In Guy Fieri’s Cheesesteak Battle, local favorite beats Philly’s best.
Tony Baloney's award-winning cheesesteak.
As the unmistakable smell of thinly cut steak and fried onions wafted through the air in the posh setting of Caesars Palladium Ballroom Friday night for Guy Fieri’s Cheesesteak Battle, fans were stuffing their faces and stuffing the ballot boxes.
It was a sold-out event at the Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival as a bunch of Guy Fieri fans were in the house, around 800 to be exact, who were thrilled when Fieri made his first appearance and later when he walked around the room and mingled with fans.
Of course the purpose of the night was to give bragging rights to one of the four participants in the Cheesesteak Battle: Chink’s Steaks and Rick’s Steaks, both from Philadelphia, and the local favorites, Tony Boloney’s and Sack’O Subs.
When the culinary throwdown was over, with the attendees voting via chips they placed in ballot boxes at each station, those bragging rights went to Tony’s Boloney’s. Co-owner Mike “The Butcher” Hauke was confident his shop’s popular Cheesesteak Ole’, which features 10-spice sirloin steak, fried onions, Jack cheese and homemade Chipotle ranch, would reign supreme and it did.
Guy Fieri
It was a minor upset, if only because when Guy asked fans where they were from, the shouts for Philadelphia far outweighed the applause when he asked how many locals were in the house.
Tony Boloney’s tasty treat apparently convinced a bunch of Philly cheesesteak fans to go with their taste buds rather than their allegiance to their home town.
While diners were enjoying their cheesesteaks, the terrific cover band The Exceptions pumped out a great blend of party music that had fans dancing in the aisles between bites. Check them out at their weekly Sunday afternoon gig at The Deck at Trump Marina.
The Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival continues July 31 to Aug. 1 with plenty more chances to combine good eats with a chance to meet numerous culinary all-stars. Go here for the complete schedule.
Do you hear that rumbling rolling in from out in the distance? No, it’s not the accompanying thunder from a series of midsummer thunderstorms. What you’re noticing, should you listen carefully, is the sound of the biggest food weekend on the calendar around these parts.
The food varies from Cajun po’ boys and ice cream to American-Thai and authentic Atlantic City grub. Many of the items for sale include recycled, organic and fair-trade products.
Plus the 200 Club Brunch at Borgata Sunday, a new DrewToonz cartoon combining Don Rickles and the rodeo, and ?uestlove and May's Pizza Slaughter Fest.
Let’s take this in simple steps. First step, pizza and beer go together. Got it. Second step, the Atlantic City Convention Center is the site of the sixth annual Atlantic City Beer Festival, better known as “The Celebration of the Suds.” More than 75 different breweries will showcase their products. But also among the exhibitors will be several food vendors including Tony Boloney’s, one of the city’s premiere pizza restaurants. So beer vendors and pizza vendors also go together. Well, at festivals anyway. Got it. So what then is the next step? Well obviously, it’s Tony Boloney’s pizza infused with beer. And we’re not talking about the infusion that happens in your mouth when you bite a slice and swig your beer. We’re talking totally infused. “Basically, we’re cooking the beer...
Flash forward five years to October 2009. After a couple months of running the current location as a cafeteria-style operation, Hauke closed, rebranded and created the Tony Boloney’s concept.
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1. Chuck Anziulewicz said... on Jul 31, 2010 at 10:36AM
“Guy Fieri actually has FANS? Gee, everyone I've ever spoken with DESPISES him. He seems far more concerned with cultivating his "hip and edgy" image than anything else. And don't even get me started on his little "Man-Cave."”
2. Anonymous said... on Jul 31, 2010 at 09:57PM
“I just ate a Cheesesteak Ole today and it was good...but nothing special”
3. Anonymous said... on Aug 1, 2010 at 08:07AM
“The fix was in!”
4. ken L said... on Aug 1, 2010 at 09:14PM
“We went to the Cheesteak battle and were completely disappointed with the event. We had no idea it would be a big free for all with only enough tables and chairs for some of the patrons. You had to wait in line forever to get a sliver of a cheesesteak and Guy Fieri was on stage for all of about ten minutes. Not worth the $75.00 we each paid to get in.”
5. Anonymous said... on Aug 2, 2010 at 07:46PM
“i heard guy fieri was somewhat of a prickk”
6. Tony Boloney's -Mike, Owner said... on Aug 2, 2010 at 09:14PM
“Hey!!!
Thank you to everyone that was at the battle and showed their support for Tony Boloney's and for the other competitors; it was a great day for Tony Boloney's and also a GREAT day for Atlantic City. It was an honor to go against such established names in the Cheesesteak world along with the founding family of Cheesesteaks; it was a blast and we cannot wait until next year!
Guy Fieri is anything but what was said above; he was super cool, a lot of fun, and totally down to earth.
Again, from all of us here at Tony Boloney's...THANK YOU!!!!”
7. Melissa said... on Aug 3, 2010 at 01:58PM
“I thought the Cheese Steak Battle was great! My husband and I had a great time and I thought Guy was really cool. I was even able to get a couple of pics of him! I felt it was worth the $150 for the 2 of us!!! I agree with Mike from Tony Boloney's...Guy seemed liked a really down to earth guy!”
8. Jen said... on Aug 5, 2010 at 03:30PM
“Hey Dude Congratulation, We were there the whole week and saw you win, I have some awesome pictures, Would you like me to send you copies.. That weekend was crazy fun ... You Rock Jen
”
9. Tony Boloney's - Mike, Owner said... on Aug 5, 2010 at 09:09PM
“Jen, that would be AWESOME! Email me at tonyboloneys@gmail.com Thanks!!!”
10. Americas Best said... on Aug 24, 2010 at 10:14AM
“We order Tony Boloneys all the time. This is no shock to us.”
11. Cliff said... on Jul 31, 2011 at 07:03AM
“Totally agree with Ken L and I'm on a mission to trash this event anywhere I can online so people avoid next year.
With the name of the event being the "Guy Fieri Cheesesteak Battle", I assumed 2 things: (1) It would be a "battle" like iron chef or chopped and (2) Guy Fieri would actually be ther...like a host or MC. Neither of which were true.
Event was outside in 90 degree heat, it was muggy as could be and started raining. You had to not only wait inline for cheesesteaks but you had to walk through grass which turned to mud. My wife in her heals didn't appreciate this at all.
We paid $75 a ticket because we thought we were going to a 3 hr event/show, inside, with FOOD NETWORK QUALITY CHEFS...NOPE. Cheesesteaks for from sub par establishments and chain restaurants. Lee's Hoagies had the best steak there and it was a 6 on a scale of 1-10 for anyone who has ever been to philly.
We left after an hour and a half so maybe Guy eventually showed his face. I don't really care, it sucked.”