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From cheesesteaks to wings, shops are ready

The taste of Philadelphia is available along with other treats for fans of the big game.

By JORGE SANCHEZ
Published February 5, 2005

Time will tell if the Philadelphia Eagles or New England Patriots emerge victorious from the Super Bowl on Sunday. But Citrus County already has plenty of places that serve food appropriate for the battling teams.

The Taste of Philly Sub Shoppe has been serving mouth-watering cheesesteaks in downtown Crystal River for five years. Owner Claudine Demianczuk, a South New Jersey native, strives to serve a cheesesteak that matches the sandwich that made Philly famous.

It's a simple enough affair: fresh meat, sliced ribbon thin, quickly grilled and then stuffed inside a fresh roll and topped with a squirt of Cheez-Whiz. Yes, Cheez-Whiz.

Okay, maybe provolone for diners who are in a wild and crazy mood. But let's not go overboard and start adding lettuce or too many other fixings. That's not an authentic cheesesteak.

No frozen meat at Taste of Philly. It's fresh rib-eye steak, sliced into thin ribbons at the store daily. Large three-quarter pound mounds of the steak are stacked side by side on a cool spot on the grill, like beefy football players waiting for the coach to send them into the game. It's only a short shove of the spatula to reach the hot grill section.

Then, faster that you can say, "Yo, Adrian, I did it," a tasty Philly cheesesteak makes its way into the mouth of a hungry diner.

As if the fresh meat weren't enough, Taste of Philly spares no expense for its rolls. They are Amoroso Baking Co. rolls, straight from Philadelphia. The company's rolls have been the benchmark for Philly cheesesteak subs since 1904.

"I've had Philly cheesesteaks from Michigan to New Jersey, and from there to Florida, and this without a doubt is as good as you'll find anywhere, including Philly," said Ron Trasher, 31, of Spring Hill.

Thrasher made his first visit to Taste of Philly on Wednesday. He was back, with a lunchmate, on Thursday. He ordered "the wussie," a 7-inch cheesesteak with 6 ounces of meat.

"Hey, I've got to be able to work after lunch," he said.

The regular foot-long cheesesteak ($5.75) has three-quarters of a pound of fresh meat, and can be topped off with grilled onions, mushrooms or peppers.

Sadly, Taste of Philly will be closed Sunday, but the staff members expect lots of takeout orders today in advance of the big game.

"People can order the meat in a container and the buns on the side," Schofield said. "That way, they can still serve them up fresh on Sunday."

Taste of Philly is at 630 NE Second Ave., Crystal River. Look for the bright yellow building behind a real estate office about half a block off U.S. 19 to the east. Call 795-7805.

But Taste of Philly is not the only place in Citrus where you can find a cheesesteak sandwich.

Floral City Pizza & Subs, 7101 U.S. 41 S, makes a cheesesteak that owner Larry Pendulick claims "people drive all the way from Leesburg" to eat.

The Floral City shop imports frozen meat from the Philadelphia cheesesteak company to stuff its ample subs. The cheesesteaks can be topped with a variety of cheeses (sorry, no Cheez-Whiz), along with sauteed mushrooms, pepper or onions.

The Floral City shop also will be closed Sunday, but he expects many people will order the meat as takeout today and prepare the sandwiches on Sunday. Call 344-5600.

Franchise sports bars also offer their versions of cheesesteak subs and New England clam chowder, and all of them will be open Sunday.

But the big item on their menus will be chicken wings.

Sportster's Family Restaurant and Sports Pub, 390 U.S. 19 S, Crystal River, will go through about 40 cases of chicken wings, or 1,600 pounds on Sunday, said manager Mike Saperstein.

The pub will also have other food and drink specials for families and children. The pub has 18 televisions, including one big screen set to catch the game. Call 564-0532.

Hot Shotz, the sports bar inside Manatee Lanes bowling center, 7715 State Road 44, Crystal River, will feature an all-you-can-eat buffet for the big game. At halftime, staffers will roll out a 30-foot buffet loaded with chicken wings, chili and cheese dogs, hoagies and nachos. There will be a free football pool where people can guess the game at the end of each quarter, with $300 in cash prizes available. Admission is $12.95. Call 795-4546.

Other sports bars with beer and food specials will be Beef O'Brady's in Crystal River on State Road 44 and in Inverness in the Inverness Regional Shopping Center, U.S. 41 N, and Coach's Pub on the Courthouse Square, Inverness.

Jorge Sanchez covers arts and entertainment in Citrus County. Call 860-7313 or e-mail sanchez@sptimes.com

[Last modified February 5, 2005, 00:56:15]