Is this the “hero” we deserve?
New York may no longer just be the city of bagels and slices of pizza the size of an elephant’s ear. While Philadelphia is known as a mecca for cheesesteaks, the Big Apple is on a list of authentic offerings thanks to a few ghosts of the City of Brotherly Love setting up shop here.
The latest import is Danny & Coop’s, which drew 90-minute lines around the East Village block during a surprise second weekend opening last Saturday.
“It’s a good cheesesteak, I waited about an hour and a half and I think it was worth it,” satisfied customer Richie Sunden told The Post.
From Danny DiGiampietro of Angelo’s in Philly fame and the movie star, blooded Whiz Philadelphian Bradley Cooper, the joint venture was teased in 2023 as a pop-up food truck, before the first raucous soft opening in December.
Cooper, 50, has even been seen tucking into steaks during the past two outings, donning an apron and serving up their long beef and cheese torpedo to the cheesy crowds.
Their version is sprinkled with Cooper Sharp cheddar, mixed with scallions and bookended by a heroic house-made sesame roll for $17.
Cooper and DiGiampietro have remained mum on the opening of the brick-and-mortar location, which will take place sometime this month at 151 Avenue A near 10th Street.
But the Filthy-delphians who avoid Gotham are devouring them.
“I’m from the Philly area and I’ve had a lot of cheesesteaks, but this one [is] very special,” Noah S. told The Post.
“The best steak in Philly is now available in NYC,” declared another nosh-talgic on Yelp, who noted that the quality was nearly identical to Angelo’s in Philly.
Another huge fan added to the steakhouse earthquake by declaring on Saturday X, “I went to Bradley Cooper’s new Philly steakhouse in NYC last night, and let me tell you, it was the most incredible sandwich I’ve ever had sometimes. all my life.”
One Reddit user said they “waited 30 minutes to order and another 45 minutes for the food to come out.”
“The place was packed and sold out while I was waiting,” they added. “The cheesesteak itself was one of the best I’ve ever had.”
The notion may seem as ridiculous as edible bagels in Pennsylvania, but DiGiampietro isn’t the only cheese ghost serving up the South Philly staple.
There’s been a steak renaissance, according to Aaron Hoffman, another Philly transplant and owner of Wogie’s Bar & Grill, whose West Village branch has been open for more than 20 years and is packed with Philly sports fanatics.
It also has an outlet in the Financial District with plans to open a third in Katonah, Westchester County.
“It ebbs and flows,” Hoffman, whose place was listed by the Philadelphia Inquirer as one of NYC’s must-try cheese spots, told The Post. “When we first opened in 2004, it was a place called Carl’s [Steaks]and then there was a place called 99 miles in philly. Both of these guys went out of business. I think maybe now we’re hitting it again.”
Also in the growing Philly steak fraternity is Fedoroff’s Roast Pork in Brooklyn, opened in 2016 by South Philly native Dave Fedoroff. G’s Cheesesteaks on Staten Island opened a year ago, and Mama’s Too! pizzeria on the Upper West Side in 2017.
Along with the quantity, the caliber is also increasing, especially when it comes to the dough.
“I think the key is fresh bread,” said Hoffman, who has owned his bakery in the West Village for 10 years. “We make our own bread and then ship it to Fi-Di.”
“When we run out of bread, we stop selling steaks,” he added. “I think people are really upping their game.”
It is not only the quality of carbohydrates that is increasing. Mama’s Too, which also cooks its own rolls, uses prime ribeye that’s sliced that day. This is topped with a cheese fondue: fontina, white cheddar, Cooper Sharp, grated Parmesan, ground black pepper and white wine instead of the traditional Cheez Whiz.
Why the steak boom? Hoffman said he has definitely noticed an increase in Philly customers since 2004.
NYC has also become increasingly cross-pollinated with international cuisines from Thai to Mexican and Mexican-Asian fusion—so why shouldn’t regional foods follow?
It probably helps that Philly establishments in NYC don’t have the same scarlet letter they used to.
“Because we put ‘EAGLE-S’ in the window, people were honking and we got some bad vibes,” Hoffman said describing the initial reception, which died down.
He also credits the Internet, which, along with helping Philly transplants find oases in NYC’s steakhouse desert, has skyrocketed the popularity of restaurants like Fedoroff’s.
He’s amassed nearly 50 million views on TikTok by sharing footage of his Red October-sized sandwiches with shakes.
The elephant in the room is that NYC has its own version of Philly steak – Brooklyn roast beef. This nosh, which is also enjoyed with blue cheese, is served at Roll N Roaster, Brennan and Carr’s and other locations.
Would the Philly steakhouse boom be similar to the Chicago deep dish pizza taking over NYC? Nick Bruzzese, owner of Staten Island roast beef spot On A Roll, doesn’t see the issue.
“The thing I liked about the actor there, Bradley Cooper, when I was watching the video,” he said, “I’ll tell you, his movie looked really good.”
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Image Source : nypost.com