restaurant: the 'original' riccotti's

so i have a pretty simple way of evaluating the places i eat, which also serves as a rubric for helping me pick where to eat when i'm in a strange place. i figured i'd share it - i'll see if i can phrase it coherently: the satisfaction of a meal eaten out is a function of expectation, execution, and expense. how good did i realistically hope the meal would be? how well was it actually made? how much did it cost? the worst meal is one where the expectation and expense far outweigh the execution - this is why i so rarely eat 'contemporary american' fancy food. even when they're well-hyped, the kitchen seldom gets everything right and even if they do i'm paying heavy for it. ethnic holes-in-the-wall fill the opposite - my expectation isn't for a world-changing dinner and my out-of-pocket risk is limited. even if the meal sucks, i can shrug off $20. shrugging off $80 for food and $40 for an indifferent bottle of wine is a far, far different matter (though i suppose most 'adults' shrug off that kind of investment all the time).

with this in mind, behold the cheesesteak (working class italian is still ethnic food, huzzah). bafflingly, it's a 'steak and cheese' here in providence. they're difficult to ruin entirely (though the large chains found in malls and airports certainly try their hardest) and when done right are far far superior to a hamburger or equivalent. the 'original' riccotti's (133 atwells ave) is probably the best example of the form (that i've found) in southern new england. they manage to fry the vegetables and beef hot enough, their beef is not overly gristly, and - most important - they fully incorporate the cheese while the sandwich is still on the grill. it's a seemingly small point but it makes a world of difference. also, their rolls don't suck. despite being an artisan baker, i fully realize that almost as many sandwiches are ruined by too-good bread as by too-bad (pulled pork on 'brioche' is the other glaring example of missing the point). riccotti's have enough heft that they don't dissolve, but at the same time are soft enough to not hurt your jaw. for some reason, it's desperately hard to find this kind of grinder roll outside of the northeast corridor. any ideas why?

anyhow -

expectations: realistic
execution: first-rate
expense: $13 feeds two people almost excessively

they pretty much hit the trifecta.