Better Here Than In Philadelphia
By CYNTHIA KILIAN

FANS reeling from the Eagles' dashed Super Bowl dreams can take solace in some winning Philly cheese steaks.

The steak, cheese and onion combo on a hoagie (hero) roll seems to be enjoying a surge of popularity in this town, getting the gourmet treatment at BB Sandwich Bar in the Village, stuffing an egg roll at Fetch Up-town, even turning up at McDonald's.

But short of a ticket to the City of Brotherly Love, local aficionados won't get closer to the genuine article than at Carl's Philly Cheesesteaks, where: the sandwich gets a thumbs-up even from Post TV columnist Adam Buckman, a native Philadelphian and our expert on the subject.

Murray Hill's new temple to the culinary classic takes its mission seriously — an irresistible aroma of grilled onions hits you at the door and the bread's sturdy enough to convey the goods without overwhelming them.

Dense but not too dense, the roll has more integrity than others we've sampled. Nor is there too of it, so the tender wafers of sirloin really shine. There's more beef than bread, piled with optional sweet squares of onion, and your choice of cheese. The whole tube is tightly bundled in waxed paper twisted at the ends ($6).

As for ratios, the basic amount of provolone gets lost in the mix. Double provolone (50 cents) did likewise, which makes you wonder if they'd switched it with bland white American. If you want to actually taste the cheese, stick to the traditional drizzle from the vat of melted Cheez Whiz.

There are also decent cheese fries and chili to be had and, though the menu states "every-one knows it's all in the roll," low-carbers can order a platter without one.

But the sandwich — belly bomber that it is — is what really scores here.


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