This Philly filmmaker is cutting cheesesteak history into bites
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Photo: Courtesy of Colin Comstock
Colin Comstock was in a sauna, sweating out those extra calories, when it hit him: Why cram Philly's cheesesteak history into one big documentary when he could serve it up in bite-sized pieces?
Why it matters: The 45-year-old Temple alum and Philly filmmaker is launching his new content platform, Cheesesteak City, timed to National Cheesesteak Day on Tuesday.
The big picture: Comstock set out five years ago to make a full-length documentary, "Cheesesteak City," capturing the full flavor of Philly's sandwich scene — from colorful restaurateurs to the deep (and sometimes tragic) family histories behind its biggest names.
- But like any good cheesesteak, the project kept getting meatier: He logged more than 100 hours of footage and didn't want to cut the ingredients that made the story special. So he pivoted.
What they're saying: "It was torture to figure out what to cut," Comstock tells Axios. "You've got grown men crying on couches. We've got people talking in burned-out cheesesteak shops about reclaiming their family legacy."
Driving the news: Cheesesteak City TV is dropping the first episode of its "Know Before You Go" series on Instagram and YouTube Tuesday — a snackable introduction to SQ Philip's Steaks in South Philly.
- The biweekly show clocks in at three minutes or less but packs enough history and menu intel to serve as a primer for tourists — or even seasoned Philly cheesesteak vets.
Zoom in: These bite-sized episodes are entrée to longer, hourlong mini-docs — modeled after ESPN's "30 for 30" — focused on Philly's biggest cheesesteak dynasties, starting with the Pat's vs. Geno's rivalry.
Catch up quick: After graduating from Temple in 2006, Comstock launched his own production company as a one-man band, eventually growing it into a six-person team.
- These days, he mostly shoots insurance conferences to pay the bills — funding passion projects like this on the side.
Yes, but: Philly already has a crowded food media scene.
- Comstock isn't doing pay-for-play reviews or quick-hit sizzle reels where the toughest question is "wit or witout."
The bottom line: Part Anthony Bourdain, part cheesesteak historian, he's betting on deeply reported, narrative-driven content — not just another slab of repackaged ribeye.