Philly Cheesesteak

Okay, so now for my analysis of the food I ate while in Philly. There was some home-cooking, courtesy of the Scherlings. But I am proud to say I never ate at a big "chain" restauarant.
*****
My first night in Philly, my friends escorted me to a local pizza place. Even after coaching from Anna, I cannot remember the name. We ordered a "Philly Cheesesteak Pizza." It was fabulous. The bread tasted like authentic Italian bread, not so much like pizza. The flavors were strong but not overpowering, and the selections on the menu were broad. Likewise our waiter, whom the Scherlings said they had met before, was very outgoing and personable. I should not be upset to try this place again - perhaps trying a more traditional pizza selection.


Pat's ****
Apparently there are two places in Philadelphia to go to get the famous cheesesteak, and they are both across the street from each other. Pat's is one of them. Ian and Anna took me here after wandering through an Italian outdoor market in the same area. I liked the manner of ordering - somewhat intimidating signs are posted to walk people through the process. The line was long but fast moving. People were expected to walk right up and say, "Cheesesteak without, provolone." The "with" "without" implies whether the customer wants onions or not. We ate standing outside, lined up along the building. As far as the cheesesteak itself went, it was superb. The bread was very good, complementing the steak and cheese. I would have liked to try the competitor across the street, but Pat's was a wonderful experience.

City Tavern ****1/2
Hands down, City Tavern was my favorite experience in Philadelphia - both as a food establishment or tourist attraction. I was seated on the back deck with a view to the gardens behind the building. Waiters and waitresses walked back and forth dressed in colonial outfits, and the tarp of a small pavillion wavers in the wind. All the dishes offered are authentic colonial dishes, and I select Martha Washington's Turkey Pot Pie. While waiting for my meal, they brought me authentic colonial breads - an assortment of three types. Overall, the food was not the best I've had, but taking in the price, quantity, and atmosphere, I would recommend City Tavern to anyone who goes to Philadelphia.

Caribou Cafe **1/2
We went to this Cafe our last night. I suppose I'm a little biased in general - I'm not really a French food-type person. I had trouble navigating the French menu, but ordered duck. It's kind of hard to go wrong with duck, but something about the sauce didn't quite please me. There was a beer-type flavor about it. We ordered desserts, and split those: apple torte, butterscotch bread pudding, and a chocolate crepe. Hands down, the bread pudding was the favorite dish. I don't usually care for butterscotch, but this had a buttery, vanilla type flavor. The atmosphere was probably the best part of the cafe - we were seated slightly inside the restauarant with an open view of the sidewalk cafe. It was a nice night, and the naturally dimming light aided the ambiance.