The American Cheesesteak Co.
781 Davie St.
Vancouver, BC
(604) 681-0130

Most Philly cheesesteak lovers will say a fantastic sub has to be slobbering over with greasy goodness. The beef juices have to drip upon every bite and I must add an additional requirement: a gentle crisp is needed and the cheese must ooze all over. As most folks know, (from American CheeseSteak’s website) Pat and Harry Olivieri created the sandwich at their hot dog stand near South Philadelphia’s Italian Market in the 1930s. The cheese steak became so popular that the pair stopped selling hot dogs altogether, later opening the renowned Pat’s King of Steaks in the place where their stand once stood. Today, Philadelphia has more than 2000 restaurants dedicated to serving this indulgence.

Now just how this iconic morsel that can feed a state migrated to Vancouver, BC (let alone Lake Tahoe when I first sampled an ‘authentic’ style) almost needs to be questioned, current US politics notwithstanding. More Yanks should come north as long as they bring more of their trade cuisine secrets to indulge Canadians with! The South really must migrate so more Cajun style restaurants can open up! But I digress. For the sandwich, I feel that the New Yorker is over the top. My gut is simply busting after taking a few bites and the only reason I got it is to tide me over for 30 hours as I make the most of my last days in the big city.  Of course, I’m writing this review a few weeks later, but I needed time to fully digest that meal.

James abandoned me. He and his girlfriend decided to enjoy Fan Expo Vancouver 2016 (FEV) together close to mid-November and left me alone to the solitude some of us nerds live by. I know I’ll survive. Ever since he ignored my desire to try Fritz European Fry House (mini review of their fries to follow) one of the times we visited this city together, I figured the only way to experience New York, er Vancouver is on my own!

If James was a Jaimie (the feminine form of the name), I swear he’s nothing but a ball and chain. Freedom is mine and I want to explore! The fact this operation offers International variations using ingredients traditional to their subs (cilantro and cucumber in Vietnamese, kimchi in Korean and brie in French) shows that embracing other cultures’ traditions earns top marks in my book. Purists to the original staple will call me a heathen, but who cares! To coin the famous words of a certain Austrian, “I’ll be back.”

4 Blokes out of 5