Iconic L.A.: Philippe's

IN THE reality-TV culture that we currently live in, so many things can be described as being “LA.” But, the real LA is much more than what the average hipster perceives it to be. It can be found all over this vast, experience-rich city. One such experience can be had at Philippe’s. This 102-year-old restaurant has been representative of my LA for as long as I can remember. And, being that I am only 20-years old, it has been representative of LA, in general, for decades before that. As a child, my mother used to take me to Philippe’s for lunch every time she took me to the eye doctor. I remember sitting in the car during the drive downtown, looking with excitement at all of the murals on the walls of the freeway, thinking about the Chessman cookies Dr. Brown was going to give me after checking my eyes and the delicious Philippe’s French dip and potato salad I would have for lunch shortly thereafter. We’d arrive at Dr. Brown’s office and the anticipation would already be building inside of me. I’d always jump across the threshold of the elevator doors on the way out of the building, ready to go.

The ride to Philippe’s would fly by, and, suddenly, we’d be right outside of that ancient cream and brown building that I thought so fondly of. As a child, I was excited by the sawdust or peanut shells or whatever that stuff is they have all over the floor, kicking it around as I waited in line. There is a certain hustle and bustle about the place reminiscent of some sort of market. To me, Philippe’s has a sort of underground vibe. I’ve always seen it as part restaurant, part market and, only in my mind, possibly a former prohibition-era speakeasy. I’ve always been interested in scandalous things, imagining Philippe’s as a former watering hole for bootlegged alcohol comes at no surprise. Even though the place is just a restaurant, I still have a special attraction to it. Regardless of how many times I have dined there, I still always order a French Dip dipped in au jus with a side of potato salad – nothing beats it.

The roll the dip comes on is flaky and soft all at once, even when dipped in the au jus, and the meat is always tender; the sandwich seems to melt in my mouth. Although this is Philippe’s big-ticket item, their potato salad is amazing as well. I’m not sure what they do to it, but it is my absolute favorite potato salad. Even after 102 years, Philippe’s is still delicious as ever. They don’t change what they do and that is their secret. Maintaining a standard of consistency, they have kept a large following of customers coming back time and time again. My grandparents used to take my parents to Philippe’s, my parents, in turn, have taken my brothers and I to Philippe’s, and I will, without a doubt, take my children to Philippe’s one day as well. It is a place that I will always see as LA, and, for many Angelenos, the feeling is forever mutual.

-- Michael Magdesian

(photo caption: philippe's, "the" french dip
photo credit: jason lam, flickr creative commons)