An international student’s first cheesesteak experience
Hong Kong has dim sum, Paris has croissants, and Amsterdam has stroopwafels. As an international student from Holland, I was not in Philadelphia long before my American friends told me that Philadelphia is all about cheesesteaks. I knew I had to give one a try.
My friends directed me to Larry’s, a popular cheesesteak place on campus that many Saint Joseph’s University students love. I decided to get my first experience there because it’s not only the go-to place for students, but it’s the favorite of Kobe Bryant, an NBA legend. I had actually never heard of Kobe Bryant before, but if a famous American person like him likes to go there, why would I want to go anywhere else?
When I walked into Larry’s, I was overwhelmed by the thick smell of grilled meat and grease. I walked straight to the cashier and asked for a small cheesesteak. The woman behind the counter asked me if I wanted anything on it.
“Just the normal cheesesteak,” I answered. I wanted the most authentic experience, and I handed her $9.67 for it.
I placed the order around 1:47 p.m. My step to Philadelphia citizenship arrived at 2:05. The 18 minutes in between left me to learn more about this specific sandwich.
I turned to a man named Flesh—no last name, just Flesh—who was counting the dollars he just earned.
“They come for me,” he answered when I asked why customers choose Larry’s. “And for our real, high-quality beef.”
Many Philadelphians eat cheesesteaks but do not know the story behind them. In the 1930s Pat Olivieri invented the cheesesteak. Olivieri used to sell hot dogs in South Philadelphia and decided one day to grill some beef from the butcher and put it on an Italian roll. This new sandwich became famous among cab drivers who came from all over the city to his first store: Pat’s King of Steaks.
From that moment on, Philly added a new staple to its food culture. It became the city of the thinly sliced, sautéed rib eye beef and melted cheese on a long, crusty roll.
At 2:05 p.m. it was time for my first bite. I had a lot of expectations. “How amazing is this going to be?” I thought.
The way I see it, America is huge. Everything here is just tremendous. So I was not surprised that when I unwrapped my sandwich, a long roll with a huge amount of meat greeted me. I opened it to look to see if there was something else. No, just a thin layer of cheese. That was it. I expected maybe more cheese on a cheesesteak.
I took a deep breath and bit in. I chewed for a couple of seconds to experience the flavor as deeply as possible. The meat was tasty, but not special. The beef definitely outdid the cheese. The only thing I actually tasted was the meat.
I cannot deny that it was good, but it was not that special. Maybe it is like what an American might feel tasting a stroopwafel for the first time (only stroopwafels are spectacular).
Or maybe I had this disappointment because I had ordered a plain cheesesteak. I could imagine that if you add some extra ingredients, it would have increased the flavor. At Larry’s Steaks you have the possibility to add sweet peppers, mushrooms, fried onions, beef pepperoni and sauce.
“Oh, my God, you are stupid! Of course you have to put lettuce and fried onions on it!” said my roommate Gianna Bianco, ’20, after hearing my story. Maybe I just made a rookie mistake.
Despite being underwhelmed by my first try, I am not giving up on the Philadelphia classic. Next time, I am planning to go the original cheesesteak store, Pat’s, to see if an original will make me change my mind.
