LA Times on home of the French Dip sandwich
Charles Perry wrote a good article for the LA Times about Phillipe the Original, a restaurant that's celebrating its 100th anniversary in downtown Los Angeles this year. The restaurant is probably the origin of the French Dip sandwich. (A nearby place called Cole's also claims to be the creator.)
LinkThe restaurant spreads before you, six steps below ground: sawdust floors, lines of people, painted menus and neon beer signs on the walls. The lines--at peak hours there are 10 of them, each up to 20 people long--weave between the tables where scores of others are eating, oblivious to the crush. Pick a line and wait your turn.
When you reach the counter, you don't need to consult the menu on the wall, of course. You've been here before. You make it short and snappy--"Beef, double dip. Coleslaw, blueberry pie, coffee."
This is Philippe the Original, an L.A. institution that will be 100 years old in October. It has been serving French dip sandwiches--single-, double- and even triple-dipped--for 90 of those years.
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The sammiches are good, but for me, it's the mustard I get the hankering for!
Last time I brought LA visitors to Philippe's they didn't believe the 10 cent coffee was for real until they saw it on the receipt.
I don't like that they dip the sandwich for you. I don't want my french dip to be pre-dipped! I want to dip it myself between each and every bite. I know it's a classic, but I just wish they'd hand me some of their dip to take back to the table with me.
I visited Phillipe a couple of years ago, THE FRENCH DIP was disappointing for guys used to real Chicago-style Italian beef sandwiches
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_beef
diasappointing? It's an L.A. landmark, like Pink's and Tommy's. Accept it for what it is- a good, solid bite to eat in an old building.
Mmm. From where I'm at, Dip sandwiches would be considered a delicacy. We dip Nachos in cheese... and haven't tried sandwiches but it will be a great addition for cinema goers. It looks like a good idea already.
That's different alright. Must be good if they have been in business for so long.
Faramir,
FYI - BB allows you to put your link on your profile page, but not in your comments unless it's on topic.
Yeah..the pre-dip. I was taken aback by that the first time I dined at Philippe's. And I wasn't blown away by the sandwich either. Until I spread their brown mustard on it. Holy cow. I almost ate the plate.
I don't understand French Dip sammiches. Ok, I could if they used real French bread, that would almost make some sense because Americans have a childish palate and cannot handle anything more complicated than white or whole wheat. But dipping faux Italian white bread in hot greasy water is not a pleasant dining experience. Then it is without fail announced as "French Dip with Au Jus". Good God.
But dipping faux Italian white bread in hot greasy water is not a pleasant dining experience.
I was already a little queasy. Now look what you've done.
Maybe I'm just grouchy and should quit while I'm ahead. Like I should talk, we in Minnesota have Lutefisk as our contribution. I'm not exactly proud of that. Lemme see... what else do we have here in little Sweden? Oh yeah, fishballs.
I'm so proud.
"French Dip with Au Jus"
Oh, I know. EVERY time I see this I cringe. It's the verbal equivalent of being introduced to a society matron and, when she turns to leave, you see she's tucked her dress into her pantyhose.
Of course, French isn't the only problem - I once saw a place called the "Cucina Italiana Kitchen". Dept of Redundancy Department on line 1. Sigh.
Hahaha. I don't cringe at those, I love finding pleonastic words in names of things. (sounds like a setup to an XKCD comic! erk)
I don't know if the fishballs you refer to are the same as the ones we get here in Asia, Noen, but I have to say that I absolutely love them. Nothing to be ashamed of!
Thanks, Antinous.
Faramir, it's as he says -- no unrelated links in comments.
For those complaining about the lack of French bread, the origin of the name is not the nationality or style of bread. It was named for an L.A. police officer, officer French, who asked for the jus on the side and inspired them to start selling the sandwiches.
Well I had to look up what a French Dip Sandwich was, as I'd never heard of it. Sounds OK. A bit like the Hot Pork Baps/Sandwiches they do around these parts. (The West Midlands)
Naysayers be damned! Phillipe is da bomb! That mustard will blow your brains out of your ears! And their baked apples and coconut cream pies rock the Casbah!
And those cringing at the "improper" use of imported foreign phrases such as "au jus" are just being whiny bitches! Come on! When a foreign phrase makes it into another language it does not need to retain it's original part of speech. An adjective can become a noun, a prepositional phrase can become an adjective, etc. Who cares? It's what people do. As far as I'm concerned, anyone who complains out loud about this is just trying to brag about their linguistic prowess. Get over yourselves!
And while you're in Los Angeles, don't forget to visit the "The Tar" tar pits.
Kicks ass. But even more than that, it kick ass..
Pre-dipped? Do you have to eat that with a knife and fork or do you still use your hands?
I also had to look up what it was and its simply Roast Beef Au-Jus around here (RI) in which the juice comes in a dipping bowl.
I too prefer having my jus delivered in a bowl for dipping between bites, and then guzzling down what's left after the sandwich is gone. I couldnt imgine eating a sandwich that was pre-dipped. And some people order theirs triple dipped? That's retarded. Yet another justification for my mocking hatred of LA.
“It's a scientific fact that if you stay in California you lose one point of your IQ every year”
-Truman Capote
"...Americans have a childish palate and cannot handle anything more complicated than white or whole wheat."
Oh yeah, well Italians are mobsters and Germans can't sing and the French are snobs.
mrfitz,
I am not a religious man, but I think I understand what is meant by blasphemy when I see what Americans do to cheese. I don't know about childish but something is deeply wrong with the American appetite. Not that the English are much better, mind.
@#9:
Are you kidding? I live in a tiny little town in the United States and there are several places that do very good business in fresh-baked bread of all makes and stripes.
I can't decide if you're trolling or are just ignorant of what life is really like here. I'm going to assume it's the latter. Come on by. I'll make you a "sammich" with your choice of about a zillion varieties of artisan breads.
The Phillipe's sandwich isn't like the French Dip you get at most restaurants. It comes pre-dipped. The roll has a hard, solid crust, so it's not messy to pick up, but the inside is wet. The meat is gamy, as well, so it's an acquired taste, but I can't get enough.
And for the record, it's not called a French Dip because it comes from France. According to the restaurant, the last name of the creator of the sandwich was French.
re: #9, 12, 13, 18 -
lol out loud!
I have to expose my ignorance, but what does "French dipped" mean? If I went to this fine eatery, what exactly would my sandwich be double-dipped in?
re: #27
Here's the Wikipedia page on French dip sandwich:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_dip_sandwich
I don't know that'll you be lucky enough to be able to order it double or triple-dipped anywhere but Downtown LA.
Philippe's French dip are very different from a "normal" version you'd get in less interesting places. PE Cole's place always seemed more standard which is good if you like it that's what you want. For me,as I said, above it's about the mustard (and the setting).
There's also MUCH controversy over how to pronounce the restaurant's name. I only learned the correct way from NPR recently.
And for the big Philippe's fans, I can give a positive review of the cool "vintage style" tees they sell. Mine came on an American Apparel tee and has held up very well:
http://www.philippes.com/giftshop/
Then it is without fail announced as "French Dip with Au Jus".
Oh, surely not without fail, Noen. I have, occasionally, seen it promoted as "French Dip with Au Jus sauce".
It's a scientific fact that if you stay in California you lose one point of your IQ every year.
I want to argue, but I took one of those online tests and the result was thirty points lower than when I moved here in 1977. Fortunately, I'm now too stupid to care.
Wow, 100 years in the restaurant biz is pretty awesome! It's good to see places like this, I would love to visit it. While many people who comment on this blog have a my dad is better than yours kinda attitude, you have to admit that it is quite remarkable to have restaurants like this. I mean if a quiznos or arbys closes will anyone really lose any sleep?
Also, why is it so hard to pin down the elusive origins of sandwiches? Two words REUBEN SANDWICH.
My Grandmother used to tell me her sister invented the Reuben, the more I looked into the history of this sandwich the more controversy I found:
http://shannonpatrick17.blogspot.com/2008/03/history-of-reuben-sandwich.html
I also made a squidoo lens about Reubens
http://www.squidoo.com/reubensandwich
with recipes,video, and photos of some insane Reubens.
squidoo.com seems to be down right now(for me anyhow), but if you can get to the Reuben page check out all the photos. I really like this one:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vveneziani/177684564/
but onions on a Reuben wtf?
what? ....wha....what?