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Philadelphia is known as the city of brotherly love. But that love can be tested when it comes to sports rivalries - also when it comes to the ingredients that make a cheese steak great. Recently, the Michelin Guide honored three cheesesteak joints in the city. Food critics pounced on the judges, but reporter Buffy Gorrilla found nothing but love for the vibrant cheesesteak scene.
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BUFFY GORRILLA: The smell of meat and onions hangs in the air outside Dalessandro's in Roxborough. It's a few minutes after 11 a.m., and Dalessandro's just opened its windows for the day.
DANTE CUNNINGHAM: The best cheesesteaks in the city.
GORRILLA: A bundled-up Dante Cunningham waits for his order.
CUNNINGHAM: The regular cheesesteak - mayonnaise, fried onions, ketchup, pickles and mustard - standard.
GORRILLA: At Dalessandro's, the go-to cheese is sharp American - the meat, fresh-sliced ribeye. But Cunningham says it's not about the meat.
CUNNINGHAM: The bread is king. If anybody know anything about cheesesteaks in Philly, it's about the bread. It's not about the steak and everything. It's about the bread.
GORRILLA: Dalessandro's is 1 of 3 Philadelphia cheesesteak places that Michelin awarded a Bib Gourmand. If you haven't heard of the Bib Gourmand, you are not alone.
JACK MCGONGAL: What's that?
JAKE CARVALHO: I've not heard of it, but I think, without a doubt, they're worthy of that award.
GORRILLA: Well, Jack McGongal and Jake Carvalho, the Michelin Guide's Bib Gormand highlights places that serve quality food at reasonable prices. New Jersey native Carvalho loves a cheese day. After driving 10 hours from North Carolina, he made a detour to get one laden with onions and peppers from his favorite spot, Dalessandro's.
CARVALHO: This is about my fourth time here, and I'm in love with it, man. Every time I come by Philly, I got to make a stop here.
GORRILLA: Angelo's in South Philly also made Michelin's list.
CARVALHO: My dad used to swear by Angelo's, as a matter of fact, until he came here. Yeah. I made him come here one time. He was like, wow, this is actually a lot better. Yeah, I mean, don't get me wrong. Angelo's still - it's great. It's great. No hate to Angelo's. It's a great spot. But hey, everyone's got their own opinion, though, you know?
GORRILLA: Del Rossi's in the Northern Liberties neighborhood received a Bib Gourmand, too. They make their seeded sourdough bread in-house, and the place smells amazing. Since I was going to be there, my neighbor asked me to grab her a cheesesteak.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: I would like these, one with fried onions.
GORRILLA: Cathy Coate grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs and has lived in the city for over 40 years. Coate proudly claims to be a bit of a cheesesteak aficionado and thinks the Michelin accolades for this food are overdue.
CATHY COATE: Just about time - I mean, if they're going to do a food overview in Philadelphia, you need to include cheesesteaks. I mean, this is our unique specialty.
GORRILLA: Coate unwraps her still-steaming sandwich.
COATE: I've never had any cheesesteak from Del Rossi. I thought I should try the real thing. It is extremely heavy.
GORRILLA: After her first bite, she reaches for a napkin.
COATE: It's a mess. Oh, that's good. It's really good. The roll's really good. It's huge.
GORRILLA: When deciding where to get your cheesesteak, there are some big questions to consider - chopping the meat versus slicing, soft bread versus a more structured option. But as Nish Patel, owner of Del Rossi's, sees it...
NISH PATEL: Everyone has their favorite, and people battle it out in the comments all the time, which is great to see.
GORRILLA: When it comes to cheesesteak, some places even dare to ditch the meat for the vegetarians and vegans out there, so there really is something for everyone.
For NPR News, I'm Buffy Gorrilla in Philadelphia.
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