{"id":936388,"date":"2026-10-17T12:02:16","date_gmt":"2026-10-17T12:02:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/936388\/"},"modified":"2026-10-17T12:02:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T12:02:16","slug":"the-best-thing-craig-laban-ate-this-week-a-cheesesteak-in-montreal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/936388\/","title":{"rendered":"The best thing Craig LaBan ate this week: A cheesesteak \u2014 in Montreal"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cDid you hear the Eagles just traded Cam Jurgens<\/a>?!\u201d<\/p>\n

I doubt I was the only one to learn this hot bit of Eagles offensive line news over a cheesesteak. But I\u2019m 100% certain I was the only one to hear this juicy development \u2014 moments after it was announced \u2014 while devouring a \u201cLemon Pookie Cheesesteak\u201d from arguably the most obsessive Eagles fan in Montreal, Victor-Alex \u201cCoach Vic\u201d Petrenko. (\u201cIt\u2019s spelled V-I-C, as in Vic Fangio<\/a>!\u201d he says, referencing the Eagles\u2019 defensive coordinator.)<\/p>\n

Petrenko is the co-owner and front-of-the-house dynamo of Pasta Pooks<\/a>, a year-and-a-half-old restaurant in the Little Italy neighborhood of Montreal that has rightfully earned accolades for the exceptional hand-rolled pastas made by Vic\u2019s best friend, chef and co-owner Luca \u201cPooks\u201d Labelle Vinci. A few bites into a bowl of his sage butter-glazed ravioli stuffed with sausage, then a twirl of delicate taglietelle ribbons tangled with fragrant lamb rag\u00f9 bianco, and I could understand why it ranked on multiple best new restaurant lists in Canada. <\/p>\n

\"Sausage-stuffedSausage-stuffed ravioli and tagliatelle with lamb rag\u00f9 at Pasta Pooks in Montreal.Craig LaBan \/ Staff\"AnAn eagle painted on the front window of Pasta Pooks, and two Phillies’ style P’s on the restaurant’s logo, let Philadelphians know they’ve arrived to the right place in Montreal.Craig LaBan \/ Staff<\/p>\n

The pastas are obviously the local draw. But Pooks\u2019 cheesesteak has also become a powerful point of interest for an enthusiastic niche audience. This is a Philadelphian\u2019s friendly home away from home, as is clear from the soaring Eagle painted across its front window and the two Phillies P\u2019s incorporated into the restaurant\u2019s logo. <\/p>\n

Petrenko\u2019s lifelong obsession with the Eagles began as a kid while pretending to be Donovan McNabb throwing to Terrell Owens on ESPN\u2019S NFL2K5<\/a> video game. An eventual visit to Lincoln Financial Field to watch the Eagles battle the Cowboys cemented his and Vinci\u2019s love for the City of Brotherly Love. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe really connected with the whole underdog mentality, and I felt close to heaven tailgating in that parking lot \u2014 we don\u2019t tailgate in Canada,\u201d Petrenko said. \u201cWe were like, \u2018Wow, Philly is our soul city!\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n

\"PastaPasta Pooks co-owner Victor-Alex “Coach Vic” Petrenko poses in his restaurant next to some of his Eagles Super Bowl nostalgia.Craig LaBan \/ Staff<\/p>\n

The decision to make their own cheesesteak began during the Eagles\u2019 2025 Super Bowl<\/a> run, while the co-owners were hosting Pasta Pooks pop-ups at Petrenko\u2019s Philly-centric sports bar, Double\u2019s<\/a>, and it has remained on the restaurant\u2019s otherwise traditional Italian menu as a quirky casse-cro\u00fbte (\u201csnack\u201d) outlier.<\/p>\n

It is the latest in a long line of international cheesesteak tributes, most notably Nihonbashi in Tokyo<\/a>, Passyunk Avenue in London<\/a>, and Wiir Philadelphia in Seoul<\/a>, not to mention a world tour of global cheesesteak variations<\/a> already made in Philly itself. <\/p>\n

Petrenko and Vinci\u2019s goal was not to slavishly replicate every detail of their Philly favorites \u2014 Angelo\u2019s and Del Rossi\u2019s. That would be impossible, because ingredients like Cooper Sharp are hard to access and the significantly higher cost of Canadian beef makes it prohibitively expensive to serve the overstuffed portions that have become the Instagram-driven norm here. They also could not replicate our rolls, because the character of even the best bread is different in every city.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just wanted to honor the King of Sandwiches in the best way possible, with a fun name and cooked our way,\u201d Petrenko said. <\/p>\n

A touch of lemon pepper seasoning on the seared Canadian rib-eye is probably the most unconventional touch, although the citric tang is appropriately subtle. (\u201cIn Montreal, we love acidity in food,\u201d he said.) The clever blend of mild Italian provolone and shredded processed cheddar cheese to mimic Cooper Sharp is effective, especially since it\u2019s bumped up with heat from marinated peperoncini. It\u2019s a satisfyingly zesty mouthful of beef and cheese laced with sweet caramelized onions. <\/p>\n

\"TheThe Lemon Pookie Cheesesteak at Pasta Pooks in Montr\u00e9al.Craig LaBan \/ Staff<\/p>\n

Pasta Pooks sources a seeded roll from one of Montr\u00e9al\u2019s best bakeries, Automne<\/a>, and its well-developed yeasty crumb is a bit breadier than my preference. (In Philly, the core of such a roll would be likely gutted to make way for more meaty stuffing.) Petrenko said the roll\u2019s body has a double purpose, though. They typically serve the cheesesteak as a follow-up to their pasta course, so the sandwich can be used, scarpetta<\/a>-style, to sop up leftover sauce, ideally from the rustic tomato-and-pepper pepperonata or anything with mushrooms.<\/p>\n

In the end, given the cost of ingredients to produce this Quebecoise tribute to Philly, the restaurant makes no profit on the sandwich, which costs $25 in Canadian currency (just under $18 USD).<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was never on our bucket list to become a tourist destination for Philadelphians, but we are always so happy when they come in and talk to us about the Eagles and their city,\u201d Petrenko said. \u201cWe haven\u2019t made a lot of money [making cheesesteaks], but we\u2019ve made a lot of friends.\u201d <\/p>\n

Pasta Pooks, 6704 Rue Clark, Montreal, QC H2S 1P1, Canada; instagram.com\/pasta.pooks<\/a><\/p>\n

\"TheThe exterior of Pasta Pooks in the Little Italy neighborhood of Montreal. The restaurant specializes in hand-rolled pasta, but also a cheesesteak tribute to Philadelphia.Craig LaBan \/ Staff\"Craig<\/a><\/p>\n

As a restaurant critic and columnist, I cover the Philadelphia region’s culinary stars, from food carts to fine dining, and chronicle the evolution of a dining scene that helps define our identity, one plate at a time. <\/p>\n