We are just back after enjoying six days in Philadelphia, my hometown! We spent the bulk of our time at Les Dames d’Escoffier annual conference and tacked on a day for sightseeing in downtown Philly, then a day to drive around my old neighborhood to reminisce and see how things have changed in the last 13 years (our last visit was in 1996 for the International Association of Culinary Professional annual conference).

Here’s a true highlight (among many) from Monday’s trip, when we rented a car and headed to suburban Philadelphia. Spencer wanted a “real” Philadelphia lunch, so I offered up a cheesesteak (actually a “chicken steak” since I don’t eat red meat) with fried onions and some sort of white cheese similar in texture to Velveeta but tasting more like mayonnaise.

And here I am enjoying every last bite. . .paired with a Diet Coke.

We experienced this at Village Lunch in downtown Gladwyne (the gentle town where I grew up) on what’s referred to as the Main Line. Village Lunch is a modest place that’s won lots of awards for “Best Main Line Lunch” from Philadelphia magazine and other publications. It’s run by a scrappy, sweet woman who knows all her regulars on a first-name basis, and calls everyone, including newcomers such as ourselves, “Honey.”

For dessert? What better than a packet of Butterscotch Krimpets, the traditional snack cake manufactured by the TastyKake company. Sorry for the price tag, but at least it gives you a sense of the value of this tasty, not to mention thrifty treat.