Philippe’s dates to 1908, when original owner Philippe Mathieu set up shop downtown. Along with nearby Cole’s P.E. Buffet, Philippe’s is credited with inventing the French dip sandwich. Even if Cole’s came first, Philippe’s is superior on every level, from the sandwiches to the décor, so our choice for dinner was easy.
Free-form lines emanate from the counter, which can make ordering a challenge. Somehow, getting food is a fairly quick process.
Is that a telephone booth? I didn’t know they existed anymore. These days, a phone booth sighting is about as common as a talking marlin. So is sawdust on the floors, another bygone touch.
You know a place is old-school when they keep jars of pickled eggs on the counter. Since they’re such a novelty, I had to order an egg for olde time’s sake. Notice the spelling. O-L-D-E. That’s how they spelled the word when pickled eggs were still fashionable.
Philippe’s doesn’t skimp on salesmanship. Who can resist a display case full of pies when ordering?
There are beef, pork, lamb, ham and oven-roasted turkey versions of Philippe’s French dip sandwich, “served on a freshly baked French roll & either single-dipped or double-dipped in au jus.” A double-dipping would make the roll too soggy. As it is, a single-dipping soaks the bread pretty good. No matter the filling, by all means add a pickled egg ($0.70).
Lamb French dip ($6.25) overflowed with chunks of juicy sheep meat.
The beef French dip ($5.15) was a bit less dynamic, holding thin slices that were a tad dry.
Each table holds a jar of Philippe’s signature spicy mustard, whose smell is powerful enough to sear nostrils.
Philippe’s offers high-level versions of potato salad and macaroni salad ($1 apiece).
The cole slaw ($1) was simple, but well-prepared.
We each ordered desserts. Clockwise from top left: coconut cream pie ($2.90), blueberry pie ($2.90), vanilla cheesecake ($2.30) and baked apple ($1.90). Blueberry pie featured a flaky crust and sweet berries. I never got a bite of the coconut cream pie or cheesecake, so they must have been good.
Baked apple was my boneheaded selection, available October thru June, and soaked in cinnamon and sugar, so actually tasted good, but since everybody else ordered pie or cheesecake, I clearly fell short.
I forgot to get a cup of Apffels Coffee, only nine cents, but I left with few regrets. It had been a couple years since my last visit to Philippe’s. After being reminded of the restaurant’s charming décor, astounding value and tasty French dip sandwiches, I’ll be back before Philippe’s hits the century mark next year.
Blog Comments
CDF Guy
July 27, 2009 at 7:57 PM
Absolutely the best sandwich in L.A. — and there’s not a close second. The review said the meat was a little dry. Ask them to “double dip” the sandwich, that moistens it up and adds to the flavor. And if you like cheesecake, Philippe’s has the cheesecake by which all cheesecakes should be measured.