Philly's

Its Christmas and at Christmas we all think about home. Since this is a restaurant blog, I think about Restaurants in my hometown. I was born in Philadelphia, and when one think about Philadephia food the first thing that comes to mind is CHEESESTEAKS! The second thing is hoagies. While Pensacola restaurants offer us many different food options, from seafood and steak to sushi and thai, one has to hunt long for a cheesesteak or a hoagie. Never fear. I have found a restaurant in Pensacola that serves cheesesteaks as good as any in Philly. Its called Philly’s (ironically enough!)

Let’s first do a bit of background study on the food itself. Wikipedia says this: “The cheesesteak, known outside the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area as the Philadelphia cheesesteak, Philly Steak and Cheese, Philly cheesesteak, steak and cheese, or simply a Philly is a sandwich principally of thinly sliced pieces of steak and melted cheese on a long roll. A cheesesteak without cheese is locally called a steak sandwich, or a Philly Steak in other parts of the country. The cheesesteak is a comfort food for natives of the Philadelphia region. It was invented in the city in 1930 and is considered to be a city icon along with other foods such as Tastykakes, water ice, the Philadelphia soft pretzel, hoagies, and scrapple.” The best places to get cheesesteaks in Philadelphia is Pat’s or Geno’s. The former claims to have invented the cheesesteak.

I grew up eating all these things in abundance, and still do a couple times a year, when I get back to southeast Pennsylvania. Hoagies became known in other parts of the world as italian subs, but hoagies are different. They come on the same roll as a cheesesteak. Those rolls are special. In fact, as Ross, the owner of Philly’s in Pensacola, tells the story, he woudl have opened Philly’s sooner if he could have figured out how to get the rolls fresh in Pensacola. He now has them specially shipped to his shop. It is important that the bread is fresh to a great cheesesteak or hoagie. Philly’s has them fresh.

Philly’s in Pensacola is every bit as good as Pat’s or Geno’s in Philadelphia. (You’re welcome, Ross) It’s not a glamourous place (sorry, Ross), but neither s Pat’s or Geno’s. They are all essentially grill counter sandwich shops that are entirely focused on giving you the real product, which is a belly full of delicious juicy meat, grilled onions, peppers, bread, and cheese. Both cheesesteaks and hoagies are traditionally served with fries and soda, with a dessert of Tastykakes. Philly’s has it all. There are a few tables but most business is takeout!

If you are a southerner looking to step above the mason dixon line, or you are a Yankee looking for a taste of home, Philly’s can not be beat. And it is a must for anyone seeking to expand their culinary horizons. I’d love to see Philly’s expand their operation to more tables and a downtown location.

Name: Philly’s Cheesesteaks & Hoagies
Location: 3900 Creighton Rd, Pensacola, FL, 32504
Phone: (850) 969-0087
Price: <$

Website: http://www.phillysonline.com/

Jackson's Restaurant

Jackson’s Restaurant provides the best dining experience in Pensacola. Awarded as one of the best 25 restaurants in Florida, the dining experience they offer is flawless. From the experience of making the recommended reservation to decor and service to the food. Impeccable. Jackson’s Restaurant can easily be compared to any fine restaurant in any larger metropolitan area. While the dining experience will cost you more than most in Pensacola are accustomed to paying (…much more), I am happy to say that it is worth every Ben Franklin you can muster.

Your experience starts with a friendly reservation in which they want to know your full names and if you are visiting for any special occasion. This conversation is akin to the concierge service at a 5-star hotel. When you arrive the door is opened for you. When you enter you are greeted warmly both by the host and the decor. Jackson’s is decorated with an absolute attention to detail. The chandeliers are faux tree limbs capped by candle lanterns. The light is warm and ample while still maintaining intimacy, supplemented by the simply elegant and comfortable furniture. Expect white table clothes and jacketed service. Your table will be attended by no less than two service staff. The atmosphere is now complimented by live piano music (though it did get a tiny bit loud at times).

She had a rib-eye that was absolutely sublime. Great steak is a wonderful thing, but this a different level. I had the Marksman’s Grill, which was sadly better on the menu that it was on my plate. However it was adventuresome and unique with quail, elk, and venison (my favorite), and still quite tasty. We chose a bottle of “J”, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, and once it had a chance to breath, it went down very easily. (We liked it so much, we walked out with the bottle.) Being a birthday, we splurged on dessert-creme brulee and Rosco’s Amazing Chocolate Stack. While one can never go wrong with creme brulee (though the berries were spectacular), the peanut-butter chocolate dessert took the night.

We apologize that we don’t remember the names of our servers, but they did a great job! Maybe it is a mark of great service that we don’t remember them? In any case, the evening was stellar. A word of notice. Please see the dollar signs below before making your reservation and make sure you understand our price rating. But once you take that note, prepare for the best fine dining restaurant experience Pensacola has to offer.

Name: Jackson’s Restaurant
Location: 400 South Palafox Street, Pensacola, FL, 32502

Phone: (850) 469-9898

Price: Lunch $$-$$$; Dinner $$$$$-15$

Website: http://www.jacksonsrestaurant.com/