French Dip

Two Los Angeles restaurants both claim to have invented the French Dip in the early 1900s, and the dispute has never been resolved. Philippe's, founded in 1908 by French immigrant Philippe Mathieu, says the sandwich was created in 1918 when Mathieu accidentally dropped a sliced beef roll into a roasting pan full of jus while making a sandwich for a policeman. The officer ate it anyway, came back the next day with friends, and the dipped sandwich was born. Cole's, founded in 1908 in downtown LA, claims its founder Henry Cole started dipping beef sandwiches in jus around 1908 to soften the bread for a customer with sore gums. Both restaurants still operate today, less than two miles apart, and both still serve their version of the original. Despite the name, the sandwich has no French origin, the French in French Dip refers either to the French roll or, by some accounts, to Philippe Mathieu's nationality.

The French Dip is a Los Angeles classic that has spread to chain restaurants and casual American diners across the country, but the originals at Philippe's and Cole's still draw lines of locals and tourists. Philippe's, with its sawdust-covered floors, communal tables, and old-school cafeteria-line ordering, feels like a time capsule of pre-war Los Angeles. The standard order is a beef dip with a small ramekin of jus on the side and, often, a side of hot mustard so sharp it clears your sinuses. Variants include lamb, pork, and turkey dips at Philippe's. Across the country, the French Dip survives as a steakhouse and pub menu staple, the meat-and-bread comfort sandwich for people who want something hearty but not greasy.