Philly’s tastiest new cheesesteaks | Let’s Eat

These are exciting days for cheesesteak fans. Also this week: Warm cocktails to ward off the fall chill, Peeps will be getting a makeover, there’s a hot new seafood restaurant on Broad Street, and would you eat a sandwich topped with 24k gold?

— Mike Klein

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The Philly-area cheesesteak scene is popping.

In West Chester, I’ll steer you to Steaks West Chester, a brand-new shop from Speer Madanat, who owns the nearby cult favorite, Pizza West Chester. His beauties (shown above) are served on custom-designed, sesame-seed rolls. Designer bread, you say?

And this being Philly, there’s a touch of drama attached to the opening of Jim’s West, on the original site of Jim’s Steaks in West Philadelphia. The upshot: Tasty sandwiches and incredible banana pudding.

Get a taste of our cheesesteak coverage:

Whether you are looking for a fall flavor that brings warm memories, or are simply looking for something new beyond pumpkin spice, colleague Michelle Myers offers seven places in Philly serving drinks to cozy you up.

California is starting to ban some food dyes, and your Peeps will need to keep up. Ariana Perez-Castells explains how the Bethlehem-based candy maker will cope.

Restaurants have been donating some or all of a day’s proceeds to Israeli relief organizations. Mike Solomonov and Steve Cook reported sending $100,565 to United Hatzalah — its Oct. 12 total take from Zahav, Laser Wolf, K’Far, and Goldie. Chef Yehuda Sichel donated the $3,000 proceeds of an Oct. 17 pop-up with Third Space Atlanta at his Center City restaurant, Huda. Allan Domb at Schlesinger’s Deli in Center City donated $5,323.25 — all of Oct. 16′s receipts. At Borscht Belt in Newtown, Bucks County, owners Nick Liberato and Mike Dalewitz say they have been cutting checks — thousands of dollars at a clip, Dalewitz said — to Philly Stands With Israel and three other nonprofits.

Great news out of the Italian Market, shared by Lynette Hazelton: After a series of vehicle thefts threatened the future of Marco’s Fish Market & Crab House, Alma del Mar, and Taquitos de Puebla — owned by Alma Romero and Marcos Tlacopilco (shown above) — community members and patrons stepped up. They’re now back in the driver’s seat.

Han Dynasty, the popular Chinese restaurant mini chain, has added food to the menu at the Wells Fargo Center. Noodles and rice at a Sixers or Flyers game. For those who gravitate toward bright, shiny objects, note the sandwich shown above that is also a new menu item. It’s smoked beef rib topped with truffle cheese sauce, caramelized onions, demi sauce, and edible 24k gold on a Liscio Bakery roll. Supplies are limited.

There’s been buzz in Atlantic City over the next chapter of the upmarket Italian restaurant Angeloni’s II, which shut down in April after 42 years with the retirement of owner Alan Angeloni. Harry Hurley at wpgtalkradio.com reported in August that it would reopen. Hurley posted last weekend that Angeloni’s would reopen in February under the same name. He also wrote that he knows the identity of the new owner but declined to ID him, saying only that this person also owns “another incredible long-standing Atlantic City restaurant.” Atlantic County real estate records show a $385,000 mortgage filed in August in the name of Ronald Nolan Aspell, who with his wife owns the venerable Tony’s Baltimore Grill. Aspell and I exchanged Instagram messages, but he offered no comment.

Capital Grille is taking over the Pier One Imports at Bucks County’s Village at Newtown next fall. Village at Newtown, on South Eagle Road, might be the region’s foodiest shopping center. Although KO Modern Korean Cuisine just closed, it’s home to the syndicated Chipotle Mexican Grill, Chopt, Crumbl Cookies, Starbucks, Halal Guys, Five Guys, MOD Pizza, Nothing Bundt Cakes, and Turning Point, as well as the home-grown Ardana Food & Drink, Bobby Chez, Bomba Tacos & Rum, Harvest Seasonal Grill, Iron Hill Brewery, Naked Chocolate, Nina’s Waffles & Ice Cream, Oishi, and Playa Bowls.

Chef Dane DeMarco has closed their Burgertime in Audubon, Camden County, just shy of two years after opening. Their final Instagram post showed their toddler, Indigo, on a “play date” in the restaurant with the caption: “When your parents pick mental health over growing a business because they don’t want to miss your childhood. Businesses come and go, but toddlers only toddle for so long.” DeMarco is riding high with Gass & Main, a BYOB in Haddonfield.

Maryland-style seafood is on the menu at the polished Loch Bar, in its opening week at the Arthaus across from the Kimmel Center at Broad and Spruce Streets. To sum up: huge raw bar, 17-seat bar, 13½-foot floor-to-ceiling windows, and live music nightly — a rarity in Philly these days.

Loch Bar, 301 S. Broad St. Hours: 11 a.m.-midnight Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Main Line Today Restaurant Week will run Nov. 5-Nov. 18 with lunches priced at $25, $30, and $35 and dinners priced at $30, $45, and $55. See the list of restaurants.

Irwin’s, chef Michael Vincent Ferreri’s well-regarded Italian restaurant upstairs at the Bok Building, now has a chef’s counter — four seats only and no two nights’ menu the same.

Christa Barfield (aka FarmerJawn), shown below, will launch her Black Harvest culinary series, which are collaborations with restaurants, chefs, artisans, wineries, breweries, and makers, on Saturday at the Westtown Farm near West Chester. The first one, a collaboration with Cheyney University, the first Historically Black College in the United States, will partner FarmerJawn and Cheyney University chef Ian Baker on a four-course dinner with drinks ($150 per person, with a cut of proceeds going to the Cheyney Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Management Department). Ticket purchases also come with a $100 credit toward a FarmerJawn CSA subscription. Details are here.

The Phillies tend to eat at the fancier restaurants in town. But when pitcher Zack Wheeler is craving pizza, what’s his go-to?

A) Angelo’s in South Philly

B) Domino’s on Oregon Avenue

C) Tacconelli’s in Port Richmond

D) Pizza Hut in Folcroft

Find out if you know the answer, and see where else the Phillies eat.

(Cute story from reader and Phillies fan Beth Palubinsky: Cheu Fishtown happens to be one of Wheeler’s top restaurant picks, and her son, Ben, was its general manager for a while. He and his wife, Alana, had a baby boy last December and named him Ripley Ranger, in honor of pitcher Ranger Suarez.)

Idea for a veggie hoagie in West Philly? — @dandenn1

There’s Antonio’s Deli at 3849 Lancaster Ave., which just opened, and the veggie hoagie has baked eggplant, sauteed broccoli rabe, house-roasted peppers and sharp Provolone. If the name sounds familiar, you may know its South Philly location at 1014 Federal St. Back in 2015, Antonio Sawan picked up where the longtime Chickie’s Italian Deli left off.

📮 Have a question about food in Philly? E-mail your questions to me at mklein@inquirer.com for a chance to be featured in my newsletter.

That’s it for now. Take me along when you’re out and about. I’m at @phillyinsider on Instagram, and I’d appreciate your food tips! Best, Mike