99 Miles to Philly

Philly cheese steaks continue to invade New York: This entry comes from Brad Kranz—a man who started making the sandwiches as a teenager. After culinary training at Johnson & Wales and a stint as manager at Carl’s Steaks, he and partner Neil Barsky decided to open this spot in the East Village. (The name refers to the distance between NYC and legendary Pat’s Steaks in South Philadelphia.) Kranz serves a traditional version with Whiz, of course, and a not-so-traditional side of waffle fries for $2.25.