Best CheeseSteak in Philly? Don’t Ask Me

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Best CheeseSteak in Philly? Don’t Ask Me

When I was in Chicago, I was in search of the best pho (see Pho Paradise Found: Asia on Argyle, Chicago). When I was in Chicago, I was also in search of the best deep-dish pizza (see The World’s Best Pizza: Chicago Deep Dish Edition). I overindulged on both of these foods because they are my favorites.

When I was in Philly, I had to try an authentic Philly cheesesteak. The problem is that I’ve never been a big fan of the sandwich. It’s cheese, low-grade beef, and onions. How great can it be? Before offending the city of brotherly love, I thought I owed it to them to try as many cheesesteaks as possible.

I started with Cleavers, a joint next to where I was staying, the Hyatt Centric. I went with the basic: Kraft cheese, steak, and onions. It was good, but I wouldn’t pay $18 again for it.a sign in a store a box on a table a sandwich in a box

TPOL’s TIP: Cleavers is located at 108 S 18th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103.

After my epic run up the Rocky steps (see The Best Experience in Philadelphia & Worldwide)  and a visit to Independence Square (see Guns & Butter: Philadelphia Travel Guide), my heart told me that it was ready for my second sandwich. 3.1 miles later, I arrived on foot at Geno’s.

a street with cars and a sign on the front of a restaurant a plaque with a chain around it

My friend from Philly said it was a tourist trap, a sentiment echoed by the bartender at my hotel and other Philadelphians I asked for recommendations. There is a distinction between a tourist trap and a tourist attraction.

a group of men cooking meat

$18 must be the market rate for steak and cheese. For the same price as Cleavers, I ordered a cheesesteak with onions and copper cheese.

Neither the destination nor the journey was worth the trek.

a sandwich on a paper wrapper a sandwich on a paper

Full, I was determined to try one more cheese steak. This time, I was going to order it with what I thought was the missing link—mushrooms.

Unfortunately, Google gave me incorrect directions to Skinny Joey’s, a recommendation by another local. Since I was thus far unimpressed with the cheesesteak concept, I gave up on the cheesesteak mission.

TPOL’s Tip: This is the correct address: 3020 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19145

If I had to rank the two, I would go with Cleavers because of the sesame bread. But if I never have either again, that would be fine as well.

TPOL’s Trivia: I later found out that sesame is a ‘no,no’ in the traditional world of cheesesteak, further reinforcing that I am not the one to ask about what makes a good cheesesteak.

TPOL’s Tip: Yet another local recommended Angelo’s. Unfortunately, they were closed.

Simply The Best: October 2025

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Simply The Best: October 2025

Wasn’t a very strong showing in terms of number of blogs posts for October 2025. Here’s what I wrote:

  1. Grand Hyatt Athens: It’s Time to Drop the ‘Grand’

    a group of people on a rooftop pool
    Hyatt needs to change the name of all Grand Hyatts to Grande Hyatts. Grand means opulent, visible. Grande means big. And that’s all Grand Hyatts are—big hotels.
  2. New Passport to Go to Canada?

    a passport and a passport case
    It’s with joy and pain that I announce that my old passport is no more.
  3. What Happened to Toronto?

    a street with a street light and a street sign
    Toronto looks like a scene from The Penguin.
  4. The Anndore House Toronto: In Yorkville, Sort Of

    a building with a street and trees
    My room had a great view of the high-rises, a distraction from what was going on at night below.
  5. AA Admirals Club Toronto: Not Worth a Review

    a sign on a wall
    I write these ‘Lounge Reviews’ differently from other bloggers. While they will show up first to the lounge and take a picture of all the chairs and zoom in to capture photos of the day-old hummus, I document my experience to catalog all of the cities in the world I have been to an Admirals Club.
  6. AA Hopper Toronto to Philadelphia: You Can’t Sit There

    an airplane on the runway
    After encountering my defective seat, I moved to the unoccupied exit row…
  7. Timed-Out: Barclays Hawaii Business Application

    a close up of a sign
    I am applying again and will let you know the result . . . in 90 days.

Rocky! The Best Experience in Philadelphia & Worldwide

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Rocky! The Best Experience in Philadelphia & Worldwide

I have been to Christ the Redeemer in Rio (see Guns & Butter: Rio de Janeiro Travel Guide). I have the iconic photo with my arms spread apart. It was a moment of pure bliss.

rio de janeiro carnival

Sacreligious as it sounds, it was not as rewarding as climbing the steps and taking my photo with Rock. I was not the only one who shared in the excitement. People from all over the world queued to take the same picture. Interestingly enough, those who came to revel in Rocky’s greatness were polite enough to stand in line and allow one person after another to take an unencumbered picture. In a world of no manners (see Etiquette of Things), that was nice to see.

a man standing in front of a statue

I guess what I’m trying to say, is that if I can change, and you can change, everybody can change!

TPOL’s Trivia: Do you know the Philadelphia Museum of Art is behind the Rocky statue? While it may be full of antiquities and masterpieces, the crowd and I were only there to see the Italian Stallion.

Insert your favorite Rocky quote below.

AA Hopper Toronto to Philadelphia: You Can’t Sit There

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AA Hopper Toronto to Philadelphia: You Can’t Sit There

The flight from Toronto to Philadelphia is only 1:35.

an airplane on the runway

After encountering my defective seat, I moved to the unoccupied exit row.

the inside of an airplane

Immediately, the flight attendant asked if I was having trouble finding my seat. I explained that the velcro on my seat had come off, and I thought it would be better if I sat in the exit row. She explained that the plane had to be balanced based on weight and told me to return to my assigned seat. I complied without argument.

a person's legs in a seat

I don’t believe that she was being honest. I’ve been on planes where I am weighed in advance (see TPOL’s Worst Flight Experiences). I also do not believe that this plane was small enough where weight makes a difference. But what do I know?

a group of people sitting in an airplane
The exit row is empty.

AA Admirals Club Toronto: Not Worth a Review

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AA Admirals Club Toronto: Not Worth a Review

I write these ‘Lounge Reviews’ differently from other bloggers. While they will show up first to the lounge and take a picture of all the chairs and zoom in to capture photos of the day-old hummus, I document my experience to catalog all of the cities in the world I have been to an Admirals Club. 

The Admirals Club Toronto was no different than others. The breakfast, apart from the fork with no integrity, was serviceable, and the seating space was ample for the small footprint AA has in Toronto.

a sign on a wall a room with a table and chairs a buffet table with food on it a bar with chairs and a television a plate of breakfast food

The Anndore House Toronto: In Yorkville, Sort Of

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The Anndore House Toronto: In Yorkville, Sort Of

Last time I stayed in Toronto, it was at the Hyatt Regency. Unfortunately, my wish that the hotel would not be devalued did not come true (see Hyatt Regency Toronto: Please Don’t Devalue!). Now, the hotel is 15k a night. For that price, I decided to stay in a boutique hotel.

JDV

This is my second JDV Hotel (see The Time New York: A Hidden Hyatt Hotel).

a building with a street and trees a group of flowers in pots

Getting There

I took an Uber from YYZ.

Location 

The hotel is technically in Yorkville, one of Toronto’s most affluent neighborhoods. It is also right across the street from the Brass Rail and public parks. By day, nothing seems amiss. By night, everything changes (see What Happened to Toronto? ).

a street with a building and traffic cones
Strip Club parking

a wooden door swinger with a hole

Check-In

It has been a while since I was warmly greeted checking in. I was even given a cookie and club soda.

a bar with a counter and stoolsa can of peach spritz next to a cookie

Room

My room had a great view of the high-rises, a distraction from what was going on at night below.a hallway with a mirror and a closet a framed picture of a woman in a swimsuit a bed in a room a bed with a stuffed animal on ita bed with pillows and a stuffed animal on ita light fixture on a wall a digital clock on a table a room with a bed and chairs a room with a bed and chairsa room with a bed and chairs a room with a tv and chairsa shelf with baskets on ita desk with a tv on the wall a tray with a red kettle and coffee cups wine glasses on a table a black briefcase on a wood surface a black record player with a record player in it a green lamp on a table a green lamp on a desk

a pen on a piece of papera city with many tall buildings a city with many tall buildings

Bathroom 

I liked the subway floors.

a mirror in a bathrooma black and white tile floor a bathroom with a sink and a mirror a shower with a gold shower head a group of white bottles with black lids on a white tile wall

Brunch

On weekends, brunch is served from 9:30AM to 2PM. Globalists are allowed one entree, one cold drink, and one hot drink per person. As my flight was at 7AM the following day, I asked if I could use both of my vouchers on the same day. They graciously said yes, so I ordered everything, plus a bottle of Cava.a glass of champagne next to a bottle of champagnea pan of food next to a pizza

Overall

Great hotel.

a black and white tiled floor with a circular mirror

What Happened to Toronto?

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What Happened to Toronto?

Toronto used to be my favorite city in North America (see TPOL’s Travels: The Best Big Cities in the World). I used to go all the time when I was a yute studying at the University of Michigan. Club goers will recall the great days at Guvernment (see The Best Nightclubs in the World) where yours truly spent New Year’s (see Where to Party? New Year’s Eve). Sadly, the Toronto nightlife is not what it used to be. The housing bubble put it on life support, and COVID delivered the final blow.

The nightlife is not the only thing that has left Toronto. The people have also vacated the city. When I visited Toronto two years ago (see Air Canada DTW to YYZ: Expensive in CAD, Expensive in Points), I found a city with no pulse. The streets were empty. It was depressing. This time, the city showed more signs of life, leading me to believe that there was hope for revival.

Then night came. Suddenly, I understood why the person at the front desk of my hotel, the Anndorre House, said that the hotel is only accessible by key from 10PM-5AM. Up and down and around Charles Street, there were interesting characters everywhere. It looked like a scene from The Penguin. I did not feel comfortable loitering outside my hotel at night. That was a first for someone who used to stumble the streets of Toronto at all hours of the night.

a street with a street light and a street sign
What happened to Toronto?

New Passport to Go to Canada?

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New Passport to Go to Canada?

It’s with joy and pain that I announce that my old passport is no more. While it was not set to expire for two more years, I had to get a new one because there were only a few blank pages left. Indeed, I was almost denied entry into Portugal because the border agent said that I needed two blank pages to enter the country. I showed him that there were four, but I quit arguing after he said I was welcome.

TPOL Trivia: Why do countries require two blank pages?

Instead of mailing my old passport and waiting weeks on end, I applied for an expedited passport. I had to show that I was traveling within the next weeks and pay an additional $60. I was surprised how easy it was to make an appointment, and was more surprised that I could pick up my passport two days later. I often complain about how difficult it is to get things done in Puerto Rico, but this time I have nothing but good things to say.

The quest to fill this one up my new passports begins anew. Today, I will be using my passport to go to Canada! I am eager to expand my Country Count which stands 158 ‘countries and territories’ by continuing to explore the world (see Where I’ve Been).

TPOL’s Trivia: Do they stamp your passport when you go to Canada?

a passport and a passport case
The old one was so battered that the chip could not be read.

Timed-Out: Barclays Hawaii Business Application

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Timed-Out: Barclays Hawaii Business Application

My friends, I tried my best. I tried to get approved for the Hawaii Business card (see Barclays Hawaii Business Card App: More Information Required). But ultimately, like Donovan McNabb in the Super Bowl, I ran out of time. I called to find out the status and was told that even more information was required, but that I could not provide it because it was more than 90 days since I applied.

Sending a physical copy of my driver’s license and social security card was not enough. Calling and going through screening with three different members of Barclays was not enough.

Resilient, I am applying again and will let you know the result . . . in 90 days.

a close up of a sign
Bula, a word Barclays does not understand.

Grand Hyatt Athens: It’s Time to Drop the ‘Grand’

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Grand Hyatt Athens: It’s Time to Drop the ‘Grand’

Hyatt needs to change the name of all Grand Hyatts to Grande Hyatts. Grand means opulent, visible. Grande means big. And that’s all Grand Hyatts are—big hotels.

Another example of a Grand Hyatt that was big in size but not great is the Grand Hyatt Athens. a pool in front of a building

Getting There: Tired of being robbed by Ubers, take the bus from the airport(see Athens Airport Transport: Valiant Effort to Save Money).

Suite Upgrade 

As a Globalist, I was upgraded to a suite. How can I complain about a suite? Because the bedroom did not have a door. I felt like a lying duck in the bedroom waiting for housekeeping to pounce at any time. a room with a tv and a wood floor a room with a couch and a tv a couch and coffee table in a room a room with a couch and a televisiona room with a tv and a table a desk and chair in a room a tv in a room a bed in a rooma bed with white sheets and a blue headboard a room with a tv on the wall a room with a tv on the wall a room with a couch and a couch

a sign on a wall
Will this stop them?
a room with a bed and a television
Who’s there!

Welcome Amenity

I did appreciate the sweet treat and ouzo. a table with bottles and glasses on it a group of glasses and a plate of food

TPOL’s Trivia: Turkish delight is called loukoumi in Greece. Given the history between the countries, it would be awkward to order a Turkish delight at a pastry shop. Per the Internet, “It is often served alongside Greek coffee (as opposed to Turkish coffee), providing a sweet accompaniment to the strong beverage.”

a black coffee machine on a tray
Greek Nespresso

Bathroom

The water pressure was lacking and there was no soap! (see Hotel Complaints: Do You Know Who I Am By Now?) a bathroom with a large mirror and sink a shower with black bottles and a silver shower head

a black tray with a variety of objects on it
To be fair, there were back-ups.

Breakfast 

I woke up early, ready for some Greek breakfast (as opposed to Turkish). I found American. It was very disappointing, apart from the orange juice. a glass of orange juice a plate of food on a place mat a plate of pastries and a donut

Lounge

The lounge was basic and, like the breakfast, there was no trace of Greece.

a room with a couch and chairs a group of fruit in a wooden box a table with plates of food bottles of wine in a bowla group of bottles in a bucket of ice a plate of food on a table

a bottle of soda and a glass of ice
Alex in Greek

Location 

Like the Grand Hyatt Barcelona (see Good, Bad, & Annoying), the Grand Hyatt Athens is not located near the city center, forcing me to rely on Uber more than I would like.

TPOL’s Tip: If you’re looking for a Greek strip club, this is the hotel for you. There are many right across the street.

a view of a city from a window
Zoom for strippers.

Pool

The rooftop pool is very nice. My complaint is that the family pool is facing the Acropolis instead of the adult’s pool.

a pool with people in it
Adult pool
a pool with people in the background
Adult pool

a pool with a couple of people swimming in it

a group of people on a rooftop pool a city with a road and buildings

Tax

Be wary of the scam tax the hotel imposes (see What a Scam! Greek Climate Resilience Tax).

a close-up of a document

Overall

I have had great experiences at Grand Hyatts (see The Grand Hyatt Shanghai: PH’s Not So Little Brother & Grand Hyatt Jakarta: It’s Where to Stay), but I would much rather stay at a Park for the perks or a Place for the place.

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