Los Angeles may be a relatively young city, but it’s steeped in sandwich history. It lays claim to the French dip, with downtown dens Cole’s and Phillippe the Original both claiming to be the originator of the roast beef sandwich that comes on a French roll dunked in jus or with the drippings served on the side. The playfully dueling sandwich spots also represent two of the longest-running restaurants in the region, both founded in 1908.
Not only do the historic haunts disagree on who invented the French dip, but diners are often split on which spot makes the superior version. In fact, you’ll notice a similar argument around Langer’s, a Jewish deli in Westlake that’s been around since 1947, and the ideal modifications for its hot pastrami sandwich. That’s because the sandwich, universally beloved, is a highly personal and customizable dish.
“With a sandwich, you’re curating every single bite,” says Anna Sonenshein, who runs Little Fish, a seafood-centric counter in Echo Park’s Dada Market, with her partner Niki Vahle. “If you hand somebody a plate of food, they can figure out what gets on their fork. But in a sandwich, every bite is picked by us.
” Little Fish, which went viral for fried fish sandwiches modeled after McDonald’s Filet o’ Fish, is part of a new wave of sandwich makers harnessing nostalgia by re-creating iconic sandwiches with local, high-quality ingredients. “A great sandwich is [about] balance,” says Brandon Kida, chef-owner of G.