Consuming elbow-to-elbow, hunched over some scrumptious greasy mess is commonplace New York Metropolis follow.
Even whether it is over $20, after tax and tip.
A $20-plus cheesesteak?! Fuhgeddaboudit!
The worth isn’t maintaining folks away, nonetheless, from Danny & Coop’s, the cheesesteak marriage between actor and Philly native Bradley Cooper and Danny DiDiampietro of Angelo’s in South Philly.
The brick-and-mortar store on Avenue A in Manhattan’s East Village opened in January to a lot fanfare and 1½-hour-long strains. This adopted their Instagram-popular meals truck pop-ups in New York and Las Vegas.
As Billy Penn’s resident New Yorker, I used to be tasked to provide it a go. So, how’s the chow?
There was no Bradley hooking up the steaks, sadly. However a busy hive of workers behind the counter served up sandwiches inside 10 minutes. I picked up the football-length field and opened up my meaty treasure. Right here’s what I discovered.
The Cheesesteak
When you’ve had Angelo’s, you’ve principally had Danny & Coop’s.
A crusty however delicate seeded semolina hoagie roll, made in home, holds grilled shaved ribeye and onions, coated in melted Cooper Sharp American cheese, which come collectively in a large sandwich system.
The pickled candy or scorching peppers are purchaser’s-choice and are available on the aspect, offering some acid that cuts via the yummy combination packed inside. A sum higher than its components.
For the normal amongst us, it’s not your typical Geno’s or Pat’s beef, onions, whiz on a delicate hoagie roll.
“For my part, clearly the cheesesteak has modified quite a bit since even within the final 10, 20 years,” mentioned Amanda Marie Barr, an area meals influencer who runs the Instagram account “phillyfoodandbarrs”.
Caramelized onions are in, Cooper Sharp American cheese is favored over yellow American or whiz, and extra consideration is being paid to the position of the roll, mentioned Barr. She prefers the textured, seeded rolls, like her Philly favourite, the “Don Cheech’s Steak” at Cafe Carmela in Northeast Philly.
Now, everybody copies Angelo’s, she mentioned.
“Pat’s and Geno’s is perhaps the originator of the normal OG Philly cheesesteak, however Angelo’s is certainly the daddy of what the cheesesteak is as we speak,” mentioned Barr. “[Pat’s and Geno’s] are the originator of the sandwich and it doesn’t matter what, a 2 a.m. cheesesteak continues to be a 2 a.m. cheesesteak.”
The Verdict
I dined on my Danny and Coop’s whereas standing at a shallow picket bar that strains each side of the slim store, its one-item menu chalked onto a darkish brick wall.
The 2-hander sandwich was stacked excessive with savory, seasoned steak, onions and cheese — sufficient for a duo in search of a lightweight meal or one hungry hippo. I used to be the hippo, and fortunately devoured away. I selected the candy peppers, a complementary clear burst of taste. Happy, I licked my fingers clear.
Consuming subsequent to me was Eugene Thong, who was strolling via the neighborhood earlier than seeing his spouse carry out in a ballet and determined to provide the buzzy cheesesteak store a attempt.
“I’m bizarre: I’m not a whiz man,” mentioned the jiu-jitsu teacher from Queens who lived in Philly for a couple of years. Taking a large chunk, he mentioned he favored Danny & Coop’s no-whiz method, though he favored the softer bread he remembers from his Philly days.
He added that he’s a little bit of a foodie and that if he was within the neighborhood, he’d come once more.
Even at $20, “It’s cheaper than a practice ticket to Philly,” mentioned Thong.
Do you have to attempt it? Nicely, when you discovered your self close to the store — solely open on afternoons Friday via Sunday — like Thong, and wanted one thing succulent and satisfying to fill you up earlier than assembly associates for drinks, attempt splitting a Danny & Coop’s.
Or eat it solo. However you could need to take a Verdauungsspaziergan — German for a post-meal stroll to advertise digestion — earlier than sitting down.