Quote:I'd never heard of a cheese steak until I spent a year in Wilmington, DE. I thought at the time, and still do, that the first one I had, from a place with the imaginative name of "Cheese Steaks", was the best sandwich I've ever had. Nothing special, just onions and peppers on it, but a simple masterpiece. Damn thing melted in my mouth.

 

There was a place at the south part of Jacksonville Beach on A1A that made cheese steaks that came pretty darn close. Just a walk up window IIRC, with some picnic tables outside. The owners were from Philly, and got their bread, the key to a great cheese steak, shipped in from there.

 

You're correct.  The key is the roll.  The best places get them from a bakery called Borzillo.  I don't know if it's the same place, as this is a eat in, sit down place.  But in Atlantic Beach there is a place called Philly's Finest and those guys are indeed from Philly.

 

There's another place down in the heart of St. Augustine...can't remember the name...but same type of deal.

 

Both places get their rolls from Borzillo.  This would also explain why the rolls are so good at Pudgie's.  It's about 5 minutes away from the bakery.

 

And after all these years I still add a darn "i" to the name, it's actually Pudge's.  Gotta go to the original on PA202 though.  The locals have always called it Pudgie's.  

 

They have one of those eating challenges there.  I can't imagine any human being able to do it.  A large cheesesteak (basically a two-foot cheesesteak) and a tray of fries.  I don't know what the prize is other than a heart attack and/or indigestion.

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