Philly cheese steak sliders? Yes!

Again, this may not be your standard burger, and it definitely doesn't fit into the rules, but it definitely needs to be mentioned. As with the other burgers (etc) in Canada and America that I had, it will not be included on the scoreboard.

Firstly, let me preface this by saying this is not a burger. It has meat, cheese and bread however, so it ticks many of the boxes a good burger does. The Philly cheese steak is somewhat of an institution. Despite being developed in Philadelphia, the cheese steak has expanded across North America, and has taken on many regional forms. Most cheese steaks comprise of a soft kaiser roll, very thinly sliced and seared beef, cheese (provolone or cheez-whiz type cheese) and sometimes onions.

As mentioned in an earlier post, sliders are mini-burgers, although not by the strictest definition. How ever you classify either, the "Philly Cheese Steak Sliders" I had at Max Brenners in the Caesar's Palace Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas were awesome.

Max Brenner's in the Caesar's Palace Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas Nevada

Meat:
The beef was thinly sliced, and cooked quickly. It was soft, tender and extremely tasty. It was seasoned with salt and pepper from what I could tell. Tasty tasty tasty.

Score: 4.5/5

Cheese:
There were two cheeses in the cheese steaks. There was provolone (a sharp, mild sheep's milk cheese, originating in Italy), and Cheez-Whiz. Cheez-Whiz is essentially a processed cheese spread. It's not quite like the cream cheese we have in Australia though. They worked well together. Sharpness, combined with melty, gooey greasiness. Perfect.

Score: 4/5

Cheez-Whiz

Bun:
The buns were soft and doughy, exactly what I like. They were obviously different to a burger bun. The buns really added to the experience, something that is quite rare!

Score: 4.5/5

Extras:
The only extra was a "Marinara" sauce. In the USA, a Napolitana, or tomato based sauce (similar to tomato pasta sauce) is called Marina. In Australia, Marinara is a seafood sauce (which makes sense, as "Mare" means "Sea" in Italian). It was subtle, but added to the experience. I'm not sure it would have been a whole lot different without it though.

Score: 3.5/5

Three mini Philly Cheese Steaks and Waffle Fries at Max Brenners, Las Vegas

Fries:

The fries were a little different. They were "criss-cross" fries, or "waffle" fries. They were amazing. Crispy, but soft in the middle. And very tasty. I'd like some now, to be honest. 

Score: 5/5

I would really like these right now. The meat was tender, the cheese melted and very tasty, and it was all encased in an awesome bun. The fries just made the experience even better. I won't compare these to burgers, but if you ever have the chance to try them - do it. Absolutely amazing. 

Total score: 21.5/25

(Brilliant, go now!)

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"Sliders" at the Sheraton Brooklyn (New York)

After 2 flights (about 6 hours flight time) from Vancouver, and a cab ride to downtown Brooklyn, we were rather tired, so decided to have a drink and something to eat at the hotel bar. The hotel was built mid-year 2010, so was rather new. The bar was amazing, and the bar tender very friendly (thanks Aaron!).

"Grubstake Bar" at the Sheraton Brooklyn, New York

After a few drinks at the bar, I spotted 'mini sliders' on the menu. Most burger puritans will tell you that sliders are not just mini burgers, but are burgers cooked in a certain way (often the pattie is cooked on top of a bed of onions). Regardless, I couldn't say no.

The sliders came with one meat pattie each, a slice of cheese, bacon and a slice of pickle. Basic, but great. They were quite tasty, and somewhat of a novelty for me, as I am yet to find sliders in Australia. There were 3 sliders in the pack, which came with fries. I can't recall the price, and there doesn't seem to be a menu online.

Slider - Sheraton Brooklyn, New York (screenshot from video)

Meat:
The patties were obviously small, but they were cooked well and were basic (a good thing). Due to the small size, they were cooked evenly throughout (with the crust being the exception). It's hard to praise something that takes 2-3 bites to eat, but they were good.

Score: 3/5


Cheese:
The cheese was ok. It was the standard yellow american cheese, but it seemed a bit more 'plasticy' than most. It melted ok, but seemed to stick to everything unusually. It tasted ok, but didn't differ too much from the Kraft Singles we get here.

Score: 2.5/5


Bun:
The tiny buns were ok. They seemed to be "Brioche" buns, due to the shiny top and rich flavour. They were a bit dry, and tasted average. Nothing to write home about, but they did their job.

Score: 2.5/5


Extras:
There weren't too many extras to comment on, as is normal with sliders, or mini-burgers. There was bacon, and a pickle slice. The pickles were good, tangy and crisp. The bacon was a bit soft, but had a good flavour. It would be hard to fit much more in these things, and I think they picked the right things to cram in.

Score: 3/5


Fries:
By the time I got to the fries, they were soggy. I like this though, so I didn't complain. They were well seasoned, and were quite tasty. In addition, the serving size was huge (but hey, it's America!). I've had better, but there isn't much to complain about regarding these fries - solid.

Score: 3.5/5

Two sliders (I think)...

To be honest, the best thing about these sliders was the novelty. Having said that, they were decent, and I did enjoy them. The cheese could be improved, and the overall freshness, but all in all they weren't too bad. I would likely try something else on the menu next time, but wouldn't be disappointed if I had them again. Maybe someone should introduce sliders to the Australian market!

Total score: 14.5/25

(Decent, worth a shot.)

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