don’t have the resources to spend on lots of advertising or marketing. They
depend on people talking about them to be successful.
Wein knew he needed to generate buzz. Philadelphia already boasted
dozens of expensive steakhouses, and Barclay Prime needed to stand out.
Wein needed something to cut through the clutter
and give people a sense of
the uniqueness of the brand. But what? How could he get people talking?
—————
How about a hundred-dollar cheesesteak?
The standard Philly cheesesteak is available for four or five bucks at
hundreds of sandwich shops, burger joints, and pizzerias throughout
Philadelphia. It’s not a difficult recipe. Chop some steak on a griddle, throw
it on a hoagie (hero) roll, and melt some Provolone cheese or Cheez Whiz
on top. It’s
delicious regional fast food, but definitely not haute cuisine.
Wein thought he could get some buzz by raising the humble cheesesteak
to new culinary heights—and attaching a newsworthy price tag. So he
started with a fresh, house-made brioche roll brushed with homemade
mustard. He added thinly sliced Kobe beef, marbleized to perfection. Then
he included caramelized onions, shaved heirloom tomatoes, and triple-
cream Taleggio cheese. All this was topped off with shaved hand-harvested
black truffles and butter-poached Maine lobster tail. And just to make it
even more outrageous, he served it with a chilled split of Veuve Clicquot
champagne.
The response was incredible.
People didn’t just try the sandwich, they rushed to tell others. One person
suggested that groups get it “as a starter . . . that way you all get the absurd
story-telling rights.” Another noted that the sandwich was “honestly
indescribable. One does not throw all these fine ingredients together and get
anything subpar. It was like eating gold.” And given the sandwich’s price, it
was almost
as expensive as eating gold, albeit far more delicious.
Wein didn’t create just another cheesesteak, he created a conversation
piece.
—————
It worked. The story of the hundred-dollar cheesesteak was contagious.
Talk to anyone who’s been to Barclay Prime. Even if people didn’t
order the
cheesesteak, most will likely mention it. Even people who’ve never been to
the restaurant love to talk about it. It was so newsworthy that
USA Today,