Book Review: The Great Philly Cheesesteak Book by Carolyn Wyman

Running Press, $16.95 ISBN 978-0-7624-354

I was excited about getting a copy of The Great Philly Cheesesteak Book by Carolyn Wyman to review. When I knew it was coming, I anxiously awaited the mail hoping the book would be there. It’s published by Running Press, the same publisher of George Motz’s Hamburger America.

Through 160ish pages, author Carolyn Wyman visits 38 cheesesteak places in the Philadelphia region from the top dogs Pat’s and Geno’s as well as Big John’s (Cherry Hill, NJ) to Tony Luke’s and everywhere alphabetically in between. From its humble beginnings in a hot dog cart in 1930 to modern day Philadelphia where nearly every pizza joint in the city also serves up their own version of the classic, there are the old traditional places and newer upstarts that have just recently entered in to cheesesteak making.

Ms. Wyman catalogs several important details for each shop including grill seasonings, cuts of beef, bread sourcing, and type of cheese used. There is a bit of a back story to understand how the business started and what makes each spot unique and worthy of inclusion. There are lots and lots of Italians making cheesesteaks in the book. I was familiar with quite a few of the spots in the book, but there are definitely more obscure and neighborhood places that the average Philadelphian wouldn’t know about.

I would say that the author captures the heavy hitters in the Philadelphia cheesesteak scene, featuring places that consistently rank high in various cheesesteak surveys and best of lists. I was surprised to see the Grey Lodge included in the book because I’ve been meaning to visit based on their great reputation for beer excellence. Now I’m intrigued to try their steaks.

Ms. Wyman does venture into subjects such as the invention of the chicken cheesesteak and places where vegetarian and vegan cheesesteaks are available. She gives an in depth look at the invention of Cheez Whiz, an overview of roll bakers, and details on what types of beef are used for a cheesesteak. She goes on to show where quality cheesesteaks can be had in other states for those who don’t live in Philadelphia, though this is a bit of a brief survey and doesn’t seem to come out of a full experience from the author having tried steaks in all of these places. Several recipes are included for a basic cheesesteak as well as more unique variants such as cheesesteak spring rolls, cheeseteak omelet, cheesesteak casserole, cheesesteak pierogi, and cheesesteak pizza to list a few.

Also included with the book is the very excellent documentary This Is My Cheesesteak. Then-student director Ben Daniels visits Pat’s, Geno’s, Jim’s, Steve’s Prince of Steaks, and Tony Luke’s. He also throws in restaurateur Stephen Starr to discuss his $100 cheesesteak at Barclay Prime. Incredibly, he’s able to go behind the scenes to interview the proprietors and makes steaks in all of the stands. He even makes pasta with the Bucci family from John’s Roast Pork as part of their family dinner. For the most devout Philadelphian cheesesteak lover to someone out of town who may not really be familiar, this DVD captures the spirit of what it means to make (and eat) a cheesesteak and is an excellent accompaniment to an excellent book.

The Great Philly Cheesesteak Book by Carolyn Wyman is one of my favorite food books so far this year. This would make an excellent read for those Philadelphia ex-pats who miss their favorite sandwich or casual cheesesteak fans who would like to know more. Complete with many full color pictures of the shops, owners, and steaks themselves. The inclusion of the This Is My Cheesesteak DVD is icing on the cake.

Tags: books, cheesesteak, philadelphia