A Los Angeles institution that’s been around more than 100 years – an almost unheard of tenure in a city that thinks the original golden arches are an historical monument.
Philippe reputedly is the birthplace of the French dip sandwich, which it first served in 1918. It’s pronounced the French way – Filleep – although the city’s Latino heritage has led many to give it the Spanish pronunciation – Filleepay.
The sandwiches are legend – beef, pork, lamb, turkey and ham. Say nothing and get just the top half of the roll dipped in drippings from the meat. Or you can ask for double dip, which gets the top and bottom dipped. My favorites are the pork and the lamb. And I can’t get enough of the pickled beets.
Phillipe Matieu opened his first restaurant in 1908. The restaurant went through a number of locations and menu transformations and landed in its current location in 1951, after it had to move to make room for freeway construction.
There are a few booths, but most of the place is counter tops with bar stools. There’s saw dust on the floors and hot mustard on every table. Coffee is still 9 cents a cup. 16 different kinds of pies, vinegared eggs, pickled pig’s feet, soups of the day, chili, cheese on any sandwich, stews, bean dishes, potato salad, coleslaw, and an array of beers and wines. But it’s the sandwiches that keep the place packed at lunch time and dinner time. This is a favorite stop for baseball fans on their way to Dodger Stadium. On nights when the Dodgers are at home, the pre-game lines at Philippe are prodigious.
Breakfast is served from 6 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The quality is there and the prices are very affordable.
