Cheesesteak Quest: Can Ian find a decent Philly cheesesteak in St. Louis? Yes, he can!

A A A Comments (0) By Ian Froeb Wednesday, May 21 2008

While the menu does offer a few "standard" sandwiches — a meatball sub with Provel and marinara sauce, the "St. Louisan" (mortadella, capicola, salami, ham and Provel) — most are a step above basic deli fare. The "Cajun B.L.T." distinguishes itself with thick, spicy bacon; that bacon, along with avocado and a silky balsamic aioli, elevates the mesquite-turkey sandwich above cold-cut cliché.

Not every combination is an unqualified success. I liked but didn't love a croissant stuffed with thinly sliced prosciutto and a tomato-mascarpone spread and then drizzled with white-truffle oil. The prosciutto and white-truffle oil masked much of the spread's flavor, and the prosciutto was packed so tightly into the croissant that the ham's fattier portions were tough to chew.

Jennifer Silverberg

Mike Risk, a co-owner of 9th Street Deli, draws inspiration from some of Philly's best-known cheesesteak institutions.

Location Info

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9th Street Deli

900 Shenandoah St.
St. Louis, MO 63104

Category: Restaurant > Deli

Region: St. Louis - Clayton

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Details

9th Street Deli
Cajun B.L.T....$5.99
Mesquite turkey & smoked bacon...$6.79
"Just Like Philly" cheesesteak...$6.99

900 Shenandoah Avenue; 314-664-3354.
Hours: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. (Closed Sun.)

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I ordered the oven-baked mortadella sandwich warily. I love mortadella and capicola, but here the meats are topped with, yes, Provel. Also atop the meats are a roasted red-pepper aioli and a wonderfully piquant relish of artichoke, tomato and black olive. Not only did these provide an excellent contrast to the flavors of the mortadella and capicola, they also worked well with the creamy Provel.

A sandwich with Provel that I didn't simply tolerate but heartily recommend? It's almost as miraculous as a decent Philly cheesesteak west of the Mississippi.