Steak

The yellow moon of City Hall's glowing clock tower beamed above the couple as they nibbled their warm baguettes, downed shots of complimentary strawberry smoothie, then lifted glasses of Champagne to clink a toast. It was a Chamber of Commerce moment if ever there was one, framed by the grandly paned windows of Amuse, the striving French bistro at the new Le Méridien hotel. Too bad those diners, seated snug beside the glass, were the only ones who could soak it in. Dark, heavy curtains, to my dismay, dangled clumsily down the middle of each of the room's tall windows, blotting out the million-dollar power view that should be just one of this intriguing venue's numerous no-brainer attractions.

Controversy just seems to stick to South Philly steak king Joey Vento like a big gob of Cheez Whiz. The latest: Police from a neighboring township were ordered to patrol Vento's South Jersey residence while he vacationed in Italy - just months after he donated a 2010 Harley-Davidson to that department. Vento, owner of the popular Geno's Steaks in South Philly, presented Medford police with the bike worth about $15,000 nearly seven months ago. Medford Police Chief Anthony Canale said that had nothing to do with his decision to arrange the patrol of Vento's home in Shamong - partially outside the Medford town limits.

12 (21-25 count) shrimp cooked, peeled, and halved lengthwise 2 ounces dried rice vermicelli, cooked and cooled 8 rice-paper wrappers 1/2 cup mung bean sprouts, rinsed 1 bunch each fresh mint, Thai basil, cilantro 1 Thai chili, julienned 1 small cucumber peeled, seeded and cut into matchsticks 2 large scallions, cut into matchsticks 4 Boston lettuce leaves, halved Nuoc mam fish sauce (optional) Hoisin sauce (optional) Sriracha (optional)

The top cheesesteak comes from a shop in Atlantic City. This just gets worse. Mike Hauke of Tony Boloney's, who won a cheesesteak battle overseen by Food Network chef Guy Fieri at the Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival on Friday, has no Philly roots or training. He grew up in Freehold, N.J., and has been selling sandwiches in A.C.'s Inlet for only 13 months. He was a Manhattan businessman before he career-changed. Hauke tried to sound humble after vanquishing Philly rivals Chink's Steaks and Rick's Steaks, as well as fellow Jersey Shore shop Sack O' Subs.

HARRISBURG - A little more than a year ago, Gov. Rendell weighed a chart-busting 267 pounds. He would down a 22-ounce steak in 11 minutes and curl up with a half-gallon of ice cream before bed. Today, Rendell tips the scales at a svelte 205. For a man known as much throughout Pennsylvania for his supersize appetite as for his oversize personality, Rendell says he still enjoys a few scoops of ice cream and a good rib eye. But now he...

You go to Bitar's in the Italian Market for top-notch gyros and kebabs, thereby avoiding the cheesesteak glut two blocks away. But when in Rome . . . . Amin Bitar says the new Bitar steak and potato sandwich wrap started as a joke, as a customer asked for a Lebanese riff on a steak sandwich. It starts with a fresh-baked pita, spread with a moderately spicy harissa mayo, and topped with thinly sliced, char-grilled sirloin steak, sauteed onions, and red and green bell peppers.

Milan salad redux Under the orange umbrellas at Table 31's al fresco sibling, The Plaza Cafe, outside the Comcast Center, diners steeped in Philadelphiana can be seen smiling at the menu listing for the Milano Salad, a satisfyingly retro bowl that has passed this way before. It is quite simply - quite classically - a pile of crunchy iceberg lettuce tossed with lightened-up Russian-ish dressing, adorned with cubed tomato, hard-cooked egg, a sprinkle of peeled shrimp, and a shred of bacon - all the fun of a BLT, plus shrimp.

Baba Ghanoush . . . 4 Chicken With Lime and Cilantro . . . 4 Fennel and Radiccio Salad . . . 2 French Potato Salad . . . 2 Steak and Portobello Sandwich . . . 3

Steak, mushrooms, and sweet onions make a great, quick summer dinner. The steak, mushrooms, and onions are sautéed in the same pan. The balsamic vinegar-and-garlic marinade becomes a dipping sauce for the sandwich. Steak and Portobello Sandwich Makes 2 servings 1. Remove visible fat from steak. Mix garlic and balsamic vinegar in a self-sealing plastic bag. Add the steak and mushrooms. Marinate 10 minutes, turning bag over once. 2. Meanwhile, spray bread with olive oil and toast for one minute.

Jonathan Adams is in the upstairs kitchen at Pub & Kitchen, the gastropub at 20th and Lombard, fiddling with his second batch of practice crepes. The first batch had come out like pancakes, not a good look for Crepes Marcelle, plump with cognac pastry cream. It is 12:23 p.m., and he is alone, save the wail of the Stones' '70s classic Sticky Fingers . As a hip, cutting-edge chef (at Salt and Snackbar) Adams, 32, was better known as "Jonny Mac," a master of methylcellulose and edgy molecular gastronomy.