Flyers Fans Can Taste A 'Gritty' Cheesesteak In South Philly
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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — After a chaotic reaction to Gritty, the Philadelphia's Flyers' new mascot, the city has begun to welcome him. The latest tribute to the 7-foot-tall, orange, fuzzy creature is a cheesesteak.
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The delicious-looking homage couldn't be more fitting for the latest mascot in Philadelphia's motley collection.
"The Gritty" is a brisket cheesesteak topped with sharp whiz, fried onions, lettuce, tomato, special sauce, and potato sticks on a long roll.
If that makes you salivate, "the Gritty" can be found at South Philly's very own Mike's BBQ.
In a teasing statement that lightheartedly mocks early reactions, Mike's BBQ tells fans that not only will they slowly warm up to the crazy food creation they will also "love hating this one".
"At first, like I said in the Instagram post, I was like what where they thinking but in retrospect, after digesting it for a few days, I kind of like him," said Mike Strauss, owner of Mike's BBQ.
Adventurous fans can even pair the cheesesteak with a light-hopped cream ale from a Bucks County brewery. Broken Goblet Brewing announced the creation of their "Nightmare Fuel" beer to commemorate the mascot.
When Gritty made his debut Monday, fans called him anything from something as simple as "scary" to more complex descriptions like "a cross of Snuffleupagus and Oscar the Grouch," or even "Nightmare Fuel". The beer will be released on Oct. 13.
Slowly, fans warmed up to the unique mascot - some going as far as getting a tattoo of him. If that's a little too permanent, fans can instead order a Gritty bobblehead from the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum.
In light of those very strong opinions about Gritty's appearance, the Flyers organization stood by their choice saying they "did the right thing".
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As the tributes continue to pour in, it's becoming obvious that the Flyers made a good, if provocative, decision.
"Gritty is great for Philly," said Strauss. "Everybody's talking about Philadelphia and that's what matters."
Strauss said the "Gritty" will remain on the menu as long as people are asking for it.
The restaurant is known for doing specials that play on other food items like the McDonald's McRib.
Mike's BBQ is located in the 1700 block of S. 11th Street.
