When a new spot opens in town, we can't wait to check it out -- and let you know our initial impressions. Share a few photos, some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead a peek inside restaurants that have just opened, sampling a few items, and satisfying curiosities (yours and ours).
Restaurant: The Phoenix Cheesesteak Co. Location: 2605 North 7th Street Open: About two weeks. Eats: Cheesesteaks Price point: $11 - $30
In November, The Phoenix Cheesesteak Company, a food truck started in 2009 by owner Ron Blom and his family, made the leap from four wheels to four walls in Central Phoenix (at the northeast corner of Seventh Street and Virginia) in the former home of Calabria Italian Kitchen.
Last week, the food truck turned storefront opened, touting USDA choice rib-eye roasts trimmed by hand every morning, fresh veggies, bread delivered daily, and sporting a small menu of six, made-to-order original and specialty cheesesteaks, available in regular and large sizes, along with a build-your-own option and a few sides.
Let's take a bite, shall we?
What you need to know about The Phoenix Cheesesteak Co. is that the rib-eye is very good. There's a good chance you'll see the raw roast being carved and trimmed in the kitchen, and that, when receiving your finished cheesesteak creation, smell its meaty aroma first before biting into tender pieces bursting with steak-y goodness.
If you like your cheesesteaks with a bit of a kick, order up The Phoenix. Its roasted green chilies and fresh jalapeños work well with the flavorful meat, and the caramelized onions, provolone cheese, and roasted chile mayo make for an excellent supporting cast inside an decent soft bun with a crispy crust.
Unfortunately, the carnitas (pork) sandwich did not work as well as the rib-eye cheesesteak. By itself, the fresh braised pork butt was tender and tasty; however, the rest of the ingredients, especially the provolone cheese and green chile apple sauce (which tasted more like sour cream), proved to be too much and the poor piggy had no choice but to hide in the background.
And if you'd prefer your cheesesteak sans bun, order up the cheesesteak fries. Arriving in an aluminum tin, steak fries are topped with pieces of rib-eye, caramelized onions, green chilies, spicy cheese sauce, and fresh jalapeños. It's a lively dish, but given the large pieces of the toppings, smaller fries would benefit its ease of eating.
Just two weeks old, the interior is still rather stark and its walls strikingly orange, but the service is friendly and there's nothing like a solid cheesesteak to set one's world right again. I know I'll be back.
The Phoenix Cheesesteak Co. will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and hopes to expand their hours in the future.
What say you, cheesesteak chompers? Have you been to the new Phoenix Cheesesteak Co. yet? What did you think?
