-UPDATE- Part 1 of 3...
The Journey Continues... A Transfer, Change, THE BEGINNING!!!
So here we go, a series of posts to bring this blog up to date. I left off at the end of 2016 struggling. Struggling to see clarity in which direction my life was taking me. Divorced with all my possessions taken from me and living in a frozen tundra of a town called Glasgow. To have to wake up in the middle of the night to start my vehicle so it'd start in the morning since I didn't have a heater block. Where the temperature throughout the entire day would stay in the negative digits. I recalled myself to only get furloughed again and to head home during Christmastime, through sleet, snow and frozen roads trying to get a transfer to the NW division and continue my journey with the railroad. To my delight, I was able to get an immediate transfer through persistence and a few calls to the right people who can make things happen. I chose Spokane as my new temporary home with the thought that I'd eventually work my way back to what once was my home. It was the busiest place in the entire company at that time and after it slowed down they would force me to Seattle to work.
The winter season over there was surreal. The amount of snow that fell and stayed throughout the months was something that I had never experienced before. I started familiarizing immediately and took advantage of the situation and used it as a second opportunity for on the job training and learning the territory at the same time. I did that for almost two months before I officially marked up and started working trains on my own with the engineer. I didn't want to get in trouble doing something in a territory I wasn't familiar with so I took my time and absorbed as much as I could with the time I was allotted for it. I'd go home as much as possible and would spend as much time as I could with my boys. The season was absolutely insane! So busy with freight traffic and dealing with the elements of the weather were something that I will never forget. I'd regularly work six or seven days straight to get (RSIA) federal rest that requires the company to give us 48 to 72 hours off before I'd have to go back to work. Most of those shifts would have me on duty for at least 12 hours and as much as 18 before they'd have to give me 10 hours off before they could call me back for another trip. So on day six or seven, I'd get off my train and jump in my car to drive 5 hours back west through the snowy pass to be with my kids. At times, I would come in during the day and the sleeplessness would carry me to the following night so I could be present for my kids with the time that I was given off. I would regularly be up for well over 24 to 36 hours before I'd get a good night of sleep. Knowing that I'd be called at the 46th hour to be on a train at hour 48, I'd have to leave at the 43rd hour to be back in time to get on a train for another 12 hours. It was truly a grueling experience to have to endure with all the back and forth driving through the winter. I bought myself a new car that would be good on gas, a 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback. A really great car and has handled everything that I threw at it in terms of winter driving. They really re-invented the make by giving it a turbo and sizing it like a true sedan and giving it a hatch. I'm very happy with how its handling and the 40 plus miles per gallon are helpful too. With my transfer, the company allowed me lodging in Post Falls at the Red Lion for two months. I also talked a couple of my co-workers from Glasgow into coming over and transferring as well. Once my two months were up, I bunked with a friend that got me another month of free lodging. We never even really noticed being in the same room because we were so busy that we rarely saw each other at the same time.
The trips were long, always long! We'd regularly run out of time by not making it to our destination. At that point, we'd just sit on the train and wait for our relief crew who would have to brave the weather via our taxi service to get us off the train. This event was happening every single day and because of that, we wouldn't always have a van available to us to get us off the train. That would have us always clocking off around 12,13, 14, and as much as 21 hours that I heard from a few guys. One month I actually was stopped from working because I hit the monthly max that they can work us which is 276 hours. That doesn't even include the time that I have to spend in hotels away from my home terminal I was in Whitefish when it happened and when they realized that I didn't have enough time to take a train back they immediately put me on Amtrak and I had the last few days of the month off. The SUV's that we would be transported in would regularly strike deer on the roads too. Which leads me into the slaughtering that would take place on the rails. When you have feet of snow on the ground, the rails were the easiest path to travel for wildlife. On top of that, with all the grain we were moving that would fall from the cars would essentially make for a buffet for wildlife as well. That recipe led to regular strikes with the train. We would mow down herds of them if they were on the tracks and over time you would see a buildup of carcasses alongside the rails and blood stained streaks were they were hit. That would then lead to other forms of prey that would come in to feast. I have never seen more eagles in my life than when I traveled to and from Whitefish this past winter. These birds would stuff themselves so much that when we'd approach them on the tracks they wouldn't have enough lift to get out of the way in time so then you'd see eagles and owls along the trackside as well. It was truly an unbelievable experience to witness. To have them fly alongside you all majestic like with the snowy mountain and river as a backdrop is something that just makes all of this worth it! Don't get me wrong, the pay helps justify the time too. The sunrises and sunsets are truly amazing and makes for the best office window in America. Yes, you should be jealous! To meet an engineer and take trips where you're forced to be in a confined space for two trips of 12 plus hours is something you don't see in the everyday workplace. I have met some really great people out here and know that I have someone to turn to if I have a question or need help.
There is so much that has taken place that words really can't express what I've endured and gone through over the season. I had the pleasure of working with a friend that was a temporary transfer (mercenary) because all of the work that we had. It was certainly nice to have a few people that I knew during this experience. I don't feel that this post will delve into my personal experiences with being divorced and working away from my kids. I will include in a few pictures, the trips that I took with my kids when I had them. We definitely made the most of the time that we had together while I was back at home. I rented out a room in my house to someone that I knew through work that I also helped transfer over from that ice box called North Dakota. I wanted it occupied while I was away and knew that by having him in there that it would offset the cost of my monthly mortgage. It still feels unreal that all of this has taken place. To go through months of training and testing to be let go because of a downturn in business and then almost two years later I'm doing the job that I originally went to Montana for. The reason that brought this blog to life is now taking on a new identity that has left me unable to write up until now. To be away from what used to be my home, away from love, away from my family, away from everything essentially. Almost like starting over in life and then occasionally drive 5 hours back to it and stay connected was hard. To find myself again and having turned it over to something bigger than myself. Family. Now I'm in a position where I'm creating that identity again and giving it a different shape by what has taken place. It truly has been tough but nothing that overwhelmed me because I know that everything that has transpired is of and from God and he will carry me through when I'm weak and exhausted. He's been with me through those late snowy drives. He's with me and knowing that makes me strong and keeps me moving forward in life. Even through those times where we just don't know what's next. I trust in Him. I know that everything was for a reason and I don't know where or what but can smile at knowing how beautiful it will be as it comes in a future chapter of my life. So that's my journey of work over the past six plus months. In the parts to come that I plan to share will include some of the more personal side and detail things that have taken place over that time...stay tuned!
Sunday, July 23, 2017
Thursday, July 6, 2017
-UPDATE- Total days Furloughed: 516 Days!
It took 516 days away from my home terminal of Glasgow, Montana to get myself back with the company that set all this in motion. I went through the self recall process which required me to provide a UA, complete 719 GCOR questions and take a couple of familiarization trips along with a week in the Williston yard. Aside from completing those tasks, I also participated in a two day return to service refresher class in Minot.
So from the time that I decided that I was going to head over and through the time it took to get back in service, the traffic along the hi line has gone from wide open to barely holding. There were open spots all over the division and now there are nearly none that my seniority will allow me to hold. So much is going through my head about the future and where I see myself that I really don't have the words put together to explain how I really feel. Though in my current state, I'll give it a shot.
I miss my kids! I see that I'm divorced, a thousand miles away from my boys and I really can't see my crystal ball and project anything in the future that says, this is right and this feels right. I honestly feel like I am here simply because that's whats next in the process. I first came out here with the thought process of taking this on because that's what was best for my family, that we'd move over to Montana in time and that things would just fall into place. Well from that initial decision to where I am at today, so much has transpired professionally and personally. So this is the crossing in which I am currently standing at. At this junction, I don't really care to delve into the details of my life that I already haven't shared in previous posts. You get it, a train wreck which I called my relationship. All I know at this point is that I really need to find the direction in which this train ride is going to take me. To try and be patient through it all and lean onto God for direction and not try and figure things out on my own that only he knows. To give over it all! To submit to His authority and let him lead me whole: in thought, in word, and in action!
So from the time that I decided that I was going to head over and through the time it took to get back in service, the traffic along the hi line has gone from wide open to barely holding. There were open spots all over the division and now there are nearly none that my seniority will allow me to hold. So much is going through my head about the future and where I see myself that I really don't have the words put together to explain how I really feel. Though in my current state, I'll give it a shot.
I miss my kids! I see that I'm divorced, a thousand miles away from my boys and I really can't see my crystal ball and project anything in the future that says, this is right and this feels right. I honestly feel like I am here simply because that's whats next in the process. I first came out here with the thought process of taking this on because that's what was best for my family, that we'd move over to Montana in time and that things would just fall into place. Well from that initial decision to where I am at today, so much has transpired professionally and personally. So this is the crossing in which I am currently standing at. At this junction, I don't really care to delve into the details of my life that I already haven't shared in previous posts. You get it, a train wreck which I called my relationship. All I know at this point is that I really need to find the direction in which this train ride is going to take me. To try and be patient through it all and lean onto God for direction and not try and figure things out on my own that only he knows. To give over it all! To submit to His authority and let him lead me whole: in thought, in word, and in action!
UPDATE: I started this post in the basement of a good friends house that was in my conductor class. I never finished it and am at a point where I am seeing some clarity in my thoughts in which I can put them into this blog that I have created. Over a half a year has passed and I'm going to try and bring this thing up to speed and to current time. This post will be short. I'll add some pictures from the timeframe in which I am posting as well. Here we go!
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
The Next Chapter...The Ongoing Saga of My Life On theRailroad-Furloughed:Day 489
Well...It has been several months since my last post and I've had several moments where I felt that posting would be good but I have just been busy with this journey and the trials and tribulations that life throws at you. I've had quite the summer since my last post in May and will bring this blog up to speed as I encounter, what I've dubbed as the next chapter of the ongoing saga with my life on the railroad.
Well, I returned from the east coast with high hopes with Amtrak and as soon as I got back they had a schedule already put together for me that would extend throughout the summer because the extra board simply didn't have any room for the new hires that they brought in. The schedule included countless trips to either Portland, Spokane and Vancouver BC. The trainings also included a few weeks of day and night yard shifts. Those shifts are a six to six during the day or a six to six throughout the night.
My work with the Seattle crew base throughout the summer was filled with many emotions. I still have a passion for freight and riding on the head end of the train opposed to being in the body of the train. As an assistant conductor, I would have to honestly say that there is little to no actual railroading that takes place. My primary job is to manage the passengers of the train. At the initial terminal I would be in charge of seating the train accordingly. It's our responsibility to seat them in the train that will accommodate their stops and allow for room when we makes stops down the line. It's also our responsibility to make sure that the passengers de-train at their right stop which is essentially babysitting because it's a huge no no to carry a passenger past their station. The company will even pay to cab the customer back. You don't see that in any other form of the transportation industry. It's quite ridiculous that this is an actual thing and it seems to almost happen regularly where passengers don't pay attention and miss their stop or have no idea where they are at even though we make several announcements over the PA. We are also responsible for knowing where we are at on the rails to remind the conductor or the engineer of specific slow orders or work zones which are formally called form B's. That task is the primary job of the conductor. Make sure the assistant is doing his job and that he communicates with what is coming up even though the engineer is already aware of everything that's coming at him. The conductor also handles the passengers in business class. The passenger trains here on the long hauls compared to the trains on the east coast are quite different. For one, the speed over there is almost twice as fast as the ones that run in the NW or anywhere else in America. We're allowed to run at 79 mph compared to the 150 that the Acela will run on the east coast. That makes for much more efficient travel times. It takes the train over 9 hours to get to Spokane when I recently drove across the state to Montana and got to Spokane in under 4 hours. It takes longer to Get to Portland as well. The trains are almost always late regularly. It's never on time and the cost to travel on it isn't cost effective when compared to fuel costs in a compact car. Also, if you take anything like the superliners on a long distance trip, they all smell like absolute crap, LITERALLY. The Empire Builder and Coast Starlight both are superliner long haul trains and are so old that the mildew smell of age and the smell of the bathrooms are atrocious. It's literally a port a pottie on the rails after it's been on it's trip for more than a few hours. It makes for no comfort or no feeling of luxury or relaxation. The company is funded by the government and operates at a loss every year and would literally have to sell to someone like Warren Buffett and they'd have to move to all new train sets and get their own track rights for high speed travel to entice any commuters to switch to train travel over other forms of transportation. It's been a slowly dying and declining organization and the only highlight of the company is their operation on the east coast which almost has its own identity and is in a class of its own. Organized and well done. It's on point with its times and stations and equipment for the most part. I saw it as a different culture over there in comparison to what I experienced in Seattle. They have it down over there. I'll officially state that I am no longer with that organization. I thought it was home and it made sense because I was able to work for a railroad in my home city, yet the sounds of Montana and the anticipation of being recalled with the BNSF always pulled on my heartstrings throughout the experience.
So with all that said, here I am back in furlough status with the railroad. I took a trip out to Missoula for an interview with Montana Rail Link which seemed pretty promising but that didn't work out. I was ultimately told that they'd consider me for future openings. The last time MRL hired was two years ago, so we'all see where that lead takes me in 2018. One takeaway from this whole chapter, the experience on the east coast was a once in a lifetime opportunity. They paid for me to stay on the east coast, travel to the greatest cities over there, eat great cuisine and catch several major league ball games. I don't know where it ranks in the whole scheme of things other than a layover or stepping stone to something greater God has in store for me. Something better than Amtrak. I was never proud of the product. Crappy equipment, trains are never on time and always late, no money to invest in the product and the fear of the government pulling the plug because it bleeds money every year.. I was able to stay busy on the railroad and be around my family before I get called back to Montana.
I'm currently looking at some temporary positions that are offered specifically for furloughed employees. I'm also looking into recalling myself through a new agreement that allows me the ability to do so. At home...I have my kids. My wife left me and as of just over a month now we've been divorced yet we currently still live together which I am happy for. I still love her. She's the mother of my kids. She provided me with the greatest memories of my life, yet the difficulty of coexisting with changing hearts made it too hard to bear. It drove me to extreme insecurity and jealousy. Which isn't right or healthy in a relationship. Grace and forgiveness need to be the bedrock of being able to work through things and it just didn't exist. There's a lot of hurt on both sides and all I want for my kids to see is that we are a united front to them and that they see us displaying love overall. I want the best for them always. Her kids is a different story, their bitterness and resentment will ultimately affect them in the long run. They'll allow it to dictate their emotion and use this moment in their life to be a weight that they'll carry with them for years and years. They need a strong male figure and their biological ones dropped the ball on it and as I tried over and over to carry the torch it didn't work. A wedge and not being united on decisions it only pushed them away from me. I tried to give them that firm structure and discipline but they never had any respect which will probably affect them in relationships as well. I can only continue to love and pray for them from afar and hope that they don't allow this moment in their life to dictate their choices or emotions. I hope they don't use our failures as their crutch in life. I wish them the best and will always love them regardless the hurt that has taken place on both parties.
Next steps, is to get back to Montana I think. It may mean being away from my boys at a month or so at a time or however much the momma is willing to bring them out to me and share time together. I'd honestly hope for a reconciliation just to simply breed a better culture with my kids that quitting or walking away from something isn't in their vocabulary. That commitment still exists and two people can still work through things if God is placed at the center.
So much has transpired over this summer. As you can probably see why I haven't been blogging. It was and has always been a good outlet to share my experiences through all of this. I never would have thought in a million years that by leaving the YMCA a few years ago to go through fire academy and then to end up with the railroad a thousand miles away from my family to get laid off for several months before I got picked up by another railroad to again be off of that and divorced in the same week. I knew that there would be struggle and hard times but I could have never imagined it to turn out in this fashion. I can only to continue to lean towards the Lord and see it as his will and that greater things are in store. I've got a great God that's bigger than I could imagine, he's got it all laid out for me and trust in him. Thank you for hanging out and reading along in this journey. I hope to have an update and more to post in the future now that I have time off and things open ahead of me.
Here are some photos of the end of my summer. We took the boys to Bend and explored all the sites. I took some shots on my trip out to Montana for my MRL interview. We took a trip to the Columbia River Gorge, I took the boys to the Oregon Zoo via Amtrak for a day trip. It's nice to upload these pictures to reflect on the good times. To see that things aren't as bad as they seem. Bike rides, meals out, pool parties with the kiddos outside. Life is life and it's not so bad. The sun will shine and another season is on the horizon.
To be continued...
Well, I returned from the east coast with high hopes with Amtrak and as soon as I got back they had a schedule already put together for me that would extend throughout the summer because the extra board simply didn't have any room for the new hires that they brought in. The schedule included countless trips to either Portland, Spokane and Vancouver BC. The trainings also included a few weeks of day and night yard shifts. Those shifts are a six to six during the day or a six to six throughout the night.
My work with the Seattle crew base throughout the summer was filled with many emotions. I still have a passion for freight and riding on the head end of the train opposed to being in the body of the train. As an assistant conductor, I would have to honestly say that there is little to no actual railroading that takes place. My primary job is to manage the passengers of the train. At the initial terminal I would be in charge of seating the train accordingly. It's our responsibility to seat them in the train that will accommodate their stops and allow for room when we makes stops down the line. It's also our responsibility to make sure that the passengers de-train at their right stop which is essentially babysitting because it's a huge no no to carry a passenger past their station. The company will even pay to cab the customer back. You don't see that in any other form of the transportation industry. It's quite ridiculous that this is an actual thing and it seems to almost happen regularly where passengers don't pay attention and miss their stop or have no idea where they are at even though we make several announcements over the PA. We are also responsible for knowing where we are at on the rails to remind the conductor or the engineer of specific slow orders or work zones which are formally called form B's. That task is the primary job of the conductor. Make sure the assistant is doing his job and that he communicates with what is coming up even though the engineer is already aware of everything that's coming at him. The conductor also handles the passengers in business class. The passenger trains here on the long hauls compared to the trains on the east coast are quite different. For one, the speed over there is almost twice as fast as the ones that run in the NW or anywhere else in America. We're allowed to run at 79 mph compared to the 150 that the Acela will run on the east coast. That makes for much more efficient travel times. It takes the train over 9 hours to get to Spokane when I recently drove across the state to Montana and got to Spokane in under 4 hours. It takes longer to Get to Portland as well. The trains are almost always late regularly. It's never on time and the cost to travel on it isn't cost effective when compared to fuel costs in a compact car. Also, if you take anything like the superliners on a long distance trip, they all smell like absolute crap, LITERALLY. The Empire Builder and Coast Starlight both are superliner long haul trains and are so old that the mildew smell of age and the smell of the bathrooms are atrocious. It's literally a port a pottie on the rails after it's been on it's trip for more than a few hours. It makes for no comfort or no feeling of luxury or relaxation. The company is funded by the government and operates at a loss every year and would literally have to sell to someone like Warren Buffett and they'd have to move to all new train sets and get their own track rights for high speed travel to entice any commuters to switch to train travel over other forms of transportation. It's been a slowly dying and declining organization and the only highlight of the company is their operation on the east coast which almost has its own identity and is in a class of its own. Organized and well done. It's on point with its times and stations and equipment for the most part. I saw it as a different culture over there in comparison to what I experienced in Seattle. They have it down over there. I'll officially state that I am no longer with that organization. I thought it was home and it made sense because I was able to work for a railroad in my home city, yet the sounds of Montana and the anticipation of being recalled with the BNSF always pulled on my heartstrings throughout the experience.
So with all that said, here I am back in furlough status with the railroad. I took a trip out to Missoula for an interview with Montana Rail Link which seemed pretty promising but that didn't work out. I was ultimately told that they'd consider me for future openings. The last time MRL hired was two years ago, so we'all see where that lead takes me in 2018. One takeaway from this whole chapter, the experience on the east coast was a once in a lifetime opportunity. They paid for me to stay on the east coast, travel to the greatest cities over there, eat great cuisine and catch several major league ball games. I don't know where it ranks in the whole scheme of things other than a layover or stepping stone to something greater God has in store for me. Something better than Amtrak. I was never proud of the product. Crappy equipment, trains are never on time and always late, no money to invest in the product and the fear of the government pulling the plug because it bleeds money every year.. I was able to stay busy on the railroad and be around my family before I get called back to Montana.
I'm currently looking at some temporary positions that are offered specifically for furloughed employees. I'm also looking into recalling myself through a new agreement that allows me the ability to do so. At home...I have my kids. My wife left me and as of just over a month now we've been divorced yet we currently still live together which I am happy for. I still love her. She's the mother of my kids. She provided me with the greatest memories of my life, yet the difficulty of coexisting with changing hearts made it too hard to bear. It drove me to extreme insecurity and jealousy. Which isn't right or healthy in a relationship. Grace and forgiveness need to be the bedrock of being able to work through things and it just didn't exist. There's a lot of hurt on both sides and all I want for my kids to see is that we are a united front to them and that they see us displaying love overall. I want the best for them always. Her kids is a different story, their bitterness and resentment will ultimately affect them in the long run. They'll allow it to dictate their emotion and use this moment in their life to be a weight that they'll carry with them for years and years. They need a strong male figure and their biological ones dropped the ball on it and as I tried over and over to carry the torch it didn't work. A wedge and not being united on decisions it only pushed them away from me. I tried to give them that firm structure and discipline but they never had any respect which will probably affect them in relationships as well. I can only continue to love and pray for them from afar and hope that they don't allow this moment in their life to dictate their choices or emotions. I hope they don't use our failures as their crutch in life. I wish them the best and will always love them regardless the hurt that has taken place on both parties.
Next steps, is to get back to Montana I think. It may mean being away from my boys at a month or so at a time or however much the momma is willing to bring them out to me and share time together. I'd honestly hope for a reconciliation just to simply breed a better culture with my kids that quitting or walking away from something isn't in their vocabulary. That commitment still exists and two people can still work through things if God is placed at the center.
So much has transpired over this summer. As you can probably see why I haven't been blogging. It was and has always been a good outlet to share my experiences through all of this. I never would have thought in a million years that by leaving the YMCA a few years ago to go through fire academy and then to end up with the railroad a thousand miles away from my family to get laid off for several months before I got picked up by another railroad to again be off of that and divorced in the same week. I knew that there would be struggle and hard times but I could have never imagined it to turn out in this fashion. I can only to continue to lean towards the Lord and see it as his will and that greater things are in store. I've got a great God that's bigger than I could imagine, he's got it all laid out for me and trust in him. Thank you for hanging out and reading along in this journey. I hope to have an update and more to post in the future now that I have time off and things open ahead of me.
Here are some photos of the end of my summer. We took the boys to Bend and explored all the sites. I took some shots on my trip out to Montana for my MRL interview. We took a trip to the Columbia River Gorge, I took the boys to the Oregon Zoo via Amtrak for a day trip. It's nice to upload these pictures to reflect on the good times. To see that things aren't as bad as they seem. Bike rides, meals out, pool parties with the kiddos outside. Life is life and it's not so bad. The sun will shine and another season is on the horizon.
To be continued...
Thursday, May 19, 2016
The Cheesesteak Challenge - Philadelphia's BEST Cheesesteak!!!
In my adventures, I sought out 10 separate establishments that offered a Philly cheesesteak and with many of them, they claimed themselves as "King" of steaks, or even the "Original" steak, but in the end of this challenge...There could only be one! The best Philly cheesesteak!
To start, let's name the contestants. Some of the entrants were local submittions by residents of the area and others were based off of Internet searches and third party site reviews. I also chose two based off of the recommendations of others which took the search outside of Philadelphia.
So here they are:
Sonny's Famous Steaks
228 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Tommy DiNic's
Reading Terminal Market, 1136 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Jim's Steaks
400 S St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Ishkabibble's
337 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Geno's Steaks
1219 S 9th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Gooey Looie's
231 McClellan St, Philadelphia, PA 19148
Pat's King of Steaks
1237 E Passyunk Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Kat'z Delicatessan
205 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002
Olympic Sub & Steaks
813 N Market St, Wilmington, DE 19801
Tony Luke's
39 E Oregon Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19148
So there they are listed in no specific order with photos and address. I won't give you a comprehensive list of 1 through 10, who has the cleanest bathrooms or anything like that. What I will do is give you the top 3 and some of the worst on that list.
So let's start with thee worst Philly Cheesesteak. Well I'll give you the two worst since they are the most recognized cheesesteak brands in the area. They're both located at "Cheesesteak Circle", and have the most online reviews out of all of the places I went to. They are also infamously named, "tourist traps" by everyone that knows their name. The award for worst cheesesteak in Philadelphia goes to:
Geno's Steaks! Congratulations for taking something so great and turning it into a pile of crap on a roll. So lit up with signage and advertising they now miss the entire point of what they are doing on that block because it certainly has nothing to do with producing a quality product. There is zero flavor in the steak, it's dried out and I bit into several gristle and fat pieces that just further added to the eneventful experience. It was like a well oiled machine that simply pumps out a product for its consumers. The second worst steak goes to:
Pat's King of Steaks! I don't know what happened to that place either. They too were dishing out a sub par performance in terms of quality. Totally dry as well and without any flavor. There is nothing worse in a steak than when you are continually chewing each piece to death just to break it down enough to where you can actually swallow it. Bad form, Geno and Pat! The neon lights and pageantry will not work for this fan of steak and you only took my money for the purpose of perspective from the full Philly steak experience. I guess in search of the best, I sought out the worst as well. To round off the list of worst steaks in Philadelphia is: Jim's Steaks. Well done Jim's, you successfully beat out two of your competitors for providing your fellow Philadelphians a non stellar steak! I wouldn't go as far as calling it dog meat or anything but it had a moment where I bite into the undesired. It held a little more flavor than the other two, but it too lacked flavor and was dry. I could only attribute that to the pile of precooked meat sitting on the grill. So with that all said, I move forward into something a little more positive, the "B" team! That team consists of the middle of the pack guys that don't got it down but are doing it right and both of those have to go to Katz Delicatessan and Tommy DiNic's. They both are experts in their respective fields and from having their best, I can say they were worthy of seeing whether or not they could do a steak right. They did! Nothing that had me at hello, but both places put out quite the beef steak! Great job you two!!!
Alright, here we go now. Counting backwards in a list of the top 3 best Philly Cheesesteaks!
3. Ishkabibbles
They have flavor and was one of a few places that don't overcook and completely dry out their steak. Coupled with really great shoestring potato French fries they take the bronze. Popular among locals and well reviewed, Ishkabibbles has two locations within a half mile of each other on South Street.
2. Sonny's Famous Steaks
An amazing cheesesteak on Market street and my first one on this quest. They have a great steak that was juicy and not dried out either. The fries too are also top notch shoestring cut fries. Nicely located on the end of market in the trendy area of Old City. If you're in the area, I highly recommend the pit stop of Mac's Tavern next door for a pint. The owners, also actors in the FX comedy series, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia are the fine proprietors of this establishment and would be more than delighted to fetch you a flag of ale on your visit.
1. Gooey Looie's
Gooey Looie's are in a league of their own. When I say that, I mean Sonny's was a great steak, but this place off the beaten path of McClellan and 2nd are doing something to Cheesesteaks that no other place does. That's their secret, they know how to cook a steak to perfection without drying it out one bit but in fact it's done so amazingly, it retains all that gooeyness that's makes it so flavorful and juicy and they do it with an amazing white cooper sharp cheese that blows the doors off of American, provolone or whiz!
I had the privilege of getting the opportunity to share my story with the owner and talk shop and more importantly talk steak! I shared with him my mission and that it had officially been fulfilled once I ate at his grocery/sandwich shop. I told him that I was getting them plain, without peppers, onions or anything exotic that would skew my ability to judge the meal for what it is, "cheese" + "steak". I asked him if the original ingredients that go into one. The original cheese and what was with the whiz. It started with American and somewhere along the line whiz made it in there and here we are. He didn't recommend the whiz, which to me ruins it. It is alright but too much cheese whiz is just way too much to deal with. I can't even finish a steak that's topped with whiz. He did recommend the cooper sharp cheese and on my second visit, I indulged! He was right! That is the way a steak should be, so if your ever in area...STOP!!! GPS this place and go! They are the friendliest bunch of Philadephians I encountered in my time there and they also have this amazing local dessert called water ice that's a really tasty, post cheesesteak treat. It quenches without being too sweet. The prices are the fairest of them all and the staff are the best. Hands down, without a doubt, thee BEST Philly Cheesesteak out there. You guys are amazing, keep doing what you're doing, see you soon!
Thanks!
There you have it. My review. The best cheesesteak! I hope you enjoyed the read and get an opportunity to taste the steak for yourself. Cheers!
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