This Week in the Mercury
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Food / Sports Portland Never Tasted So South Philly!
Posted by Sean Breslin on Wed, Oct 28, 2009 at 2:12 PM
- Grant's Philly Cheesesteaks
It's killing me that I can't be at the Locust Tavern in Philly to watch the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies knock C.C. Sabathia and the Bums from the Bronx around in this year's Fall Classic. But while I can't raise a pint of Yuengling to mark the start of tonight's World Series Game One, I did take a drive out to Grant's Philly Cheesesteaks on the 153rd Block of NE Sandy.
In some ways, Grants felt a lot like going to Geno's or Pat's in Philly. Like those two iconic rivals, Grant's isn't located in a place you'd be likely to stumble upon: you gotta seek it out. It's outta the way even for my airport-neighboring ass, but at least it doesn't have a one-language-only policy like some places.
- The steak
The thing about cheesesteaks is they're not easy to screw up. You really have to try at it. It's just thinly-sliced steak on a flat grill with onions, peppers and cheese. That's really it. Cheesesteaks are not grilled roast beef sandwiches. Grant's got this right, so it was pretty much smooth sailing from there. Tender, thin meat, just a little browned on the edges, juicy veggies, and an ingredient most people outside of Philly wouldn't touch:Whiz.
Grant's gets a bonus point by using Amoroso rolls, which I don't think I've ever seen outside the Philly area. It's what makes the steak. Top that off with a pack of TastyKake Butterscotch Krimpets, and you've got enough calories in your system to make you feel like you're wandering Citizens Bank Park looking for a water ice.
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THANK YOU!
I quit looking for cheesesteak west of the Ohio River years ago, thinking I wouldn't ever find it. This looks perfect. I am going tomorrow.
Awesome. Another place to enjoy a real cheesesteak! I just returned from the East where I downed quite a few pints of Yuengling Lager. My favorite (portland) cheesesteak is at Life of Riley's in the Pearl. http://www.lifeofrileytavern.com/
GO PHILLIES! F NY!
Grants is the most authentic philly in portland. Don't worry about the yuengling, it's a nostalgic philly brand (and americas oldest brewery), but it doesn't hold a flame to the stuff we've got out here.
would have been funny if you said "steak it out" instead of "seek it out"
Yes, amoroso rolls are rare outside of philly. It's a nice gesture, but it's hard to determine which is better: fresh non-amoroso rolls, or shipped real ones.
While you can't be here and experience watching a philly world series game like you would in philly, there are plenty of ex-pats to enjoy it with. And the beer's better.
philly nostalgia p.s.: my dad has photo's of my grandfather helping build the vet!
if genos and pats are the places that are right near each other in philly, those were some of the grossest sandwiches i have ever had in my life. there was fucking cheese whiz on them shits!! maybe thats the point and i was missing it?
Grant's has almost everything needed to make a great cheesesteak but they do something strange to their meat. It's grossly overmarinated and after you eat one it's like burping up something horrid for the rest of the day. If they could just get the meat right they'd have a great thing. Also they are closed on the weekends! WTF!!!
Grant's has almost everything needed to make a great cheesesteak but they do something strange to their meat. It's grossly overmarinated and after you eat one it's like burping up something horrid for the rest of the day. If they could just get the meat right they'd have a great thing. Also they are closed on the weekends! WTF!!! So if you really, and I mean REALLY know what a Philly Cheesesteak is, then you know that Grant's just doesn't pass muster. In Fact: The best Philly Cheesesteak is found at NW 23rd and Kearny: Tributes. This is the closest that I have come to a real Philly Cheesesteak in Portland.
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