So I finally got to go to the cheesesteak truck, South Philly Experience. It saddens me to say that my good friend Leigha couldn't escape her office for lunch, so I met up with my cool coworker Ty and Ian M.
I have heard quite a lot about this food truck, and I was very excited to try it. I already had my lunch planned out in my head: cheesesteak with fried onions, Hank's Black Cherry Soda, Herr's chips, and possibly a Tastykake. So I was very disappointed when the guy taking my order told me that they were out of Hank's sodas, and had been for quite some time. Ugh, whatever. So I ordered my cheesesteak with onions and American cheese, and I decided to be adventurous and have the Herr's creamy dill pickle chips, and Ty went with the always yummy cheddar and sour cream.
The cheesesteak was ok.
There was a decent amount of cheese on the steak, and the meat was chopped to a good size. I was having trouble telling how the steak was seasoned, because overall there was a funny aftertaste. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, so I broke it down, and then I realized that it was the onions. They were really overpowering and had a sweetness to them that I didn't particularly enjoy. They also got pretty mushy, and I can't stand that. When I made cheesesteaks back home, I always grilled the onions to a nice golden brown, but they still had a bit of a crunch to them.
I don't know if it always tastes like that, or if it was a fluke thing, but if I ever wind up at the truck again, I'll play it safe and get no onions. Ty and Ian thought the bread was chewy, I agreed that it didn't taste really fresh. I know they use Amoroso's, so maybe it was frozen for too long or something. Overall, Ty said his cheesesteak was dry and disappointing. Ian also got fries, and they were thin shoestring fries. He was bummed out that they were a bit soggy, but he liked that there was pepper on them.
For dessert, Ian went with the classic Butterscotch Krimpet:
I decided to try the Shave Ice truck since it was hotter than hell outside.
There were all kinds of crazy combinations and flavors, but I went simple and got a cherry ice.
I have always said that water ice would be the next big thing out here...the next "Pinkberry" craze. I appreciate what they are trying to do here with the Shave Ice truck, but its just not the same. The ice is so thin it almost has a powder consistency, and I like mine to be crunchable. The cherry flavoring also had an odd aftertaste, and like a snowcone, there were some bland bites with no flavor. This is why water ice is better, the flavoring is mixed all throughout. It isn't ice with syrup poured on top. But, on a hot day, shaved ice is better than no ice. And the guys in the truck were really very sweet and they were handing out cute little stickers which I liked.
I would go to South Philly Experience again if I happened to be in the right place at the right time. It wasn't the best I've ever had, and I think they're a bit pricey, but its a fun idea, and the fact that they have Herr's chips scores major points with me. Now they need to restock the Hank's sodas!
South Philly Experience
http://southphillyexperience.com
