The Blogmaster Speaks

I remember the first Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches I ever had. I lived in Trenton, New Jersey and our neighborhood had picnics during the summer and they served up cheesesteaks there and they were pretty decent. But then again, I was only around 12-13 years old at the time and I probably hadn't tasted that one-great-Philly Cheesesteak yet and didn't know one from another. They were good and I recall that they had these large kegs of Birch Beer and I would drink that along with eating.

I've lived in California now for the past 35 years and take trips periodically back east. The best darndest Philly I ever had has to be from Pudge's in Blue Bell. Gigantic, delicious and overflowing with peppers and onions. A number of years ago, I found that there was a place (gone for quite a while now) at the Farmer's Market in L.A. that served up one almost as good as that. I live in the Bay Area near SF and great cheesesteaks are hard to find.

Pudge's Steaks and Hoagies

The best Philly Cheesesteak sandwich I ever had was from Pudge's in Blue Bell, PA.


1530 Dekalb Pike Blue Bell, PA 19422 (see map below) (610) 277-1717 http://www.pudgessteaks.com/

A few years back, we were visiting niece's family in Blue Bell, PA. When it came to dinnertime on the day we were there, my nieces' husband, Jim, Knowing how much I loved Philly CheeseSteaks, drove over to Pudge's and picked 6 or 7 large sandwiches for all of us.

When he returned, I was starving, having been thinking about the sandwich. I opened mine up and it was huge....lots of meat, cheese and with lots of onions on top. It looked great...it smelled great. As I bit into the sandwich, I chewed slowly, enjoying every bite of it.

I had eaten many cheesteaks over the years and hadn't had one this good since we ate at the Farmer's Market in LA. a long time ago. Very similar to this, but I really have to say that this cheesteak I was eating had to be the best ever. Nothing can really compare to it anywhere. Even in California, nothing comes close. That was a sandwich we would be talking about for years and I would have to wait a long time to eat another sandwich from this place, since we live on the West Coast, 2700 miles from Pudge's. And it is this cheesteak that I compare everyone I heat with. Nothing close yet.