99 MILES TO PHILLY

He says:
Finding 99 Miles to Philly was the most fortuitous of accidents. Uptown Girl and I were about to meet a good friend for buffalo-wings when we passed by an eatery specializing in Philly cheesesteaks. In case you don’t know my eating patterns by now, I adore Philly cheesesteaks. Shredded beef and melted cheese on a hoagie bun … what’s not to like? The problem is that it’s really hard to find a good cheesesteak in New York City; believe me, I’ve tried.

99 Miles to Philly consists of a takeout counter and about six tables in a clean, casual setting. The brick walls are adorned with several cut-outs from magazines like Time Out New York recommending the place for cheap eats – good sign #1. Good sign #2 were the others eating lunch around us, mostly guys sitting by themselves reading newspapers. I like the fact that 99 Miles to Philly is not a place to see and be seen; it’s a place where you go to get quality grub. Good sign #3 was the menu, which clearly indicated you can only order one thing: Philly cheesesteaks.

She says:
I still have fond memories of my first Philly cheesesteak, which I had in the sandwich’s hometown of Philadelphia, so I was definitely game for sampling a non-beef version. I ordered an American chicken cheesesteak “wit’” (translation: a cheesesteak with shredded chicken, American cheese, wit’ onions). It was an oozing, oily, delicious mess, and I nearly managed to eat the entire thing. And with all the cheesy goodness, it was hard to even miss the beef.

He says:
I ordered an American steak cheesesteak wit’. In a word, it was excellent. The gooey American cheese blended perfectly with the moist, shredded beef steak for a wonderfully fatty, and filling, combination. The bun could have been slightly firmer – it tends to droop as you eat it – but otherwise this was as good as a Philly cheesesteak as I’ve ever had.

We say:
It’s the next best thing to jumping on Amtrak and heading to Philadelphia.



99 Miles to Philly
94 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10003
http://www.99milestophilly.net/