Photo: Courtesy of Philippe the Original
The French Dip sandwich is as iconic to Los Angeles as the hot dog is to New York, the muffaletta to New Orleans and the Philly cheese steak to, well, Philadelphia. It’s deeply ingrained in our history – and in our bloodstreams. Though it’s essentially just bread dipped in au jus, sorting out its origins is a complex matter worthy of a doctoral dissertation at USC, with two of LA’s oldest institutions – Philippe and Cole's – claiming to have invented it. With the recent reopening of Cole's (formerly Cole's P.E. Buffet) in the old Pacific Electric Building, the argument has risen to a new level of hue and cry. So, let's lay out the details – as ever, you pays your money, and you takes your choice:
Philippe is not just Philippe – it's Philippe the Original, a magisterial moniker well-earned over the past century. Its owners claim that the French Dip was invented here, by founder Philippe Mathieu, back in 1918. The story, possibly apocryphal but accepted after decades of telling and retelling, has the original Philippe dropping a French roll into pan drippings while preparing a sandwich for a cop. The policeman praised the sandwich to his pals, who returned the next day to demand more. And more.
And then there’s Cole's, which was closed for several years of renovation until earlier this month. Its logo unequivocally declares: "Cole's Originators of the French Dip," and according to the restaurant's official history, "Not long after opening Cole's, a customer asked Jack Garlinghouse, the house chef, if he would dip the sandwich bun into the juice of the meat because his gums were sore. Jack agreed and gave the man a 'dipped' sandwich. The sandwich caught on and Cole’s universally loved French Dip Sandwich was born."
Now the Cole’s French Dip has been brought back to life under the aegis of new chef Neal Fraser (Grace, bld), who was brought in by Downtown magnate Cedd Morris (Seven Grand, Golden Gopher, Broadway Bar) to create a new menu of old dishes. For Fraser, and on-site chef Michael Dinon, the challenge wasn't to re-create the old Cole's sandwich – the original recipes are lost to history – bur rather to create a French Dip that smacks of yesterday, and tastes good today. In other words, a sandwich that can be consumed with both a Manhattan and a Cosmo – though it's probably best with the Spaten served on tap.
The good news is that thanks to LA's newly resurgent Downtown, there are lots of folks heading for Staples, Nokia and LA Live. More than enough to fill both Philippe and Cole's. Perhaps too many – those folks behind the counter can only cut their meat just so fast.
–Merrill Shindler