The French dip sandwich is just one of many culinary creations that California has gifted the world. There’s no debating that it was invented in Los Angeles, what is disputed is: who did it first? There’s 2 spots that claim to be the OG’s— Philippe’s and Cole’s. We’re going to dig into a brief history of each restaurant, their French Dip creation claims, and eat some delicious sandwiches.
Philippe’s was established in 1908 by French Immigrant Philippe Matthieu, it’s moved a few times since it first opened, the last time was in 1951 when it relocated to the current location to make way for the 101 Freeway; this building used to have a machine shop on the 1st floor and a hotel on the 2nd floor. Matthieu sold the restaurant to the Martin Brothers in 1927 and it’s remained in their family ever since.
So, what’s their French Dip origin story? There’s a few variations, but the official one from the Philippe’s website goes like this: in 1918 while making a sandwich for a police officer, Philippe accidentally dropped the bread in a pan full of meat drippings. The policeman said “I’ll take it anyway” and he liked it, because the next day he came back with a bunch of buddies and that’s how the French dip sandwich was born, according to Philippe’s.
Why was it called a French dip? According to Philippe’s there’s three possible reasons why: The first, the police officer’s last name was “French.” The second, it’s named after the French bread it was served on. Or the third and most likely reason, is it’s named after Phillipe’s French heritage. They’re not quite sure.
Cole’s was founded in 1908 by Henry Cole in the lower floor of the Pacific Electric Building, in downtown L.A. It was once the main train station and company headquarters for the Pacific Electric Railway and was the tallest L.A. skyscraper in the early 1900s. When it first opened, it was called Cole’s Pacific Electric Buffet and it’s the oldest pub in L.A.
So, what’s their French Dip origin story? There’s also a few variations, but the official story from the Cole’s menu goes like this: one day shortly after the restaurant was established, chef Jack Garlinghouse dipped some French bread in some au jus in order to soften it up for a customer who had sore gums, and that’s how the French dip sandwich was invented according to Cole’s. Almost a decade earlier than Philippe’s.
So why was it called a French dip? Well that’s because it was served on French bread. That’s it.
So, what’s the evidence to back up the claims?
In a 2016 Thrillist article, investigative journalist Jackson Landers did a deep research into both restaurants’ claims.In his research, Landers found a 1951 interview with Philippe Matthieu and Philippe actually told the origin story like this. One day a police officer asked him if he would split one of the large French loaves and put some roast pork in it. Since he wasn’t too busy, he obliged. The officer asked him to cut it in half so he could share it with his buddy and he also asked for some pickles, onions, and olives to dress it. And that’s how the sandwich was born. He came back the next day with some friends and ordered it again. And that was the beginning of what they called the “man-size” sandwich.
After a while, they started making French roll sandwiches a little smaller for people with smaller appetites. One day a customer saw some gravy in a pan and asked Philippe if he wouldn’t mind dipping the bread in the gravy and he obliged. Immediately the next 5 customers ordered the same thing. And that was the beginning of the dip.
The next day an office worker came in and asked if he could get a slice of cream cheese on his pork sandwich, and that’s how the meat/cheese combo made its way into the sandwich.
So according to that interview, the French dip sandwich was invented in phases. First came the sandwich, then came the dip, then came the cheese. No happy accident, no eureka moment. Now, even though it’s a first-hand account, nowhere in that interview did Philippe Matthieu say, “in 1918 I did XYZ.” So that still leaves that actual year in question. Although it is the only first-hand account from either restaurant of how the sandwich was created.
Cole’s states in its menu that it was designated an L.A. Historical Landmark and California Point of interest not only for how old the building is, but for also inventing the French dip sandwich. So there, that settles it, right? Case closed? Not exactly.
Nowhere on the plaque does it state it was recognized for anything other than being the oldest continuously operating restaurant in L.A., at least at the time that the plaque was installed, or for its connection to the Pacific Electric building.
According to the research done by Jackson Landers, there’s no documented first-hand accounts of anybody that was there when the French dip was invented. No interviews with Henry Cole or the chef. The only evidence is an oral history that has been passed down among employees and owners.
The case can be made that Phillipe’s has the stronger evidence due to that documented interview with Philippe. Although as previously mentioned, the sandwich was invented in phases and nowhere in that interview did Philippe say, “on this date I first dipped bread into gravy.” It does make you wonder though, why isn’t that the origin story that’s told?
As for Cole’s, just because something is passed down as oral history, doesn’t automatically discount it.
Until time-travel is possible, it’s difficult to say with certainty who the real OG is. What is certain is that we’re lucky that both restaurants are still around so we can continue to have this tasty debate.
Who do you think did it first? What other origin stories have you heard? Which spot is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below.
References:
“The Century-Long History of Philippe’s and Its Famous French Dip Sandwich” by Jean Trinh, KCET. January 5, 2017.
“Who Actually Invented the French Dip? We Got to the Bottom of It” by Jackson Landers. Thrillist, March 27, 2016.
“Philippe’s Founder Recalls Busy Days: Man Who Made First French-Dip Sandwich Sees Restaurant Bearing Name Close Doors” by LA Times Staff. The Los Angeles Times, Aug. 27, 1951.
“Cole’s Serves a Slice of History” by Steve Harvey. The Los Angeles Times, March 8, 2009.
“A Tale of Two (French) Dips: The Sandwich That People Love to Debate” by Joe Hauler. Los Angeles Downtown News. Jan. 16, 2004.
“Dueling Dips: The Claim of Philippe the…” by Steve Harvey. The Los Angeles Times, Oct. 14, 1993.
“Stale Bread, Leftover Gravy? Voila! A Sandwich is Born” by Cecilia Rasmussen. The Los Angeles Times, Sept. 21, 2003.