Summer of the Steak, Stop #5

Sonny's Famous Steaks

SUMMER OF THE STEAK STOP #5
Sonny's Famous Steaks
228 Market Street, Philadelphia (between 2nd and 3rd)
www.sonnysfamoussteaks.com
Click here for the full photo gallery.

Guest Critic - Scott Munroe
Scott is entering his second full season as a Phantoms goaltender. He joined the team late in the 2005-06 season following the end of his senior season at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he rewrote the record books when it comes to goaltending accomplishments. He split the bulk of the goaltending duties with Martin Houle last season, appearing in 40 games and posting a record of 15-19-2 with a 3.05 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage.

DIRECTIONS:
Reach Market Street by your preferred means (Broad Street, Vine Expressway, I-95, etc.)
Sonny's is on Market between 2nd and 3rd, on the right side.

Sonny’s Famous Steaks is one of the newer steak shops in Philadelphia, having opened in 2000. But despite their status as relative newcomers, Sonny’s steaks are not to be overlooked; they received almost immediate notoriety by winning the “Best of Philly” cheese steak in 2001. Located right on Market Street in the heart of Old City, Sonny's started at 216 Market in 2000 but had to close in early 2003 when their building was deemed unsafe. They moved down the street and reopened in July of that year. The Sonny’s cheese steak name grew even further later that year when it became a favorite of the cast and crew of MTV’s “The Real World: Philadelphia", which had set up nearby at 3rd and Arch. Employees wear T-shirts that say Bite Me. Their website encourages visitors to “come on in and put our steaks to the test,” and so we did. Here are our results.



Scott Munroe - Wiz wit'

Rating (out of five):

Summary:
I recently had the opportunity to join some valued members of the Phantoms staff on a voyage of epic proportions. I was able to expand my cheese steak palate and try one of Sonny's finest. I kept it simple, Whiz with and no extra toppings. I didn't want to taint the true flavor of this culinary masterpiece. I was impressed with the amount of steak, and the fact that it was thinly sliced. The onions added ample flavor and the cheese was the icing on the cake so to speak. I did not leave disappointed and would have to give Sonny's four out of five Golden Hockey Sticks.

Mike Thornton - American "with"
Rating (out of five):

Summary: This was a good stop. Both the food and the company were enjoyable. Scott Munroe is a top shelf guy and, much like Riley Cote, is first off the bench when it comes to community involvement. He was always quick to help during the season at schools for our reading program and probably knows the books Z Is For Zamboni and The Magic Hockey Stick by heart. His girlfriend Jade seems to be a good equal to his personality.

On to the sandwich. Built on an Amoroso’s roll, I had my usual, American with onions. The steak was first rate. While being cooked on the grill, it was slightly chopped. I did not detect any fat. The cheese and onions mingled all through the steak, so every bite was even in its contents. I gnawed on a whole hot peeper that I acquired free at the condiment station as well. My only wish was that the sandwich was bigger. Don’t get me wrong, the roll had plenty of beef on it. Maybe I was just the victim of a good cheese steak and wanted more? It’s a bit of a different type of cheese steak than Tony Luke’s, but I give it the same score as it’s older steak brethren.

Brian Smith - Mushroom American with, plus ketchup

Rating (out of five):

Summary: They again don't put on the ketchup for you at Sonny's, but most other aspects of the steak were perfect. Most places will use at least a little oil when they cook the beef, but Sonny's doesn't. You'd think that would leave the beef too dry, but that's not the case. It was seasoned nicely and the cheese, mushrooms and onions were warm and mixed in well. My particular roll was a little on the soft side. It didn't quite make the four-stick shelf for me but it does earn a solid 3 1/2.

Thursday, June 28, 2007