DRIVE-BY DINING

Not authentically Philly, yet could be a big cheese

Wienerschnitzel flubs yet delivers something tasty.

November 16, 2006

WHEN it comes to its namesake cheesesteaks, Philadelphia's no city of brotherly love. From the type of cheese to the condiments, the perfect cheesesteak sandwich is subject to heated debate among Philly fanatics.

Recently, California-based Wienerschnitzel audaciously unveiled the Philly Cheese Steak Trio. Not only has the hot-doggery spelled "cheesesteak" as two words, it's produced a corrupted version of the famed sandwich with grilled bell peppers, a blunder often committed outside the East Coast. To make matters worse, it concocted a so-called Philly Burger and Philly Dog as well.

Drive-By wanted to try the Philly Dog, which promises a multicultural mix of Philly steak, Italian sausage and French roll, topped with white American cheese, grilled onions and the aforementioned peppers. We were accompanied by Philadelphia Pete, a guy who's so particular about his hometown cheesesteaks that he can even find slight fault with the ones served at the highly regarded, extremely yummy South Street restaurants. We expected to be entertained by his Pennsylvanian indignation. We were wrong.
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The Wienerschnitzel Philly Dog

Taste **

To Drive-By's surprise, Philadelphia Pete was not mortified and stated matter-of-factly, "I could see myself ordering this again." Apparently, the Philly Dog is so far removed from anything remotely authentic that Pete was able to approach it on its own fast-food merits. The lightly spiced Italian sausage, combined with the peppers, onions and cheese, was tasty indeed, overcoming the steak meat, which was bland and chewy.

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Diet Watch *

Because this item is new, nutritional information has yet to be provided. But last year, Wienerschnitzel introduced a similar Pastrami Dog that weighed in at a hefty 640 calories, with 34 grams of fat and 57 grams of carbs. Our best guess is this isn't any better for you.

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Portability *

The Philly Dog travels in a cute cardboard box, but don't let it out in the car. This is one messy dog! Beef, onions and peppers will spill everywhere. Also, when ordering at the drive-through, remember to enunciate. The words "Philly dog" sound exactly like "chili dog" when spoken through a tiny speaker box to an overwhelmed teenage counterperson.

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Hype-o-meter ***

The 'Schnitzel marketing team has always found fun ways to sell mediocre food, from the cute antenna toppers to their ingenious "Chili Dog Diet." A new commercial shows cartoon taste buds going gaga over the Philly Cheese Steak Trio. The ad ends with the phrase, "Pushing the boundaries of taste," a motto that leaves cynics, no doubt, asking, "In which direction?"

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* Ratings are on a scale of one (lowest) to four (best).