September 12, 2025

---

One Dish – Original Philly Cheesesteak

We’re headed to Fresta’s for their take on this classic sandwich

🗣️ There is no better way to get an opinion out of someone than to mention some type of regional food specialty. Yes, politics and religion will definitely spark some chatter too. But the “Who has the best…” discussion can yield wildly surprising results! 

🗓️ Back in the 1930s (before me) in Philadelphia, PA, Pat and Harry Olivieri decided to chop up some meat, cook it on a griddle along with some onions, and serve it on a roll. Kind of by accident, a sandwich phenomenon was born! (And so was Pat’s King of Steaks!) – READ SOME CHEESESTEAK HISTORY HERE! 

Over the years, this tasty sandwich would get baked right into the American food culture. It would launch a mini-industry and a cult-like following all its own. 

The first versions of this yet-to-be-named creation were “cheese-less,” which seems strange for a sandwich that prominently features cheese in its name. The cheese part actually comes first! 

🧀 Now for the Cheese! It will take more than a decade for the “cheese” component of this sandwich to make its debut. That seems like a long time for someone to figure out that cheese would make this thing WAY better! It’s just common sense! 😆

The cheese chunk of this debate is just as hot as the “who has the best steak” discussion. I am personally a part of the Cheeze Whiz crowd. But I know that there is a very dedicated provolone fan base too. (Provolone was actually used first!) 

🥖 A Local Favorite. Sarasota LOVES its sandwiches. There are countless places around town to grab just about any variation you can think of. 📝 I kind of feel like the bánh mì isn’t very well represented here. I love this Vietnamese specialty. It just doesn’t seem like it’s on many local menus. 

Here’s a strange little intersection. If you read the piece we wrote about Pork Roll Pete’s, you may recall that we mentioned the role that social media played in us getting up there to try the place out. Well, this is kind of round two! 

Here’s the thing about Facebook food groups. Even though the majority of the time, you will see the poster’s name, you have absolutely no idea what their “real” relationship to the restaurant they are commenting about is. It’s one of the things that makes navigating these groups so challenging. 

I feel like the only thing you can really do is just tolerate the lack of author transparency. It seems like it’s just part of the way that the medium has evolved. But, if it puts something on your radar that wasn’t there before, it’s probably an OK thing.  

Lately, my social media feeds have been loaded with pictures of the Original Philly Cheesesteak from the newly opened Fresta’s Italian American Cuisine. This is an itch that needed to be scratched. 

This is why we are here today… 

I fully realize that all Philly Cheesesteaks are NOT created equal. (I used to love the steaks at Gentile’s. Hopefully, the new owners will keep up the quality of those sandwiches.) And I know that there are lots of variables (i.e., chopped meat vs. shaved meat, type of cheese, and yes, of course, the bread). An Amoroso roll is the gold standard. 

Before we get to the star of the show, let’s take a quick spin around the place. I mean, it is brand new and all. 

They have two big seating areas with a small bar in between. 

It’s an open kitchen concept. That seems to fit for this kind of place. 

🍕 YES, they have pizza! 

The menu has lots of choices… 

But we are here for this. The Original Philly Cheesesteak! 

Let’s look at things from a different perspective.

Let’s talk about this sandwich… 

• From the description, I didn’t think that this was going to be chopped. I figured it would be the shaved, flattop-cooked ribeye. 📝 It does have a comforting “loose meat sandwich” kind of thing going. I’m from the Midwest, so I liked that! 

• I had absolutely no idea what Cooper Sharp Cheese was. Now I do. It’s definitely a Philly thing – HERE’S SOME INFO ON COOPER SHARP. I can see why people love this cheese. It’s really good. My sandwich needed more of it. Next time I’ll ask for that. 

• The bread was nice and soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Love the seeded roll! It’s a great carrier for this sandwich. 

• I definitely missed the “Add fried onions for an authentic touch” part of the menu description. That’s on me! I do love onions. So again, next time…🧅

➡️ This was a tasty sandwich. It wasn’t what I was expecting. (If I had only paid more attention to those FB pics! 😆) But I do love a delicious surprise. Would I order it again, without a doubt. Should you order one? Absolutely!  

OH – We also sampled the pizza on our visit. (Couldn’t pass up that opportunity!) You can get it as a Slice & Salad lunch special, which is nice. It’s a BIG slice too!

📊 WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO   

Fresta’s Italian American Cuisine (6392 Lockwood Ridge Rd. | (941) 203-8467   

 CUISINE: Italian American 

 RESERVATIONS: Yes – HERE’S A RES LINK 

 MENU: HERE’S A LINK TO THE MENU  

 PARKING: Parking Lot  

 DRINKS: Full Bar  

 NEIGHBORHOOD: Parkway Collection Plaza 

✅ BOTTOM LINE – If you’re a cheesesteak lover, you should put Fresta’s on your “to-do” list. They feature some great, affordable lunch specials (like the slice & salad). If you’re looking for a casual, “neighborhoody” kind of place, this fits that description. Lots and lots of parking make this easy when season rolls around. 

~ LH 

📌 ODDS & ENDS 

📃 What’s on the Menu? We don’t get a ton of color changes in the fall around here. So how about some menu changes? That’s precisely what’s going on at Mademoiselle Paris! They’ve just put the finishing touches on some tasty new dishes for breakfast and lunch. Want a quick peek? We can do that for you! – HAVE A LOOK AT THE NEW MENU! 

🍽️ Ch-Ch-Changes… For the past forty years, Michael’s On East has been one of the standard bearers of the Sarasota fine dining scene. And that’s NOT about to change anytime soon. But there will be some BIG changes happening to the dining room, bar, and piano lounge. The remodel will “honor and elevate the restaurant’s 1930s Art Deco–inspired interior and capture the glamour of the great supper-club era, while preserving the impeccable service and timeless hospitality that have defined Michael’s On East since its founding in 1987.” 

The restaurant will close for the renovations on SEPT 14^TH and reopen with its new look in early October. Looking forward to seeing what Michael and Phil have in store! – MORE INFO HERE! 

---

---

🗓️ SARASOTA FOOD INFO🗓️ 

Here is some local food information that we think you might find interesting. We’ve provided you with a link to more info. 

📖 BUY A COPY OF OUR 2025 SARASOTA DINING BOOK! – ORDER HERE 📖 

---

🧑‍🌾 FARMER’S MARKET INFO ‍🌾 

EVERY SUNDAY – Siesta Key Farmer’s Market – DETAILS 

EVERY SUNDAY – Farmer’s Market at Lakewood Ranch – DETAILS 

EVERY SUNDAY – The Meadows Farmer’s Market – DETAILS 

EVERY WEDNESDAY – The Phillippi Farmhouse Market (Oct-Apr) – DETAILS 

EVERY THURSDAY – Englewood Farmer’s Market (Oct-May) – DETAILS 

EVERY SATURDAY – Sarasota Farmer’s Market – DETAILS  

EVERY SATURDAY – Downtown Bradenton Public Market – DETAILS 

EVERY SATURDAY – Venice Farmer’s Market – DETAILS 

THIRD THURSDAY EVERY MONTH – UTC Night Market – DETAILS 

🌟 SHARE, FOLLOW, LIKE 🌟 

📱 Yes, we’re on social media! Our Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads  and Bluesky 

Get information on 350+ Sarasota restaurants on the dineSarasota.com website 

Did you miss a story? Here are some of our past Bites – SB ARCHIVE 

Do you love our A Burger A Week pieces? – HERE’S THE FULL ARCHIVE 🍔 

Check out all of our Videos on our YouTube channel! 

Refer a friend to Sarasota Bites. That would make us super happy CLICK HERE! 

Email us a question, comment, or suggest a story. SEND EMAIL 

From time to time, our articles may include links to purchase items. If you click on a link and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. These small commissions help pay for the cost of creating the content we love bringing you. For more information on our editorial policy, CLICK HERE.   

JUST IN CASE YOU MISSED SOMETHING…