Legend has it that a cop went into Philippe's and ordered a sandwich. Before he could get it, the sandwich fell into the meat drippings. He was in such a hurry that he took it the way it was; The French Dip was born!
Philippe's, in Los Angeles, has been making their French Dips ever since.
On one of my last trips to L.A. I knew Philippe's was a must. We got there right in the middle of the lunch rush. Once inside we quickly evaluated which one the many lines to join. There were so many long lines heading to the counter, it looked like a bunch of dairy cows waiting to get milked.
I was impressed with how quickly our line moved. Once you get to the counter, you order and watch as they make your sandwich. I got the roast beef, dipped once, meaning they dip it down into the drippings only once. My friend, Chris, got the lamb, dipped once. I heard people on both sides of me order their sandwiches twice dipped. When I heard "twice dipped" I thought it would be soggy. But when I ate mine, I realized I could have gone for some more juice; I should have ordered twice dipped. The flavor was amazing.
Finding an empty place to sit and eat was a challenge during this time of the day until we discovered they had an upstairs with plenty of open tables.
If you want an amazing French Dip, you got to try Philippe's, and get it twice dipped.
