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| The Philly Way. |
The first thing you notice upon entering The Philly Way (405 S. Second St.) are the giant cans of Cheez Whiz displayed as artwork around the perimeter of the kitchen. Cheese Whiz, the gooey, processed cheese sauce conceived in the ’50s and still sold by Kraft, is a key ingredient in the time-honored Philly cheese steak tradition.
Along with Philadelphia sports paraphernalia on the walls, you’ll also find a golden, Cheez Whiz-colored paint job. Normally, my instincts would deter me from consuming a shelf-stable dairy product so yellow it glows, but when in The Philly Way, do as the Philadelphians do.
Located in the industrial Walker’s Point neighborhood of Milwaukee, this is the only place in town to get an authentic cheese steak. Blink and you’ll miss it – the place is that small. But the food and have had people coming back for a decade.
Adorned with vinyl diner stools, the tiny shop has room for 15 people elbow-to-elbow, but it packs lunch crowds in and out the door for a quick fix. The three-season makeshift patio holds overflow, but with plastic patio furniture and exposed wood walls, it’s pretty bare bones.
“Why top such delicious meat with fake cheese?” I ask the cook. “I don’t know, that’s just they way they do, it and it’s always been like that,” he replies. Investigating further, I was unable to find a better explanation from anyone. To cheese steak aficionados, Cheez Whiz is as good as liquid gold.
I quickly learn there are other rules you don’t question when it comes to eating an authentic Philly cheese steak. Near the register is a sign trumpeting the “10 commandments of cheese steak.” Never ask for lettuce, tomato, mayo, green peppers or pickles. Even worse – don’t think of mentioning A1 Steak Sauce, a steak knife or a toasted bun. Don’t ever call it roast beef or any other cut of meat aside from rib-eye steak.
The cheese (if you order provolone or American) is buried underneath the pile of steaming beef. Some suggest the cheese keeps the tasty steak jous from dripping through the bread and making it soggy.
For a scant $6.60, you can indulge in seven ounces of lean rib-eye steak mingled with grilled onions on a famous Amoroso hoagie roll. The bread is hearty but soft, and the steak is delicately seasoned and, surprisingly, not greasy.
Akin to an episode of “Man vs. Food,” I saw brawny men saddle up to the counter and order “The Works,” a cheese steak piled high with extra cheese, sweet and hot peppers, mushrooms and onions ($7.95). For a Dairyland spin on the Philly, I order the popular three-cheese: provolone, white American, and, yes, Cheez Whiz ($7.50). Bring on the processed Kraft dairy product.
Served open-faced with cheese oozing from every corner, the sandwich was so messy I had to use a fork for the first few bites until I could wrap my not-so-brawny hands around it. (I clearly wasn’t built for this cuisine.) The enormous sandwich actually went down pretty quickly, as the cheese prevented it from getting too dry. Like a mathematical formula, The Philly Way achieved the perfect ratio of meat to bread to cheese.
As for the Cheez Whiz – it tastes good, so long as it’s atop a heaping pile of rib-eye steak. Don’t question the Whiz, just do it. You won’t be disappointed. And heck, it’s the cheapest steak dinner you’ll ever have.
The small menu also offers a plain steak sandwich ($6.35), burgers ($6.60), chili dogs ($5.25) and a Cajun chicken or chicken cheese steak sandwich ($6.60). Chili cheese ($4.95), Cajun cheese ($3.25) or regular ($2.50) French fries round out the meal.
Philadelphia Magazine named The Philly Way the best cheese steak in America (outside of Philadelphia) two years in a row. Summer hours are: Monday-Tuesday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday, 12-7 p.m. Delivery is available.
