Ithaca Cheesesteak Emporium satisfies a long-held craving

You've probably heard me talking about cheesesteaks before. Last year, I was on a quest for the perfect cheesesteak in Ithaca, after coming back from a visit to Philadelphia. I was frustrated by inadequate pretenders, good cheesesteaks that I could only order at certain times of day, and great cheesesteaks that were actually only great half the time.

The cheesesteak is back!

Into this wilderness, enter Ithaca Cheesesteak Emporium, a new eatery in Ithaca's west end, where Mi Casita used to be. They've got wraps, they've got burgers and fries, they've got boneless wings, but most important of all, they've brought cheesesteak pride to Ithaca.

ICE, as they're calling themselves, excels at the art of the cheesesteak. I'm not from Philadelphia, but I've had cheesesteaks from three or four of the "original" or "authentic" purveyors of this regional delicacy. I know there's nothing else like the real thing, but these are awfully good... and Ithaca transplants from Philly are agreeing with me.

The Philly-style cheesesteak features tender chunks of ribeye on a real Amoroso roll imported from Philadelphia. I suggest sautéed onions and mushrooms, and Cheez Whiz, but the judges would also have accepted provolone. There are plenty of other veggies to choose from, but I'm a purist.

Or go Ithaca-style, with steak or chicken and a variety of sauces, like Cajun teriyaki, honey BBQ, or garlic butter. This sounds so wrong, but it makes an awfully good sandwich. I'm tempted to call it a "sauced steak sub" instead of a cheesesteak, but as long as they separate this from the Philly cheesesteak, I shouldn't be so picky.

I'm not sure I've had a "chicken cheesesteak" (to use the self-contradictory term of art) since the old cheesesteak place that used to be at Pyramid Mall (when it used to be Pyramid Mall) closed down. That used to be my favourite sub there, and I'm looking forward to trying one here. I may also try the quarter-pound burger or the boneless wings, but they're less likely to be worth the trouble of obtaining from an eatery across town.

On the side...

One of my dining companions got french fries with melted provolone. Great fries, nice and hot and crisp, but they need to work on the melted provolone! And I usually skip dessert, but the four of us split a fried dough. Hot and decadent and sprinkled liberally with powdered sugar. You'll feel like you're at the Fair. Consider the jalapeño poppers as an appetizer. Caution: anything that's just been deep-fried is going to be served quite hot, but cream-cheees filling in a deep-fried popper is not unlike napalm. Let them cool for a few minutes before you pop one.

This waterfront eatery isn't fancy, but it's easy to get to, on West Buffalo Street between Fulton Street (Route 13 south) and Taughannock Boulevard (Route 89 north), across from GreenStar Cooperative Market. For now, they're not delivering at lunchtime, but it wouldn't surprise us if that changed eventually. (Given enough advance notice, they'll deliver large lunchtime orders.)

Plan on spending six to ten bucks on your meal. Ithaca Cheesesteak Emporium is open weekdays from noon to the wee hours, weekends starting at 2pm. Delivery starts at 5 on weekdays. Order at campusfood.com or call 607-215-7024 and tell them you heard about them here.