Cosmi's Deli, which topped a Philadelphia Magazine list in 2004, finished 17th on Macnow's list. The magazine's runners-up were Dakota Pizza Co. in Wynnewood, Lee's Hoagie House in Marlton, the Swann Lounge at the Four Seasons hotel, and Tony Luke's.

Those picks raise a real question about best suburban cheesesteak. Last year, the monthly named a new suburban favorite: Garrett Hill Pizza of Villanova. Macnow, who had more than 200 suggestions, didn't go to Dakota, Lee's or Garrett. His suburban favorite was Donkey's II in Marlton, which finished 11th, five spots above Pepper Mill in West Chester.

For Macnow's full list, go to http://go.philly.com/wipsteaks.

Macnow's most surprising conclusion: Overall, the Northeast has better cheesesteaks than South Philly. The unheralded Grey Lodge Pub was a particularly pleasant discovery, he said.

The Northeast tends to leave its beef sliced, instead of chopping it to bits, which is sometimes a way to cover up inferior meat, Macnow said.

What, no Pat's and Geno's?

Sorry, the touristy spots may show up in politician's photo ops, but they rarely rank high with locals.

Macnow ranked Geno's 35, Pat's a dismal 42.

LaBan remarked: "Neither titan ... came close to snaring the crown," preferring Tony Luke's among the big-name places.

WIP, known for Wing Bowl, is no stranger to eating contests. But Macnow's annual face-stuffing safaris have focused on quality, not quantity.

The Ultimate Cheesesteak Challenge was his fourth quest for the best. Burger honors went to Rossi's Bar & Grill in Trenton. The ribs winner was Fat Jack's in Clementon. And, last year, the pizza crown went to Tacconelli's in Port Richmond.

Each time, Macnow's panels of celebrity judges confirmed his tasting-tour conclusions.

As for the gastronomic finer points of cheesesteak-chewing, Macnow says he sampled sandwiches with provolone, not Cheez Whiz or American.

"Good sharp provolone with a kick - I'll take that over cheese product any day of the week," he said.

Ketchup is another issue that gets some people seeing red, Macnow says. Good cheesesteaks don't need it, he says, but the bad ones do.

On Fox's Hell's Kitchen this week, Chef Gordon Ramsay barfed after eating a dish by a Philadelphia chef.

"I'm supersized but I did not throw up," said Macnow, who on Monday switches shifts at WIP, joining Anthony Gargano from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Macnow had mostly been working evenings and Saturday mornings.

He put on about seven pounds during his Great Cheesesteak Challenge, so he's thinking of creating some kind of fit club, where he and callers could lose weight together.

Another eyebrow-raiser concerns Slack's Hoagie Shack at No. 6, just making the final showdown.

Some of Macnow's Saturday morning shows have been broadcast from Slack's locations, an affiliation Macnow clearly discloses in his review.