The Post pits NYC’s mighty chopped cheese vs. Philadelphia’s basic cheesesteak within the season’s greatest playoff combat

As the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers face off within the playoffs, the longtime rivalry is heating up off the hardwood and onto New York City menus.

Some zealous Knicks followers have even gone so far as to “ban” the enduring Philly cheesesteak, whereas others are doubling down on New York’s humble bodega legend: the chopped cheese.

The beef runs deeper than sandwiches.

Both the Philly cheesesteak and chopped cheese have grow to be hometown consolation meals — however regardless of sharing meat, cheese and onions, the similarities largely finish there. And for keen followers, bragging rights are at steak.

To settle the talk ourselves because the Knicks and Sixers face off in Game 3 Friday night time within the City of Brotherly Love, New York Post staffers warmed up their appetites on the bench and ready for somewhat 1v1 lunch-hour showdown.

The contenders:

Philly’s beefy transplant

The Philly contender got here from Danny & Coop’s, the buzzy East Village cheesesteak store co-owned by actor Bradley Cooper and Philadelphia restaurateur Danny DiGiampietro. The $21 sandwich, loaded with thinly sliced ribeye, grilled onions and Cooper Sharp cheese, almost fell out of the seeded bun. Sweet and sizzling peppers have been obtainable on the facet for an added contact.

On first look, the almost foot-long sandwich was offered in a modern, sturdy to-go field that traveled nicely to The Post’s Midtown workplace. The girthy sandwich was politely reduce into quarters for shareability.

“It’s quite a substantial sandwich,” mentioned Eric Hegedus, deputy Lifestyle editor and biased ex-Philadelphian, upon first look. However, he was adamant that sesame seeds historically don’t belong on the roll.

The meat, he mentioned, was somewhat salty and total lacked the “je ne sais quoi” of ready in line at Jim’s South St. in his former house metropolis.

But not everybody agreed with that.

Benjamin Cost of the Lifestyle workforce gleefully known as the shaved shreds of ribeye “super tender, and baptized in a fondu-like river of molten Cooper’s sharp.”

And regardless that she would have eaten something at that time, hungry Lifestyle author Allison Lax mentioned the cheesesteak expertise total blew her expectations out of the water.

“It was so flavorful and just the right amount of chewy without being too much.”

NYC’s basic chopped cheese

Then got here New York’s reply.

The chopped cheese arrived from Hajji’s in East Harlem. For lower than half the worth of Danny & Coop’s creation — simply $8.50, to be actual — the hero combines chopped floor beef, onions and melted American cheese, topped with lettuce, tomato, mayo and ketchup. Simple, understated, touring nicely, wrapped in white parchment paper and in a black bag. Also, politely reduce into quarters.

But after just a few bites, reactions grew to become noticeably extra divided.

“It reminds you of comfort food you’d have as a kid,” mentioned photographer Tamara Beckwith, who in contrast it to a McDonald’s cheeseburger because of the “nondescript” mix of American cheese and mayo.

Then there was the problem of the nice and cozy lettuce and tomato, which made the sandwich a “soggier experience,” in response to Page Six’s Jacquelyn Kozak.

Even The Post’s personal meals critic, Steve Cuozzo, struggled to get the sandwich out of the wrapping.

“What is this, Crazy Glued?” he joked earlier than truly being pleasantly stunned upon taking a chunk. “The bodega one gives a good account of itself for fewer dollars.”

His afternoon “snack needs” had been met.

Even with that in thoughts, many of the workers felt prefer it was an unfair comparability.

“I am a native New Yorker who absolutely abhors Philadelphia sports, and it brings me no joy to report that this was not a close contest,” mentioned Shane Galvin of The Post’s Sunday information workforce. “The chopped cheese is just not playing the same sport as the cheesesteak.”

He brutally known as the sandwich bready and flat, with “a concerning amount of vegetable matter mixed in with the ground beef, which featured plasticy American cheese.”

At least when it comes to accessibility within the metropolis’s abhorrent line tradition, the chopped cheese has a leg up. But different workers mentioned, even nonetheless, they couldn’t see themselves having one other one of their future, regardless of being a New York basic.

The winner

Overall, Danny & Coop’s cheesesteak was the gang favourite, which feels somewhat unfair for a sandwich with a a lot larger worth level — and actually, it’s only a matter of what you’re within the temper for.

The chopped cheese felt extra like a late-night or hangover repair, whereas Danny & Coop’s felt like a premium expertise that one staffer mentioned was like evaluating wagyu to Hamburger Helper.

“The chopped cheese goes in a different direction with a sweeter profile that’s more burger-esque — which certainly has its place in the pantheon of cravings,” mentioned Post Sports Editor Michael Blinn.

If solely there have been a option to “Frankenstein the chopped cheese on the Coop’s bread,” that may be it, mentioned Photo Editor Alyssa Hargrove.

But by the tip of the tasting, the cheesesteak had received over even a few of New York’s most loyal hometown defenders.

In maybe the largest upset of all, Philadelphia diehard Hegedus went again for seconds of Danny & Coop’s New York cheesesteak — salt bomb be damned.