STEAK A CLAIM
NEW YORK HAS NEVER BEEN MUCH OF A CHEESESTEAK TOWM—UNTIL NOW.

FOR TEN YEARS, CARL PROVENZANO has had practically nothing but cheesesteaks on his mind. "I really studied them." says the former dot-commer and new owner of Carl's Steaks in Murray Hill. "I studied different meats. I looked into rolls. I put a commercial grill in my house.” His wife was less than thrilled with that arrangement, but he may have redeemed himself with frequent trips to his in-laws' house in Philadelphia-even though the visit’s doubled as scouting missions to Pat's, Geno's, Jim's, even Ishkabibble’s.

There, on Friday nights, Provenano pondered the nuances of sliced versus chopped meat (he’s gone with the chopped), debated the attributes of Cheez Whiz versus provolone (he offers both, but for the record he’s a Whiz man), and came to the startling realization: "It's all about the roll," he says. "It's got to be soft enough to soak up the grease, but with a little crunch.”

The exceptional result is a succulent cheesesteak as authentic as this town has seen since short-lived Pat's-related satellite on 23rd Street closed a decade ago. One menu item, though, is defiantly inauthentic: Carl's low-carb cheesesteak platter, with everything but the bread. "Atkins people love them so much,” says Provenzano, “they’re ordering double. (507 Third Avenue, near 34th Street; 212-696-5336.)

R.P.

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