Flips on Trips: Tripping in Philly

We're traveling to Philadelphia to visit our friend Vanessa.

And eat cheesesteaks!

Day 1: Ontario, CA to Philadelphia, PA

The Journey
Boarded a before-humans-wakeup flight from Onatrio International (ONT) to Philadelphia (PHL) by way of a quickie layover in Phoenix (PHX).

On the PHX - PHL flight we lucked out with new, upgraded, German-designed seats on our Boeing 737-800 which feaured increased width and legroom. This was after squeezing into the traditional sardine-sized seats on our flight from ONT, but LG didn't mind.

Landed in PHL around 5 PM and took the 45-minute ride on the SEPTA regional rail into the Center City region of Philadelphia.

Although as SoCal girls we drive our cars everywhere and aren't familiar with public transportation, we still found the process fairly easy:

Follow signs to Ground Transportation.
Board regional rail. There are stops at each terminal.
Eventually the conductor will walk through each rail car to collect payment. Have your $8 Center City fare ready. If your destination is beyond Center City, fare is $9. Cash only!
Research which stop services your desired destination. Here is a list of the regional rail airport line's associated stops. Ours was Jefferson Station, which serves the area around Reading Terminal Market and our hotel, Home2Suites by Hilton.

Home2Suites Philadelphia by Hilton
Although Home2Suites' free breakfast is only continental, its location directly across the street from Reading Terminal Market, near the SEPTA airport line, and in Center City definitely outweighed that single drawback.

Coffee and tea are offered in the lobby 24/7.

Dollyanna is not a coffee drinker, but whatever came out of the "Gourmet" carafe was tasty even to her!

Security requires guests to use keycards to access the elevator (press the keycard against the sensor and press the desired floor button simultaneously) and, after 9 PM, the lobby entrance. The floorplan and elevator options are a little confusing (one elevator has two sets of opposing doors). But we got the hang of it eventually!

That "lived-in" feeling

This hotel features rooms with up to two queen-size beds and one sleeper sofa. An optional privacy curtain can separate the sofabed from the two queen beds. Between these beds is a bedstand with two 3-prong electrical outlets and two USB ports. Between the wall and one of the queen beds is another bedstand with one additional 3-prong outlet. Plus a "working wall" with an apartment-sized refrigerator, full-sized microwave, and two dressers all for $119/night? No brainer!

Cheesesteak #1: Geno's Steaks

We decided to try for the dueling cheesesteak purveyors Geno's Steaks and Pat's King of Steaks which face across each other in the South Philly intersection of Passyunk and 9th. Yes, we know that there are tastier spots for a cheesesteak. Yes, this is a tourist trap and the rivalry is more for publicity. But you have to do it at least once, right?

This being our first try using Philly's bus system, we got a little turned around. Ideally, we would have taken the 45 bus line. We ended up hoofing it for most of the route. If you don't have prepaid tokens or passes, each ride's fare is about $2.25.

Geno's

Pat's

Because we saw Geno's glaring neon lights first, we went there and got so full off of cheesesteaks in the style of "wiz" (cheese wiz) "wit" (with grilled onions) plus fries (one regular and one with cheese) that we ran out of room for Pat's King of Steaks. We vowed to return for Pat's on another day. (UPDATE: We ran out of time and, frankly, appetite for cheesesteaks on this trip, and we never returned. Some day we'll try again!)

LG's review of Geno's:

I loved it! I should preface this by saying that it was my first authentic Philly cheesesteak and the first thing I've eaten since a pumpkin muffin 6 hours prior to this sandwich. So it tasted damn good to me.

I was nervous about placing an order since I've heard stories about how incorrectly ordering the food will send you to the back of the line. Luckily, there was a very short line and the customers in front seemed to order the food the non-local way. I practiced what I was "supposed" to say several times in my head, even though it sounded so foreign. Finally, it was time for me to perform.

"2 cheesesteaks wiz with." Success!

Steak: The sliced ribeye was delicious. I liked how the meat lay flat in the sandwich and was nestled nicely between the bread. It didn't fall out of the sandwich. I'm a messy eater so I was able to keep everything tidy.

Cheese: The original Wiz. Other choices were American or Provolone. As much as I love provolone, I had to get the wiz! However, I do want to try a cheesesteak with provolone before I leave Philly.

Bread: It was crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside. It did not get soggy with all the grease and cheese sauce. I hate soggy bread, so this is an A for me.

Onions: They call it fried onions, but to me, it's largely diced grilled onions. Fried onions sound like battered onion rings or onion strings. To-MAY-to to-MAH-to. Other than that, I recommend this sandwich "wit" and not "without."

Sides: Fries and cheese fries. To be honest, the first few bites of the cheese fries were so good while the cheese was still warm. Once the cheese congealed, it was less appealing. The regular fries were a nice balance to the sandwich.

Overall: My first Philly cheesesteak was delicious. I need to try a few more before leaving. However, I know that cheesesteaks back home in California can't compare. As the Fresh Prince of Bel Air would say about his Philly cheesesteaks, "Now this is the real deal."

Cheesesteak Ranking: #1

Dollyanna's 2 cents:

Steak: Slices were too big and not very savory. I prefer steak with a more chopped quality: easier to chew and mixes better with other ingredients in the sandwich.

Cheese: How can you go wrong with cheese whiz? Yum!

Bread: Bread was tasty but a little on the thick and chewy side for me. It did hold the steak inside well enough, but not the steak juices. Although LG had a cleaner experience, my food dripped over more parts of me than I will ever admit here.

Onions: Good! Pieces were small enough and well-distributed throughout the sandwich.

Sides: Will never order cheese fries here again. Once the cheese cooled, it became a brick layer of unrelenting faux dairy. To be fair, we were eating outside in December.

Overall: I've had better, including Campo's during an earlier visit to Philadelphia 10 years ago, and Johnny Rocket's in (gasp) California.

Cheesesteak Ranking for this year's visit: #3

Day 2: Center City

Reading Terminal Market
Our grand plan to wake up at 6 a.m., pick up a rental car, and make the 2.5-hour drive to Gettysburg went bust. Probably would have helped if we had actually slept before 3 a.m. Stupid time difference!

So we elected to explore Reading Terminal Market and other more local environs. Reading Terminal Market is an indoor public market at 12th and Arch streets that features over 100 merchant stalls, the largest gathering of food vendors anywhere in the city. With a history that can be traced back to 1680 when farmers and fishmongers sold their wares in informal markets along today's Market Street, Reading Terminal Market's vendors include a wide range of cuisines including Middle Eastern, Indian, Thai, Jewish, and Chinese.

One corner of the teeming, four-acre structure is reserved for Amish and Mennonite vendors, one of which is the popular breakfast and lunch restaurant, the Dutch Eating Place.

This was our first stop. We lucked out by arriving just before a long line of guests formed. Seating is counter-only, but that only adds to the charm of the market's neighborly vibe.

Here's LG's food review:

Apple Cinnamon French Toast

This was one of their specials for the day, so I don't know how often they put this on their menu. I also did not take time to read what was included with the meal because they had me at "apple cinnamon." I was surprised to find the turkey bacon on my plate and a glass of orange juice right brought to me by the server. But those items are included with the dish.

French Toast: To be honest, I didn't taste the apple or the cinnamon. It tasted like a regular french toast with syrup. I did add the homemade strawberry jam to the dish about 3/4 of the way through and thought it tasted better with jam.

Strawberry Jam: The color was light and looked like tomato salsa. But it did add more sweetness to the french toast. Since I discovered it's existence later in the meal, I only had a few bites of it. It is available for purchase at the diner.

Turkey Bacon: It was hearty, but not crispy Definitely tastier than Jennie-O's or Oscar Meyer's. I felt that it was unnecessary for the dish. Maybe they thought the french toast was not healthy and you needed more protein in the meal? I would have preferred to eat the turkey bacon with eggs. Which I did, thanks to Dollyana graciously sharing some of her omelet.

Orange Juice: It was freshly squeezed and sweet, not tart. I wasn't expecting to drink this since I ordered a coffee. But luckily I was able to take it to go.

Coffee: It was decent. Added the usual half & half and sugar. Nothing special.

Overall: It was ok, but I'd like to try other items on their menu.

Dollyanna's two cents:

Cheese Omelet and Pancake Short Stack, a la carte

Omelet: Not the largest omelet I ever had, but for $4 and some change this was fine. The true star of this dish, however, was the delicious Swiss cheese which tasted amazingly fresh! It was well-distributed throughout the omelet and made each bite a perfect balance between fluffy egg and melty-gooey cheese.

Pancakes: If I was in any way disappointed with the size of the omelet (I wasn't), the size of the pancakes would have more than made up for it. The short stack was short vertically, but horizontally these things were giants! Each of the two pancakes was the size of my face! And while some larger-than-life flapjacks can be dense, these were cushiony light with just enough buttermilk and vanilla flavor to inspire a dreamy sigh with each bite. These were topped with a ginormous pad of freshly churned butter, so large that it left a crater in the cake where it first landed.

Overall: Both were tasty, although if I order those pancakes again, I'll need to share them with someone because they're huge!

Eastern State Penitentiary

After wandering up and down a few more aisles at Reading Terminal Market, we hopped onto the downtown loop of Philly Phlash, a public bus service that connects riders to popular cultural landmarks throughout the Center City area.

Fares are $2 per ride or $5 for all-day access. Prepare to have exact change. Operating hours do vary, especially during off-season. However, we lucked out with daily service because of the December holiday season. One of the loop's 22 stops is just outside Reading Terminal Market, making it a quick and easy option to reach our next destination: Eastern State Penitentiary.

Although the exterior of Eastern State Penitentiary was built to resemble an intimidating Gothic-era fortress, its interiors had a very different original purpose. It was a prison that sought to use Quaker-inspired isolation and labor methods to motivate inmates away from criminality and toward spiritual reflection and penitence -- hence the new word "penitentiary" for prisons, a groundbreaking idea at the time.

It ceased prison operations in 1971 and is now in a state of "managed" decay.

When Eastern State opened in 1829 it was the first prison of its kind. Seven cell blocks branched out from a central surveillance rotunda.

Instead of confining inmates together in large pens as was the norm for that era, prisoners housed in these blocks were isolated in individual cells. Each featured heating, plumbing, flushing toilets, and even a private outdoor exercise space.

Prisoners also had their own skylight, a literal light from the heavens that might inspire prisoners to regret their past sins and repent.

The success of such solitude varied and, by today's standards may be considered inhumane. Indeed, over time newer additions featured less and less of these original solitary practices. However, this original design influenced over 300 penitentiaries across South America, Europe, Russia, China, Japan, and the former British Empire.

One of the more famous inmates during the prison's 142-year-old history was Al Capone.

During his year-long sentence in 1929, Capone enjoyed fancier digs than his fellow neighbors. Surprised he didn't get shanked for all his fancy furniture.

Some of today's visitors flock here for Al Capone's prison cell, but others come in search of ghosts.

Although Eastern State's haunted status can't be completely verified, the free audio tour that comes with admission admits that Eastern State is -- at the very least -- haunting.

Perhaps the most compelling features of Eastern State are the various exhibits detailing personal prisoner stories, racism, and -- even more sobering -- how incarceration is exponentially greater for people of color. Several exhibits extend beyond Eastern State to detail how incarceration works today.

Philadelphia Museum of Art
Next we alighted from Philly Phlash at the Philadelphia Museum of Art where both locals and tourists ascend the steps made famous in Rocky's training sequence. Some tourists even played the Rocky theme song at the top and mimicked the scene.

Near the base of the steps is the statue from Rocky III surrounded by tourists waiting for their chance at a photo op with the Italian Stallion. Clearly, we were too impatient and decided to take a photo on our own terms (from afar).

Cheesesteak #2: Sonny's Famous Cheesesteaks
In our continued quest for cheesesteaks, we took Philly Phlash into the Old City district and trekked over to Sonny's Famous Cheesesteaks. This is the restaurant that foodie Adam Richman claimed had the best cheesesteak in all of Philly. We wanted to judge for ourselves. Sadly the line to purchase trailed all the way to the entrance and, even more disheartening, there were no available seats. However, by the time we placed our order, several tables had emptied. The only advantage of a long line!

Here's LG's review:

Steak: This place has chopped meat packed into the sandwich. As in, they put A LOT! So if you're into meaty bites, this sandwich has it!
Cheese: I opted for provolone instead of the wiz. It was good, but I felt that the provolone did not sufficiently melt over the meat like the cheese wiz does. Dollyanna wisely chose the "wiz with" for her philly.
Bread: The bread was less crusty and chewy than at Geno's. Point to Geno's.
Onions: They used the same fried onions (aka diced grilled onions) in the sandwich. No complaints.
Additional Ingredients: At the stand where they serve ketchup, utensils, and napkins, they provided cherry peppers as well. I chose to try one. It was spicy!
Sides: Fries and onion rings. I actually got some "fried onions" in the form of onion rings. However, they were like any other onion rings. Nothing special. The fries were a nice addition to the meal.
Overall: The sandwich itself tasted good, but felt like there was more meat than cheese, which threw off the meat-to-cheese ratio. I wanted to like the provolone more, but there was not enough of it in the sandwich.

Cheesesteak Ranking: #3

Dollyanna's 2 cents:

Steak: Chopped-up heaven! Because of the steak's smaller pieces, the flavor is evenly distributed throughout and mixes well with the cheese and grilled (or, as Phillies call it, "fried") onions.
Cheese: Whizzed it up again. And as LG notes, it's ideally suited for this elongated sandwich.
Bread: I liked that it wasn't as chewy. Some say it's the bread that makes this sandwich, but for me it's the meat. Bread is just the vehicle. Or foreplay. Sorry for the mixed metaphors.
Onions: Grilled or fried, same idea. Onions are chopped up and distributed throughout. The cheese was drizzled on top, which is how I like it.
Sides: Fries were great! I learned my lesson from Geno's and went with plain potatoes to help soak up the juicy bits of the sandwich.
Overall: The flavor and chopped-up nature of the meat trumps Geno's!

Cheesesteak Ranking: #2

Ting Wong & Chinatown

After a few hours resting back in our hotel, we ventured out to Chinatown for dinner. Yes, we ate, then rested, then ate again!

Ting Wong Restaurant got a stellar review from Phillymag so we decided to give it a try. The place was bursting at the seams with diners even though it was 7:30 p.m. on a Tuesday night. There was a line for seating and we were a bit perplexed when a family of four jumped the line ahead of us and were seated first, even after LG had checked in. Turns out there was only one free table with four seats and, in the hostess's mind, it was better to seat four people at the four-person table and have our two-person party wait a little longer for a two-seat table rather than vice versa. Makes sense. And, once we dived into our order, the wait was worth it!

Here's LG's review:

I was a little full from our late lunch at Sonny's and dessert from a quick stop at Reading Terminal Market's crepe stall. So I did the best I could at sampling dinner items.

Chicken Corn Soup: This is my all-time favorite soup so I'm pretty critical of it. And this restaurant did not disappoint!
Chicken Fried Rice: Delicious! What can go wrong with chicken fried rice?
Fish Pan-Fried Noodle: The pieces of fish were big and the sauce for the noodles was yummy. Just do a little mix-mix for the sauce to soften the noodles and we're in business!

Overall, it was the perfect amount of food for two people and everything tasted wonderful. There were plenty of choices for entrees ranging from vegetarian to seafood. I wish I wasn't too full so I could finish the food at the restaurant. But that's what leftovers are for! (UPDATE: Those leftovers came in handy 24 hours later and were still very, very tasty!)

Day 3: Old City in Philadelphia, PA

Independence Visitor Center

Now two became three! We made the 20-minute trek out to the Independence Visitor Center to meet up with our friend Vanessa. Yay!

The center is a wonderful place to start an exploration of Old City Philadelphia. In addition to a small cafe serving hot drinks and pastries, there is a gift shop and information center (brochures and maps galore).

More importantly, this is where you can obtain from the National Park Service timed entry tickets to Independence Hall. Entrance into Independence Hall is by tour only and timed tickets are required March - December. Tickets can be reserved beforehand for a small $1.50 service fee HERE or by first come, first serve on one's desired day at the visitor center.

Independence National Historic Park:
Independence Hall, Congress Hall, West Wing, Old City Hall & Independence Square

Visit the Independence National Park site for a full interactive map

The visitor center is only a hop, skip, and a jump away from Independence National Historic Park which is home to a number of Old City landmarks including the grand daddy of them all: Independence Hall. And no, we don't mean this one.

We passed through the security checkpoint and got into line approximately 40 minutes before our ticketed entry time. Because the 11:30 AM group wasn't yet full, they allowed the majority of us in the 12 PM group to enter 30 minutes early. Once inside Independence Hall, a National Park Service ranger gave us a tour of the downstairs Assembly Room where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were debated and signed.

Only a few yards away is Congress Hall where the first United States Congress met: the House of Representatives met downstairs and the Senate upstairs. A National Park Service Ranger curated the large first floor assembly area before leading us upstairs where we had fun poking around the different rooms.

After a brief view of the West Wing's Great Essentials Exhibit featuring original printed copies of the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution, we visited Old City Hall where the U.S. Supreme Court was housed until 1800. We then frolicked a bit in Independence Square, as tourists are wont to do.

Red Owl Tavern

Desiring a lunch spot after trekking a few hours through history, we landed across the street at the Red Owl Tavern, a burger joint off the lobby of the Hotel Monaco Klimpton. The lobby was an eclectic mix of bright colors and patterns, but the furniture was still comfy!

After resting for 45+ minutes in the hotel lobby, we finally earned a table on the balcony section.

However, finally getting seated did not necessarily mean we got our food right away. It took almost another 45 minutes! The restaurant didn't look busy, but perhaps the kitchen was short-staffed? Either way, this face:

Carpenters' Hall

Next up was Carpenters Hall, owned and operated by America's oldest trade guild -- The Carpenters' Company of the City and County of Philadelphia -- since 1770. It was also home of the First Continental Congress. No tickets or admission fee required. Just a love of history and, perhaps, carpentry.

Franklin Court: Post Office, Printing Office, Benjamin Franklin Museum

Like the tourist idiots we are, we tried to used GPS directions only to find that our next destination -- Franklin Court -- was just across the street. After walking down a short alley, we found the three main attractions currently housed in Franklin's old digs: the B. Free Franklin Court Post Office, Franklin Court Printing Office, and the Benjamin Franklin Museum.

Post Office

Printing Office

"Ghost"House
In place of Benjamin Franklin's house which was razed long ago, a frame has been erected to show where it once stood.

Benjamin Franklin Museum

The newest addition to Franklin Court

City Tavern

Day 4: Center City & Penn's Landing

Reading Terminal Market

Penn's Landing

Cheesesteak #3: Cleaver's

First, a stroll through city hall

Cheesesteak #3: Cleaver's

After the half mile trek through city hall, and [shopping area], we reached Cleaver's in the 39 degree weather, ready for yet another cheesesteak tasting.

The restaurant features many, many more meat and side options than our previously visited establishments. They feature the cheesesteak in a variety of ways. [Menu items] They even offer the sandwich with chicken ("No beef? ok.") and veggie options ("Really?"). Even though LG wasn't interested in trying the other sandwiches, she was interested in ALL THE SIDES. See her review below.

After you order, the server will bring your meal to the eating area upstairs, with plenty of seating and a tv to catch up on your college football games.

Here's LG's review:

Steak: Chopped-up but very tasty. I did have spillage as I was eating the sandwich. I maintain my preference for the sliced vs chopped meat.
Cheese: Went back to the Wiz! I learned my lesson.
Bread: I didn't realize my bread options until the cashier ask if I wanted "with seeds" or "without seeds." I instinctively said "with seeds" even though I wasn't quite sure what he was referring to. It turned out to be a sesame seed baked with the roll. A nice surprise.
Onions: Largely diced grilled (fried) onions, per usual. The pieces did seem a little larger than the previous other sandwiches.
Sides: Regular fries and sweet potato fries! Both very delicious. Both very large portions that I could not finish. Cleaver's also has many other side options, such as fried mozzarella, garlic parmesan fries, green bean fries, and pizza fries (which I just researched and wish I tried. Gah!) I was tempted to order about 3 other sides, but ultimately kept it simple.
Overall: Cleaver's sandwich ranked up there with Geno's and definitely better than Sonny's. I originally gave the edge to Cleaver's because of the overall ambience of the restaurant and the larger menu. However, if I was judging on sandwich alone, Geno's had everything I could ask for.