Cheesesteak

You've read it, heard it, tasted it, savored it, seen it in photo op action: Want a "classic" or "authentic" Philly cheesesteak? Gotta go with Cheez Whiz. Maybe it's time to melt that myth. True, Whiz is king at Pat's and Geno's, those legendary South Philly sites at Ninth and Passyunk. During the Pennsylvania primary, Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert said their feud was fiercer than the Democrats' - and showed a sandwich dripping with Whiz. Barack and Michelle Obama, as well as Bill and Chelsea Clinton, ate at Pat's - and had Whiz.

Barack Obama vows he shall return and sample a cheesesteak. Just one? Yesterday, sports talker Glen Macnow of WIP (610 AM) posted his nearly final rankings of 45 cheesesteaks sampled between West Chester to Atlantic City. Only the order of the top six could change, pending a final on-air showdown at noon on Saturday, April 19. Interestingly, ranked No. 1 was also the place that finished first with Inquirer restaurant critic Craig LaBan after his 2002 whirlwind tour of 23 eateries: John's Roast Pork on East Snyder Avenue in South Philadelphia.

SO OBAMA didn't make the obligatory stop at Pat's or Geno's. I applaud him on skipping the two tourist traps that are the McDonald's and Burger King of cheesesteaks in the city. There are other joints to get a great cheesesteak, including Jim's, D'Allessandro's and John's Roast Pork. Bryan Flannery, Chalfont

The best cheesesteak in town last week wasn't in South Philly, it was in LOVE Park near City Hall where caterer (and Frog founder) Steve Poses grilled up 1,000 samples of grass-fed, organic beef - from Landisdale Farm in Lebanon County - for giveaway steak sandwiches to promote Philly Homegrown, the campaign to showcase local foods. The meat was tender, but notably beefier, earthier, and less fatty than the standard fare, and at $6.50 a pound, it cost the sponsoring the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp.

THIS spring, Councilman Goode and I introduced a resolution authorizing City Council's Committee on Commerce and Economic Development to hold hearings examining the operations and effectiveness of the numerous economic-development entities in Philadelphia. Over the last year, I've been looking into the public dispute between the Reading Terminal Market and Rick Olivieri that was the subject of a recent column by Jill Porter ("Booting of Rick Olivieri Has a Bad Smell to It," June 4)

You've read it, heard it, tasted it, savored it, seen it in photo-op action: Want a "classic" or "authentic" Philly cheesesteak? Gotta go with Cheez Whiz. Maybe it's time to melt that myth. True, Whiz is king at Pat's and Geno's, those legendary South Philly sites at Ninth and Passyunk. During the Pennsylvania primary, Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert said their feud was fiercer than the Democrats' - and showed a sandwich dripping with Whiz. Barack and Michelle Obama, as well as Bill and Chelsea Clinton, ate at Pat's - and had Whiz.

The health attributes of Philadelphia's signature foods are beyond debate. Hoagies and scrapple are salty and fatty. Soft pretzels and Krimpets are loaded with empty carbs. Cheesesteaks? All of that. But in this supersized America, a one-thousand-calorie sandwich seems to fit right in. Then why are two major Philadelphia sandwich players - Tony Luke's and Rick's Original Steaks - going smaller? Both have introduced 6-inch versions of the traditional 9-inch sandwiches at their food-court locations.

The word Palestra on the side of a dilapidated building was good for a smile. The street called Via Filadelfia was a warming sight on a cold night. But it was the little handmade sign on the window of Mangia e Bevi Snackbar that brought on a full attack of homesickness: "Philly Cheese Steaks. " Now I know what you're thinking. You can't get a decent cheesesteak outside a 20-mile radius of Ninth and Passyunk. I've seen everything from hot roast beef sandwiches to hunks of sirloin on kaiser rolls passed off as Philadelphia cheesesteaks, and that's during travels in the States.

Junior knew it was the calm before the storm when he looked out the back door at Pat's Steaks and saw a cop directing traffic. In South Philly. "Rita, what's up?" called Frank E. "Junior" Olivieri, son of the owner of Pat's Steaks, to Rita the crossing guard. "The president's coming," Rita said. "Yeah, OK," Olivieri answered. A few minutes later Mayor Rendell called. The mayor told him, "I'm coming down for steaks, and I'll be with the president. " As Olivieri hung up the phone at the famous sidewalk eatery at 9th and Passyunk, "There was like an invasion of suits, men with earplugs . . . You know, they're Secret Service.

  Top officials at Philadelphia International Airport say they were never informed that the son of former State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo had acquired a share in an airport cheesesteak franchise, but they're not sure they care. "We probably will take a look at it," James Tyrrell, city deputy director of aviation, said in a telephone interview last week. "We really need to discuss it. I don't know if this is something we should be overly concerned about. " Vincent E. Fumo II filed suit in Common Pleas Court on March 29, complaining that he had paid $150,000 in 2009 for a 30 percent share of the cheesesteak business, but had received less than half the return promised - "a guaranteed return of $50,000 a year for every year that the restaurant was in business.

The son of former State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo has filed suit against a South Jersey restaurateur for allegedly breaching the terms of deals in which Fumo paid $205,000 for shares of two restaurants, one of them at Philadelphia International Airport. In complaints filed Thursday in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, Vincent E. Fumo II said he had written a personal check for $150,000 to buy a 30 percent share in a new Philly cheesesteak venture, completed in 2009 in the connector between the airport's B and C Terminals.

Bio: 50; Northeast native; now in Manayunk with his wife Robyn. Training: Bucks County Community College. Philly restaurant connections: Ristorante DiLullo, Apropos, 1701 Café, Capriccio, Sonoma, Kansas City Prime, Arroyo Grille, River City Diner/Tootsie's, Fish on Main, Carmellas. What's new? More veggie options at his restaurant, Derek's (4411 Main St., 215-483-9400, dereksrestaurant.com ). "When I look at my menu I see we're lacking things that are strictly vegetables, without any dairy, without any animal fats.

What's to eat: Korean and Japanese food. No relation to the KoJa Grille at Broad and Oxford. Find it: 38th between Walnut and Sansom, noon to 7:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. Hook up: 267-322-9925. You can order ahead. How long? Owner Soo Lee says she's been in the same spot for six years. Most popular: The bulgogi cheesesteak ($3), mixing Philly's signature sandwich with the Korean staple of marinated meat. We're also fans of the beef bulgogi platter ($6.50).

Who: Mortgage guy and dad nominated by oldest son for season 3 of "Worst Cooks in America," Sundays at 9 p.m. on the Food Network. Age: 47. From: South Philly. Now: Jenkintown. Big debut: His audition dish was "macaroni and cheesesteak: Steak-umms dumped in the oven with a bunch of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. " Kitchen disaster: "Cooking was always an afterthought to me. Like, oh my God! It's dinnertime! What am I gonna do? I'd take pieces of a puzzle that didn't go together and slop em together.

When Kobe Bryant comes to Philadelphia, he knows he's going to get an earful from the fans and a lot of in-your-face defense from 76ers forward Andre Iguodala. Iguodala is unquestionably the best defender on the Sixers roster and, as it was Monday night when he was assigned to Bryant, he always guards the opponent's best perimeter player. He received high praise from Bryant before the Los Angeles Lakers took on the Sixers Monday in Bryant's one-and-only return to the city of his birth this season.

Bio: 36 and single; grew up in Buckingham, now lives in another Bucks County 'burb, Perkasie. Philly restaurant connections: Sonoma, Four Seasons, Lacroix. What's new? PorcSalt, the French-style charcuterie (646-255-9312, porcsalt.com ) he started 18 months ago, crafting cured meats, poultry and more for sale to restaurants and at farm and specialty markets. From restaurant to charcuterie: Working steadily since age 18, he was feeling that the more he cooked, the further he got from food.

MARIO ROMERO Bio: He's 30, from Northeast Philly. Lives in Lancaster with wife Alison, 8-year-old daughter Vivienne and 2-this-month son Cole. What's new? He's exec chef at the latest - first in Philly - Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant. It opened last week in Chestnut Hill (8400 Germantown Ave., 215-948-5600, ironhillbrewery.com). Philadelphia restaurant connections: Tangerine, Angelina, Django, Striped Bass, Cuba Libre, Pumpkin. Why Iron Hill?

Menu: Looks French. Tastes American. You can't get thick crepes stuffed with Buffalo chicken or cheesesteak anywhere near Paris. Find it: Northeast corner of 13th and Norris streets, at Temple University. Hours : 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Monday-Friday. Look for : Well-worn silver truck painted blue, white and red, and papered with menu items and press clippings. Contact: 215-778-4771. Or search "Creperie at Temple" on Facebook. There since: February 2003.

FOR IDEAS as well as for individuals, New Year's is big-picture time: Where have we been, and where do we hope to go? As for the cause of animal-free eating, now that it's moved from weirdo fringe to an almost-mainstream concept, it's a good time to ask: Is this idea finally catching on? Maybe that's wishful thinking, but 2011 was a pretty big year for the plant-based diet: * A new study indicated that twice as many people are eating vegan compared with a couple of years ago. * Oprah Winfrey and her 378 staffers went vegan for a week, and other talk shows had strong coverage as well.