by Mark L. on Part 2 of the Philly Cheesesteak Challenge: Poor Geno's. I have to imagine living in Pat's shadow gets old after awhile. I'm sure every review you read will mention Pat's in comparison. But rightly so. Pat's is better, and it's clear that Geno's is relying heavily on flashy branding to draw some of Pat's crowd over instead of actually making a better cheesesteak. But I digress. After having consumed a sandwich across the street at Pat's, it was time to give Geno's a chance by eating another whole cheesesteak, naturally. So, I gave the requisite "whiz wit", and for essentially the same price, I got a lesser sandwich. The bun wasn't overly fresh. The steak was good, but not as tender as I would have liked for being sliced thin. Again, cheez whiz doesn't really deserve critical review, so I'll leave that up to you. I did like the onions that came with it - very flavorful chunks that really saved the sandwich from mediocrity, but I can't rely on onions to carry my sandwich! Overall, Geno's is a decent cheesesteak. I have to imagine that if they were located somewhere else in the city (and not within earshot of Pat's) reviews would be more favorable. But their location will forever invite comparison with Pat's, and for now, they aren't winning.
by America Lassiter on Eclectric hit-or-miss crazy brunch. 4 ~$12 items on the menu: pancake/waffle (same batter goes into either one), omelette, french toast and one lunchier more protein oriented item. Ingredients vary by week depending on what Carmen's picked up from the market. Ex: pluot pancakes with goat cheese and figs, shallots spinach jack cheese long hot peppers and couscous in an omelette, lunch items I've seen included frog legs, alligator, emu, conch. Carmen will likely introduce herself while you're there, she's cool. The servers will make a minor effort to remember your names. Atmosphere = booby (you'll see what I mean if you go there). Call ahead, there are only 3 4-tops and 8? seats at the counter, sometimes if it's full they will seat 6 out in the flatbed of a truck outside. Also in wintertime, it can get really cold inside, so be prepared to guzzle coffee or huddle in your jacket.
