Not everyone knows this, but I actually lived in Philadelphia, PA for a while.  More specifically, I lived in Center City and then South Philly.  Back when I thought I could be an artist, I went to an art college in the area.  My life eventually took a different path, but not before I spent a year or two living there.  I don’t miss a whole lot about my broke college says in Philadelphia, but I DO miss those amazing cheesesteaks.  I have always wanted to go back for a visit to eat some of the grub from my college days, but I haven’t found a good reason to justify the cost of a plane ticket.  Still, I really miss a good Philly cheesesteak, and they are nearly impossible to come by unless you’re fortunate enough to have a native Philadelphian move into your town.  That’s where Corleone’s comes in.

Corleone’s is actually in Phoenix, Arizona.  Thanks to Hurricane Irma barreling towards Florida, I made a hasty retreat to Arizona to stay with my sister and her family.  My brother-in-law was born and raised in Philadelphia, and mentioned this as a place to get an authentic cheesesteak.  Not only is the owner originally from Philadelphia, but my brother-in-law went to High School with the owner’s nephew.  It doesn’t get more Philadelphia than that!  Even better, the traditional Philly attitude is absent at Corleone’s.  Instead, you are greeted at the counter with a smile, and they will answer any questions patiently if you haven’t quite decided what you want when you get to the counter.

In true Philly fashion, the cheesesteaks are made with thinly sliced ribeye.  And, also in true Philly fashion, they offer CHEEZ WHIZ for their sandwiches.  The bread was soft, but did not get mushy or soggy and held together very well against the moistness of the meat and cheese.  The fries were golden, crispy, and well-seasoned.  The next time I visit my family in Arizona, I would like to try getting one of these to-go and see if it holds up to traveling as well as the cheesesteaks from Philadelphia do.  And yes, I will definitely be asking my family to take me back to Corleone’s during my next family visit.

For more information on Corleone’s, visit their web site at http://www.corleones.net/