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Philadelphia Cheesesteak Goes Mobile With Phil's Steaks Truck
By
Carrie Dennis
Published Jan 17, 2012
Modified Jan 17, 2012
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By
Carrie Dennis
Published Jan 17, 2012
Modified Jan 17, 2012
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Philadelphia native Jim Drew always had a childhood dream of opening a cheesesteak truck. But it took a night of beer and brainstorming with friends before he decided to make a go at it. About six months after that fateful night, Drew and his three partners—JJ Jensen, and Kevin and Mia McConnell—bestowed New York City with Phil’s Steaks, NYC’s first "authentic" Philly cheesesteak truck "jawn!"
With help from Mia's father (the founder of Canada's Mr. Sub sandwich chain) and a partnership with cupcakestop.com, Phil's Steaks started rolling two days ago. Before noon today the truck was already doing brisk business on the corner of 19th and Park Avenue South, despite the chilling rain. A traditional Philly cheesesteak includes thinly sliced beef, seared and scrambled into a finely chopped mountain on a flattop, placed on a long roll, and smothered in provolone or cheez-whiz while still hot. Additions include sauteed onions, peppers, or occasionally mushrooms, but purists stick with meat and cheese.
Ravenous cheesesteak eaters can get both extra peppers and extra cheese for an additional $0.75 from Phil's. A full sub will run you $8.50, but at a ½ pound of meat, we opted for the half-sub for $5.50. And although $1.50 is a little steep for a bag of chips, we haven't noticed Route 11 brand chips sold at many other food trucks...
And as a bonus for music fans, Phil's operators aim to keep music an integral part of the food truck experience. As JJ told us, “Music is going to be a big part of it. We don’t want to be just your run of the mill food truck. We want people to see that we’re cool people and we have a good time out here.” Phil’s has plans to move all around the city, and you can keep track of their destinations by following them on Twitter.
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Carrie Dennis
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