Philippe The Original, Los Angeles, CA

Philippe The Original
1001 N. Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-628-3181
http://www.philippes.com/
On the corner at Ord St near Chinatowon, the Post Office Annex, Union Station, and Olvera St.
Free parking in the lot behing Philippe's and across Ord St.
Casual.

Visited: Numerous times over 30 years; Dine in and Take Out
Most recently: March 2009

Philippe's is the home of the Original French Dipped Sandwich. Philippe's has been around since 1908, and is an LA landmark. Many generations of families have included Philippe's in their own traditions. For many, no trip to Dodger Stadium is complete without a stop at Philippe's.

It's best to go in at least pairs. One person to find and stand in line to order at the counter; glass cases enticing you with side salads and desserts. And when you're a kid, you're short enough to watch the ladies making your yummy sandwich through the glass. The other person to find a seat in the massive dining room, mostly filled with long communal tables and stools, and sawdust on the floor.

You can tell that some of the ladies have been there for decades, and I bet some of them have even served me when I was a little girl!

Our favorite is the Beef Sandwich ($5.55), Double Dipped (both halves of the French roll are dipped in the jus). Sometimes we add cheese (American, Jack or Swiss) for 55c. Another family favorite is the Pork Sandwich ($5.55), Double Dipped. We've also tried the Lamb ($6.75), Double Dipped, but it just didn't pack the same punch as the beef. They also offer a Turkey sandwich, but even after all of these years, we still haven't tried it yet.

They also offer chili, stew, soups, and breakfast, which seem to be very popular, but quite honestly, the sandwiches are so good, we haven't strayed.

Philippe's is also known for its Hot Mustard which used to be set out in the communinal dining space in these cute little jars with the special mustard dauber, but now they come in squeeze bottles. Just not quite the same feel. Jars are available for purchase.

As sides we often get the Potato Salad, Macaroni Salad or Coleslaw ($1.10). Philippe's also has a great assortment of old timey sides like pickled eggs (bright purple jars!), pickled pigs feet, and pickles.

Their lemonade is really tasty, and they serve an assortment of wines and beers. And coffee is still only 9 cents.

For dessert, they have a lovely display of pies, Balian ice cream, classic baked apples, and my favorite, the baked Custard Cup ($2.15) with a sprinkle of nutmeg.

It's nice to have some things never change.

Union Cattle Company, Hermosa Beach, CA

Union Cattle Company
1301 Manhattan Ave, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254, 310-798-8227
http://unioncattlecompany.com/
On the northwest corner of Pier and Manhattan. There's metered street parking and validated structure parking under the restaurant.
Casual nice. Large dining room on several levels. Full bar.

Visited: several times for Happy Hour
Most recently: September 2009


This is a great place for happy hour! All of the appetizers are half price, and there are many drink specials ranging from beer and wine to cocktails. At this time of year, there's a great view of sunset during happy hour - a little bright at times, but stunning. Happy hour lasts from 5p-7p.

Here are the treats we had:

Parmesan Spinach Dip ($4.95): comes with red and green corn tortilla chips. This was so good we ended up ordering two of 'em! We did run out of chips at one point, but they were so gracious to bring us more.

Thai Chicken Rolls ($3.95): My expectations of these rolls did not live up to the product. It was a large plate - plenty of food, but I wasn't quite sure what was Thai or chicken about it. The best parts were the fried wonton strips and soy dipping sauce that were garnish.

BBQ Chicken Lettuce Wraps ($3.95): now these little guys were good! I'm not sure what all was in the filling, but it was very tasty. The BBQ sauce was sweet and smokey; very nice. There is plenty of filling - we even got extra lettuces and were able to split the filling between them.

The service is really nice; they are very sweet. They're also accomodating to groups.