There seem to be two schools of thought on the question. One side, we’ll call it the “Pat side”, believes that if it doesn’t have Cheez-Whiz, it’s not a real cheesesteak. The other side, the “Geno side” says that provolone or American cheese is also acceptable on a cheesesteak. Obviously strange foreign cheeses like Swiss are beyond the pale.
I’m sort of split here. While I think that cheeses other than Cheez-Whiz are acceptable on a Philly, I always liked Pat’s better than Geno’s (if nothing else, it’s less gaudy).
-XT
I can’t vote in the poll, because both Pat’s and Geno’s suck donkey balls. But I don’t have Whiz on my steak. I have provolone. And D’Allesandros, the greatest steak place in the universe, is happy to make it that way.
I’m pro-Whiz.
Between Pat and Geno, I’m with Pat. But I prefer Jim’s to either of them.
Provolone every time.
I appreciate Pat’s dedication to tradition, but I prefer Provolone so I voted for Geno.
It doesn’t speak very highly of your ________ (insert any food item here) if Cheez-Whiz makes it better. I’m with Geno.
I had never had a Philly Cheesesteak before they opened a Phat Philly across the street. It’s not actually Philly, but the experts seem to agree that it’s pretty close. Anyway, in the interest of fighting ignorance, over successive weekends I tried every steak they offered, with every possible cheese option, and I ultimately concluded that a cheesesteak just isn’t the same without the Whiz. I will revisit the question if I ever get a chance to try Pat’s or Geno’s, but in the meantime I’ll take my steak with Whiz, thank you.
This here. As for Pat’s vs. Geno’s vs Jim’s, I thought it was no contest. Pat’s. (And, yes, I understand there’s plenty of local places that make better steaks–I’m just commenting on the Big Three.)
Westerner, never had a steak with Cheese Whiz, never had Pat’s or Geno’s.
That said, we’ve always made our Phily’s with Provolone. Best cheesesteak ever gnoshed was made with American White Cheddar.
‘Philly Cheesesteak’ is a marketing term devised when the ‘Cheesesteak’ became available outside the Philadelphia area. Through the 70s, from whenever it originated, Cheese Whiz and other disgusting concoctions were rarely used. Provolone was most widely used in my experience, although mozzeralla and American cheese were not uncommon. It was a sad day when the ‘Philly Cheesesteak’ and its vile topping began to take over the market even in Philadelphia. It sickened my stomach further that in some shops I had to order a ‘Jersey Steak’ to get one made properly.
Never had a Cheese steak in Philly - I’m from Pittsburgh, and the steak sandwich most people associate with Pittsburgh is this god-awful concoction with watery coleslaw and greasy french fries slapped on it (yes, on the sandwich itself:smack:). That said, when I make a or order a cheese steak, it must have fried onions, mushrooms, and provolone cheese. Fried bell peppers and other toppings are nice, but optional. I hate Cheese Wiz and the thought of putting it on a sandwich scares me.
Westerner here. Cheez Whiz is an unholy abomination. I’ll take my cheesesteaks with provolone or (heaven forbid) pepperjack if it’s available.
Y’know, you can get a cheesesteak with American or Provolone at Pat’s, too. I must confess, though, that I’ve never tried Geno’s.
Quoth TriPolar:
While American or Provolone is probably the most common, there’s no denying that Whiz was the original. And the cheesesteak has never really become available outside of Philadelphia, except at a very small number of places you have to look carefully to find.
I ahve little idea what this whole thing is about, I’ve never heard of Cheez Whiz (am I correct in assuming that we’re talking about canned, processed cheese product?) being put on a Philly Cheesesteak, but to me the notion is absolutely disgusting. That stuff is passable for crackers and whatnot, but on a cheesesteak sammich? No fucking way. Melted provalone or maybe swiss is the only way to fly. I feel I’m missing something here.
I’ve been to Philly, and the only way I’ve had 'em is with Whiz. Also, the bread is a crucial component as well. If the bread sucks, the sandwich sucks.
Cheesesteaks were invented in the 1930s, and Cheezwhiz wasn’t invented until the 1950s, so cheezwhiz couldn’t have been the original.
This. Cheez Whiz doesn’t belong on anything, ever, period.
Cheese steaks are a lot like Buffalo wings. The farther you get from the ridiculous and sad traditions of the originals the better the meal gets.