Philly's got nothin' on these beauties. Yeah... it's real steak -- rib eye -- well cut, cooked over a slotted grill until the meat barely chars on the outside and retains its enticing color inside.

The half-baguette (both crispy and chewy) was baked only several hours earlier and imported from a 24-hour coal-oven bakery just a few blocks away. It is the perfect vessel for the rib-eye. The baguette has crispy brown lines and the fortitude to house the drippings as the steak rests (though it's hard to keep it resting for too long). Sesame seeds on the bottom of the baguette offer a subtle accent.

Just before baguette meets rib-eye, the cheese is placed deftly on the steak to melt. Ah..., the cheese. Diana likes a lot of cheese on her cheesesteaks and these don't disappoint. The cheese is velvety smooth and has just the right flavor to compliment the steak.

Then there are the onions. Sautéed, not grilled, to keep them hot and soft, but barely carmelized. The onions provide a wonderful texture to contrast with the melted cheese.

Each component battles for the starring role. What a simple, simple, but ever so perfect, combination.