National Cheesesteak Day on March 24th gives us an excuse to stuff our faces with the classic sandwich. Traditional cheesesteaks come with just beef and cheese and can be topped with sautéed onions and peppers. But in Westchester, restaurants sometimes enjoy mixing things up. Here are five of our favorite places to get the classic or to riff on it.
Photo courtesy of Kayla Garritano
WBC Cheesesteak at Westchester Burger Company
106 Westchester Ave, White Plains; 914.358.9399
275 S Ridge St, Rye Brook; 914.305.6095
353 N Bedford Rd, Mount Kisco; 914.218.3200
Two American classics, the burger and the Philly cheesesteak, combine into one epic dish at Westchester Burger Company. “[We take] the opportunity to put creativity between two buns,” says owner Vincent Corso, who riffs on burger toppings to create the WBC Cheesesteak. With chopped steak, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, and smoked mozzarella oozing out of a crunchy garlic hoagie, it’s a dish worth getting messy for.
Photo courtesy of Westchester Taco Grill
Taco Cheesesteak at Westchester Taco Grill
712 North Ave, New Rochelle; 914.278.9865
Two other classics combine at Westchester Taco Grill in New Rochelle. Its taco cheesesteak is loaded with melted cheese, shredded steak, sautéed onions, and peppers. Squeeze a bit of lime on top to cut through all the richness. While it’s typically served in a 4.5” flour tortilla or a 5” hard-shell corn tortilla, there are also lettuce wraps available.
Photo courtesy of on The Way Cafe
Philly Cheesesteak Wedge with Cheez Whiz at On the Way Café
34 Ridgeland Terr, Rye; 914.921.2233
The Philly cheesesteak wedge at On the Way Café strives to bring the traditional version to New York. “After many years of going [to Philadelphia] and doing research, I found that they use rib-eye, thinly sliced,” says owner and executive chef Joseph Mortelliti, who fell in love with cheesesteaks while visiting Philadelphia in his twenties. (His version gets an upgrade with rib-eye sourced from NYC butcher Pat LaFrieda.) “Cheez Whiz seems to be a staple at many place in Philly, and I wanted to recreate the sandwich as authentically as I could,” he says.
Photo courtesy of Lefteris Gyro II
Chicken Philly Cheesesteak at Lefteris Gyro II
190 Main St, Mount Kisco; 914.242.8965
For those who don’t eat red meat, a chicken Philly cheesesteak is a great option. Lefteris Gyro II put Greek touches on its version with chicken, peppers, onions, mushrooms and cheese, packed into a pita. Of course, if you feel it’s not a cheesesteak without the beef, they can also do a steak version.
Vegan Philly Cheese “Steak” at Sweet Grass Grill
24 Main St, Tarrytown; 914.631.0000
Sweet Grass Grill works with about a dozen local farms to ensure the freshest ingredients, and includes many vegan and gluten-free items on the menu. One that sticks out is their vegan Philly cheese “steak” which comes with marinated grilled seitan, vegan cheese, and sautéed bell peppers and onions. Served with house-made chips or salad on the side, it’s the perfect option for the non-meat eater looking to celebrate this national holiday.
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