Jersey Mike's

Not long ago, it was one of those cold mid-winter evenings when nothing in the world sounded better than ducking into Philly's Best and having a cheesesteak, some fries dunked in a blend of ketchup and hot sauce (more of the latter), and sitting under the flatscreen TV and catching a few minutes of the Lakers game. I could feel the soft roll in my fingers. I could taste the crispy fries. I could see Andrew Bynum getting out-rebounded by someone ten inches shorter.

But Philly's Best has been gone for months now, a victim of a location (in the Del Mar train station) that never caught on as a fast-casual dining destination. (And I'm sure the apathetic employees who often closed up shop twenty minutes before the posted closing time did not help, either.)

A day or two later, however, I got a text from my friend Zach that I should try Jersey Mike's. Zach is one of my most trusted food and adult beverage accomplices (despite the fact he does not like cheese, seafood or mustard; the mind, she boggle) and I was determined to try the place, despite never having heard of it.

So I Googled it and lo and behold, there is a location on Lake Ave in Pasadena, only two and a half miles away. A few days later, Elizabeth and I stopped by for lunch.

The menu at Jersey Mike's is larger than Philly's Best, with salads and wraps, but we both knew we were going to get sandwiches. I mentioned to the girl behind the counter that this was my first time; she said I should definitely try the #17 - "Jersey Mike's Famous Philly" which, in addition to being fun to say, is their best seller. Elizabeth ordered that so I decided to try something else: the "Chipotle Cheese Steak."

We both asked for drinks and the girl gave us the classic upsell: "Make it a combo for only a quarter more!" We said sure. The combo includes a bag of chips and a cookie; we got different bags of chips but we each selected a white chocolate cookie. 

Sandwiches are offered in two sizes: regular and giant. We both opted for the giant size. And it was indeed enormous, at least 12 inches long. Of course, they could have been twice that size and I would not have been impressed unless they tasted good.

As it turns out, they were delicious. The steak - which I understand is the best part of the sandwich - was not the best I've ever had (Philly's Best was better) but the peppers and onions were great, the bread was perfect, and the chipotle mayo, which I was worried would be out of the place, was a great complement to the sandwich.

Elizabeth had the same thing she always got at Philly's Best: a cheesesteak with American cheese and onions. She loved it as well. We both only ate half of our sandwiches and wrapped the remainder to take with us. The next night we heated the sandwiches in the oven for a few minutes and ate them; they were just as good reheated, which has always been my litmus test for cheesesteaks.

So, the obvious question: which do I like more, Philly's Best or Jersey Mike's? And the answer is Philly's Best. The meat is a higher quality and they have very good fries. And, it is much less expensive. Our standard order at Philly's Best (two sandwiches, two drinks, one fries) was always $19 and change. This meal at Jersey Mike's was more than $29, a full ten dollars more. Yes, the sandwiches were bigger, but not that much bigger. And the chips and cookies were nothing special.

However, Philly's Best is gone, so the next question is: will I return to Jersey Mike's? And the answer is absolutely. It's a little overpriced but it's still delicious, and I would not mind stopping in from time to time for a cheesesteak. But I will never have the relationship with it like I did Philly's Best.