Cheesesteak & Co. opened to a steady stream of customers on its first day. A couple of days later, a food influencer with 100,000 followers stopped by. Then came the memes.
Co-owner Phill Gharfeh is still trying to figure out how, exactly, his cheesesteak carryout in Elkridge became the subject of so much attention among Howard County foodies. He’s quick to dispel any notion, however, that the surge of attention had anything to do with a coordinated marketing campaign.
“We’ve been accused many times of paying for reviews or buying reviews,” Gharfeh said. “That’s just ridiculous.”
The sub shop, which opened in late June at 6500 Washington Blvd., serves smashburgers, wings and egg rolls, but the star of the show is a Philadelphia-style cheesesteak made with chopped ribeye steak, onions and Cooper sharp white cheese, which has a creamy texture that when melted is similar to American cheese.
Meat, cheese and toppings are stuffed into soft hoagie rolls from Amoroso’s, a Philly-based commercial bakery. There are also chicken cheesesteak and vegan offerings.
The sandwiches have already found a following in Howard County, where members of a foodie Facebook page called Howard County Eats have made so many posts about Cheesesteak & Co. that it’s become a running joke.
“I’m beginning to think the admin(s) should consider renaming this group to ‘Howard County Eats at Cheesesteak & Co.’ and then starting a new one called ‘Howard County Eats Except at Cheesesteak & Co.,’” one person posted Tuesday.
Gharfeh and Cheesesteak & Co. co-owner Bivek Poudel both have a background in pizzerias: Gharfeh owned locations of Tony’s Pizzeria , while Poudel was a partner at Pizza Brothers in Baltimore County.
“Everyone’s used to the same cheesesteak from pizza shops,” where cheesesteaks made with frozen meat are often a staple, Gharfeh said. “We got away from using frozen meat with additives.”
Kimberly Kong , an influencer who runs the Nomtastic Baltimore account, called the sub shop a “must visit” after she stopped by during Cheesesteak & Co.’s first week.
“This may be the BEST cheesesteak I’ve ever had,” she wrote. “Each bite was juicy, tender and bursting with flavor.”
Gharfeh said her post “definitely brought people out,” with some new customers mentioning they learned about the restaurant from her page. He also thinks Cheesesteak & Co.’s high visibility along Route 1 helped bring people in.
Eventually, he and Poudel hope to open other locations, but for now, they’re staying busy managing their new popularity. They’re only taking walk-in orders, and sometimes they have to tell customers there will be an hourlong wait for their sub — but most people, Gharfeh says, have been understanding.
“They’ve learned to order and go wait in their car,” he said. “We’re just doing the best we can.”
Natalie Portman dines in Station North
Natalie Portman must have worked up an appetite cheering on the Orioles.
After watching the O’s play the New York Yankees at Camden Yards on Saturday, the actress — in town to celebrate the upcoming debut of the Apple TV+ series “Lady in the Lake” — dined at Alma Cocina Latina in Station North.
A spokesperson for the Venezuelan restaurant said Portman sat in the main dining room, facing the window, and ordered the Caracas Blue Sky, a gem lettuce salad topped with walnuts, pilonsillo vinaigrette and calendula and nasturtium flower petals (the actress, a vegan, skipped the blue cheese cream).
She also ordered a tomato peach salad, a recent addition to new head chef Hector Romero’s menu. Romero, a Caracas, Venezuela, native, succeeded chef David Zamudio, a James Beard Award semifinalist who left to open a tapas restaurant called Josefina in Harbor Point.
Portman isn’t the first celebrity to dine at Alma Cocina Latina, which moved from Canton to Station North in 2020 : Lupita Nyong’o , Robin White and Michael Kelly have also been customers, Alma’s spokesperson said.
Baltimore Summer Restaurant Week returns
Baltimoreans love to note that the hottest days of the summer often coincide with Artscape. I think Baltimore Summer Restaurant Week also has a claim to this particular heat-related coincidence.
The annual 10 days of dining deals are intentionally scheduled during the dog days of summer, when some people are away on vacation and others feel it’s just too darn hot to venture outside — resulting in slower business for restaurants.
Restaurant week participants offer fixed-price, multicourse meals ranging from $10 to $55, depending on the meal and venue. This year’s summer restaurant week kicks off Friday and runs through July 28.
More than 70 Baltimore restaurants have signed up to participate so far; you can find a full listing of places and menus at baltimorerestaurantweek.com .
Most Popular
Comments / 0