. I can go either way but when eating at Pat's, I go with the Whiz...it's just so good!

Never tried mayo but it doesn't sound appetizing to me. I might try it one day, along with mayo fries, but not anytime soon. Perhaps when I choose suicide by food.

Brian

Undertoad · 06-10-2004, 09:02 AM

I moved this thread to Food and Drink. I rarely do such moderation thingies, but this one really demanded it. Sorry Torr.

OK that said, a properly-made steak* should not require any condiments or additions of any kind. If someone thinks a steak is improved with mayo, they should be ordering extra cheese instead, or going to a different shop. Ketchup is often used on steaks but it really doesn't work.

*"steak" is Philadelphian for "cheesesteak". But even though "steak" is usually used to describe a slightly different food, true Philadelphians always know exactly which one you mean when you use the word. "I could really go for a steak," you might say; well, any Philadelphian around knows exactly whether you mean a cheesesteak, or a large chunk of high-quality broiled meat.

ladysycamore · 06-10-2004, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by wolf
To clarify for non Philadelphians ...

A hoagie is kind of like a sub, only better.

A cheesesteak is a type of loose meat sandwich particular to Philadelphia.

And a "steak sub" is what I called it before moving to Philly.

I'm real picky on how a cheesesteak is fixed. I don't like the meat minced to death (where it keeps falling out of the sandwich). Quite honestly, I like....Steak Ums. *DUCKS AND RUNSSSSS* Hey, I grew up on those things, so sue me.

Clodfobble · 06-10-2004, 02:02 PM

There's a place down here called Texadelphia that makes both the beef and chicken variety, as well as several vegetarian kinds.

Having never had a true Philly cheesesteak I can't really say for sure how good it is, but I'm damn fond of them. Only go for the beef, myself.

View Poll Results: Is a hoagie with chicken instead of beef a sin against th culinary hertage of Philly?
Yes	2	22.22%
No	7	77.78%
Voters: 9. You may not vote on this poll

06-09-2004, 10:03 PM	#1
Torrere a real smartass Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Kirkland, WA Posts: 1,121	Is a hoagie with chicken an abomination? There's a new food place in Seattle, Charlie's Steakery. I ate a sample of their Philly Cheesesteak, but bought the chicken-and-not-beef equivalent instead. Regrettably. I did this because I do not eat beef - the only other time in the past 10 years that I have eaten beef was at Chez Monique's on the West Coast Trail, and there because I thought that a hamburger had beef, while a cheeseburger had cheese... oops. I feel that, at this place, the right thing to have done would be to compromise my principles, not the Philly Cheesesteak. How is a hoagie with chicken regarded in Philadelphia?

06-09-2004, 10:27 PM	#3
jinx Come on, cat. Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: general vicinity of Philadelphia area Posts: 7,013	Chicken cheesesteak? I don't think they are scorned. I used to love the ones at Victory Brewing with goat cheese and onions. __________________ Crying won't help you, praying won't do you no good.

06-10-2004, 12:39 AM	#5
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	A hoagie and a cheesesteak are two entirely different animals. There are places that do a hoagie with chicken lunchmeat (although turkey is the more often used poultry meat, unless you're talking a chicken salad hoagie). There is such a thing as a good chicken cheesesteak. Done properly it has just as much drippy fat as a regular cheesesteak, so that there are no real dietary benefits to ordering the chicken. There is one place in Norristown, Main Street Pizza, that makes their Chicken Cheesesteaks with chunks of chicken breast rather than finely chopped chicken meat. Buffalo Chicken Cheesesteak is a joy to behold. Bleu Cheese Dressing optional. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

06-10-2004, 01:17 AM	#7
Torrere a real smartass Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Kirkland, WA Posts: 1,121	sycamore, I would take your word for it (and I'll take your word for it anyway), but these cheesesteaks were REALLY frickin' good -- not Tomas Rueda-good, but still the best food that I've had in the past two months. Thank you for the correction, wolf. I had called it a hoagie because of a character limit, and because I didn't know much better. Last edited by Torrere; 06-10-2004 at 01:28 AM.

06-09-2004, 10:17 PM	#2
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	Not well, from what I've seen. Then again, I got people on PhillyBlog giving me a bunch of shit b/c I like sandwiches from Quizno's. Fuck them. Torr, in reality, you're not gonna get a good Philly cheesesteak unless you're within a couple of hours of Philadelphia anyway. Therefore, I wouldn't compromise your principles...until you come to Philadelphia.

06-09-2004, 10:30 PM	#4
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	I personally love chicken cheesesteaks, though I haven't had one in ages. Shit...when did I last have a cheesesteak? Ah...it was April 25...the same day as my last cigarette.

06-10-2004, 12:57 AM	#6
Nothing But Net Professor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Spring, Texas Posts: 1,481	You could rename a Chicken Cheesesteak to a Cheesecock Sandwich. It couldn't be any more unappetizing to me. /unrepentant beef eater

06-10-2004, 01:40 AM	#8
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	To clarify for non Philadelphians ... A hoagie is kind of like a sub, only better. A cheesesteak is a type of loose meat sandwich particular to Philadelphia. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

06-10-2004, 06:04 AM	#9
vsp Syndrome of a Down Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: West Chester Posts: 1,367	The Pepper Mill (suburban Philly pizza joint) has had a Grilled Chicken Breast Hoagie for several years now. Take a standard-issue hoagie, remove the meat, add grilled chicken tenders. It's not bad if you're in the mood for that kind of thing. Quizno's is okay, as long as you keep two things in mind: * They're allergic to substitutions on their sandwiches, and * They're serving designer sandwiches, not Philly-style hoagies with oil and oregano and the usual toppings. My dad went to the one in Lionville a while after they opened, went to order an Italian hoagie, and left befuddled as to "just what kind of a hoagie shop they were." I'll go there sometimes if I'm headed towards the Turnpike, because they're close to the Downingtown interchange, they're decent, they have a pretty good chili sauce and they had the Spongmonkeys doing commercials for them (which is automatic cool points).

06-10-2004, 07:16 AM	#10
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	I'm sorry, I'm not a native Philadelphian, so my opinion may not count, but for my money, once you've decided it's OK to put Cheez Whiz on a sandwich, I don't see how you can diss any other ingredient anybody would want to put on.

06-10-2004, 07:47 AM	#11
vsp Syndrome of a Down Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: West Chester Posts: 1,367	That's all right -- I'm from around Philly, and I'll rag on people who put Cheez Whiz on ANYTHING. It's not a Cheezsteak, it's a cheesesteak; use provolone or call it something else. My wife gets her cheesesteaks with mayo, which marks her permanently as an outlander.

06-10-2004, 08:13 AM	#12
BrianR Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 3,338	Sounds to me like you ate a chicken cheezesteak and not a chicken hoagie. Both can be yummy when prepared correctly and neither are particularly looked down upon here in Phila as our sandwich institutions are not compromised by them. The age-old debate between the Whiz and cheese eaters goes on, however. I can go either way but when eating at Pat's, I go with the Whiz...it's just so good! Never tried mayo but it doesn't sound appetizing to me. I might try it one day, along with mayo fries, but not anytime soon. Perhaps when I choose suicide by food. Brian __________________ Never be afraid to tell the world who you are. -- Anonymous

06-10-2004, 09:02 AM	#13
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	I moved this thread to Food and Drink. I rarely do such moderation thingies, but this one really demanded it. Sorry Torr. OK that said, a properly-made steak* should not require any condiments or additions of any kind. If someone thinks a steak is improved with mayo, they should be ordering extra cheese instead, or going to a different shop. Ketchup is often used on steaks but it really doesn't work. *"steak" is Philadelphian for "cheesesteak". But even though "steak" is usually used to describe a slightly different food, true Philadelphians always know exactly which one you mean when you use the word. "I could really go for a steak," you might say; well, any Philadelphian around knows exactly whether you mean a cheesesteak, or a large chunk of high-quality broiled meat.

06-10-2004, 02:02 PM	#15
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	There's a place down here called Texadelphia that makes both the beef and chicken variety, as well as several vegetarian kinds. Having never had a true Philly cheesesteak I can't really say for sure how good it is, but I'm damn fond of them. Only go for the beef, myself.

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