Food & Drink in West New York

At its simplest, a cheesesteak only requires three ingredients: steak, cheese, and bread. But the grill masters at Philly Cheesesteak House aren't interested in supplying just the basics. Nineteen toppings, from cooked onions and sweet peppers to Cheez Whiz, can flavor the 6- and 10-inch subs.

The sandwiches are part of the House's all-day lunch menu, whose cheesesteak alternatives include veggie burgers and chicken fingers paired with honey mustard. The breakfast menu's omelets are also available from open to close, and an extensive dinner menu ends each day with entrees such as pasta platters and seafood paella for two.

Mexican favorites meet Salvadoran specialties at Ranchito Victoria Restaurant and Bakery, which slings up both cuisines with equal aplomb for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A traditional Salvadoran breakfast, or desayuno tipico, starts the day off right with heaps of refried beans, cheese, and cream crowned with two eggs. Later in the day, savory entrees of cheese-stuffed peppers, salted beef, shrimp in garlic sauce, and pork in adobo sauce steal back the spotlight. Traditional sweets round out the meal and include plantain empanadas and tres leches cake, which contains three different types of milk—just like Gladys, the cow responsible for all the world's Neapolitan ice cream.

At El Carretero 66, the aroma of sizzling steaks and baking Colombian sweetbreads triggers visions of family panaderias, cups of café con leche, and vibrant salsa music. The staff chats animatedly in Spanish as they fold fresh meats and seafood into Colombian specialties, including empanadas, mondongo (beef tripe) soup, and lomo salteado (sautéed beef and peppers served with french fries). Meanwhile, bakers line the shelves of their panaderia with still-warm cheese breads, rich cakes, and rolls that are ready to melt the most stubborn of butters.

The chefs at Pasion Latina aim to pay tribute to Latin American cultures by serving distinctive dishes. Taste buds are engaged with sweet plantains, black beans, and fried cassava, which are nestled beside piquant entrees from Cuba, Colombia, and other nations. Diners can sip BYOB selections on the patio, chat in the intimate, colorful dining room, or feverishly try to hitchhike to Puerto Rico without putting on swimmies.

Burrito Joint's meal maestros stuff traditional Mexican fare with the freshest fillings available. The cooks steadfastly refuse to employ reheated or frozen ingredients, banning microwave ovens and outlawing Mr. Freeze from the kitchen. The Joint's nine varieties of burrito wrap a whole-wheat or white-flour tortilla around a choice of protein such as steak, tofu, or carnitas pork, with additional fillings including black or pinto beans and lime cilantro. Burrito Joint's menu fills out with Kick Ass fajitas, Bravas enchiladas, and Bumpin' tacos such as the original baja fish, a creation that nestles grilled or breaded tilapia inside soft corn tortillas, all crowned with chopped cabbage, mild salsa roja, and chipotle-ranch sauce.

Of all the utensils and appliances in the kitchen of Let It Be Grill, few are as crucial as the thermometer. The kitchen staff uses it to monitors the level of doneness in an host of rib eyes, sirloins, and T-bones, as well as nearby meats such as meatloaf and turkey. They also prepare Italian dishes such as spaghetti with meatballs and southwestern eats such as Texas-style ribs, churrasco skirt steak, and flan. The BYOB eatery, which also serves up large pancake stacks and omelet ziggurats for breakfast, lets diners take up the mic on weekends during karaoke evenings.