la.foodblogging

Part of my morning routine is listening to the Kevin and Bean radio show. The other day, I was listening to Ralph Garman (a native Philadephian) rant about how he wasn’t included in the list of famous Philadelphians at South Street. He claims that they had the best cheesesteaks outside of Philadephia. Having not had a real cheesesteak in about 7 years, I suddenly had a craving for one. Luckily, I found that there was one located right near UCLA in Westwood.

What allegedly makes South Street better than other cheesesteak eateries is that they use bread from Philadephia’s own Amoroso’s Bakery. Apparantly, this bakery supplies most of the hoagies that are used in Philadelphia. Additionally, they use a higher grade of beef, namely rib-eye.

Looking forward to chowing down on a fresh cheeseteak, I headed down. Unfortunately, I miscalculated the wait time and had to get my meal to go to not be late for a meeting. Thus, my impression is not of a fresh cheesesteak. Nevertheless, I was very surpised to find that it was still very good even after 10 minutes of sit time. The bread was warm with a slightly crispy outside and a soft inside. Better yet, it had absorbed the flavor of the beef, grilled onions, and cheese. The beef wasn’t stringy or dry. Rather, it was firm yet still juicy and easy to bite off. The cheese had a smooth flavor that helped to provide the distinctive taste of the cheesesteak without overpowering the other ingredients.

I only got the basic cheesesteak but you can also get it with mushrooms and peppers.
The fries and salad that came with my combo were below average. This could be because I got it to go or also because I got the end of a batch of fries. Given that I’m at UCLA at lot, I’m sure I’ll have ample opportunity to go back.

South Street
1010 Broxton Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90024

or

117 N Victory Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91502

By Jeff (see more of his posts).