Chickie’s & Pete’s server Gina Marie Marincola proudly offers a double dose of the bar/restaurant’s famed Crabfries. After finishing one, it might be hard to resist another and another and another …
Seasoned to perfection
A basket of Crabfries with cheese came to readers’ minds when thinking of best french fries and Chickie’s & Pete’s owner Pete Ciarrocchi was glad to hear his franchise came out on top.
“I’m the fry king,” he said. “It’s the greatest thing.”
The fries alone account for about 10 percent of gross sales at the restaurant that has expanded from the Northeast to Jersey, 1526 Packer Ave. and the sports complex.
“To be the best at anything is just an honor and to be recognized by your customers is just a nice situation,” he said.
The side’s creation was unintentional but a “marriage made in heaven,” Ciarrocchi said.
After selling crabs throughout the summer, the owner experimented with potatoes in fall 1977, adding different blends of leftover spices from crab season and asking customers for feedback, he said.
“The customers told me what they liked the most,” Ciarrocchi said. “After each trial, I always wrote down what I used. It was truly by accident. I never knew it would be a multimillion-dollar profit.”
Seven million orders of fries and counting later, he thanks residents “and their taste buds,” he said, for their votes.
Geno’s took second, while Nick’s Charcoal Pit landed in third.
Steak streak
A Geno’s manager serves up a gooey, hot cheesesteak to a hungry customer who knows exactly what he wants. (Staff Photo by Greg Bezanis)
Continuing its streak of being a readers’ favorite for best cheesesteak is Geno’s Steaks, which has held the title since 2006.
Walking toward 1219 S. Ninth St., the odor of mouth-watering rib-eye and melted cheese can be inhaled from blocks away. The effulgent neon display that adorns the second level can make a person feel the same way — glowing with anticipation.
Seeing patrons huddled over their steaks with both elbows on the table, it’s easy to assume everyone is a tried-and-true local, but many travel into the city for the sole purpose of eating at Geno’s.
Give that dog a roam Four-legged friends don’t need 400-thread count sheets, fluffy pillows or a jacuzzi tub when away from home. Most dogs have one simple request — space to run free and enjoy the warm spring air. In these parts, Columbus Square, 12th and Wharton streets, is where animal-lovers consider the best dog park.
After the hectic holiday season winds down, just about everyone sets out to bronze their skin just in time for the onset of the warmer weather. Equipped with 11 tanning booths, a new state-of-the-art Sun Gate lay-down bed with the strongest lamps in the area and the recent addition of spray-tanning, Beach Tanning, 2525 S. Broad St., has become the reader favorite.
A lesson in Lou-mility Although his last name sounds as if it could be a pasta, Lou Spadaccini is not as pliable as the doughy dish. Following a horrendous 3-18 2007 campaign as Neumann-Goretti’s baseball coach, he could have succumbed to the naysayers who saw his squad as a perpetual also-ran.
Well done There are plenty of ways to have a burger. Starting with the patty: Will it be rare, medium or well-done? After seasoned and cooked to perfection, it can be topped with anything from double cheese, double bacon to alfalfa sprouts and avocado.
Article:
65th Anniversary Issue: The time machine
Article:
The Pre-1900s
Article:
The 1900s
Article:
The 1910s
Article:
The 1920s
Article:
The 1930s
Article:
The 1940s
Article:
The 1950s and '60s
1. Anonymous said... on Mar 20, 2010 at 08:26AM
“Geno's, are you kidding me? They and Pat's are for the tourists, the best cheese steak in the city resides at John's Roast Pork at Front and Snyder....”
2. Anonymous said... on Mar 21, 2010 at 06:30PM
“I have eaten in most of the hyped Establishments in Philly and i can say without any reservations that the Food, the Atmosphere( with all the pictures) and the store itself, that has been around since 1925,and the people who can't do enough for you that DADSTUFFINGS is second to none!!!!!
PS; Do try the veal !”
3. Anonymous said... on Mar 23, 2010 at 11:56AM
“Where is DADSTUFFINGS located?”
4. Anonymous said... on Apr 30, 2010 at 02:55PM
“Dad's is on the corner of Bancroft & Ritner (Between 16th & 17th). Great Food, Great family. Just like Mom (or grandmom) made, the food is delicious and made with care and dedication. Where else can you get a home cooked meal ready to heat & eat? It's REAL, QUALITY fast food.”
5. Brian Reed said... on Sep 5, 2010 at 11:57AM
“Just ate at the new restaurant in Wildwood. This will quickly become one of the island's favorites. The service was impeccable and the staff was extremely friendly and outgoing. Oh yeah, The Food was fantastic”