Los Angeles knows how to make a sandwich. Here are our 37 faves
Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Sunday, Sept. 29. I’m your host, Andrew J. Campa. Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend:
- Here’s our 37 favorite Los Angeles sandwiches.
- Chinatown residents are enraged after fire leaves 50 homeless.
- Maggie Smith helped redefine what it means to grow old, particularly for women.
- And here’s today’s e-newspaper
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Los Angeles is sandwich nirvana
One of the nascent debates in Los Angeles food history dates to 1908, when the French dip was born.
Two parents claim this classic concoction of roast beef, French bread and au jus.
A preponderance of evidence favors Philippe the Original and its French founder Philippe Mathieu, but downtown Cole’s has held firm to its claim of being first.
While that friendly dispute may never be resolved, the Los Angeles Times’ Food Team (French) dipped its toe into another appetizing conversation, naming their 37 favorite sandwich spots throughout L.A. and Orange counties.
There are fan favorites, including Langer’s, and snubs (Giamela’s!?). There is also recognition for a new wave of restaurateurs hoping to become the next Philippe the Original and Cole’s.
A handful of favorites from our list are located below.
Sandwich shops
The list of traditional sandwich shops includes 13 selections from Pasadena to Santa Monica, and from Whittier to Newport Beach.
Colleague Laurie Ochoa recommends hitting up Torino in Pasadena for those looking for a savory Cuban sandwich.
The bread on this beef tongue sandwich is toasted to an exact crispness that crackles as you eat it. While the beef is what drives people to Torino, the complements — raw jalapeño slivers, tomato and garlic sauce — help deliver the contrasting textures and flavors.
Sticking within the San Gabriel Valley, colleague Bill Addison raved about Whittier’s Uptown Provisions.
While Addison was a fan of the store’s curried chicken, vegetable and hummus, the classic Italian meatball stood tallest.
The hero’s marinara sauce covers balls of ground beef, veal and pork, which are finished with smoked mozzarella and a squiggle of pesto aioli. A flurry of dried onion bits matches the crunch of the roll.
Tortas take center stage
Colleague Stephanie Breijo found a messy and tasty surprise at Paramount’s Birote Deli, located in the cafe Horchateria Rio Luna.
The shrimp ahogado is drenched in a salty, peppery, punchy bouillabaisse variant made from lobster stock. Be prepared for this delight to drip down your arm.
Lost in the flavors of the shrimp and lobster stock is the crunchy-crusted birote salado (don’t call it a bolillo), a sort of Mexican sourdough roll, that helps sop up the goodness.
South Los Angeles has a variety of outstanding torta places with Inglewood’s Tortuga Bay belonging to that list, according to my colleague Danielle Dorsey.
Sure, the establishment has traditional plates — tacos, pozole and chilaquiles — but the torta ahogado merits a visit.
The sandwich swims in a moat of spicy tomato sauce and overflowing with juicy carnitas and beans. Yet, the thick sourdough bread remains springy as you fork and knife your way through it — or, for the brave, tackle it with two hands.
Slivers of sharp white onion and a wedge of lime are served on the side for a nice acidic contrast. Despite the durability of the bread, this is not a sandwich that you take to go.
Trust your local butcher
Next we head to Orange County for a pair of shops carving up masterpieces.
My colleague Betty Hallock made a simple statement: “Sometimes I want a sandwich by the ocean.”
Whenever that urge hits, Hallock heads to The Butchery Quality Meats at the Crystal Cove in Newport Coast.
It’s the sort of place where customers can shop for their favorite cuts of meat, burger blends, sausages and fancy Wagyu hot dogs, along with cheeses, condiments, bread and beer.
Hallock’s favorite sandwich has been the deli turkey.
It includes fromage blanc with locally made pepper jam on a white roll from a nearby Santa Ana bakery.
The sweet-savory pepper jam and creamy fromage blanc for some reason give post-Thanksgiving vibes, but sans any particularly “holiday” flavors, so it’s an all-seasons snack.
My colleague Cindy Carcamo rounds off this robust section on our list in Newport Beach with an Argentine favorite, the choripán, from Mario’s Butcher Shop.
The sausage sandwich is a mainstay in the land of Messi and is a combo word made from its ingredients, chorizo and bread.
The sausage is cut lengthwise and served on a baguette, topped with a bright chimichurri sauce, which is made with olive oil, vinegar and fresh herbs.
It all works so well, especially on the perfectly crunchy-soft baguette procured from local BREAD Artisan Bakery in Santa Ana. Also, do yourself a favor and pair your sandwich with a side order of tasty french fries.
Well, that’s just a half dozen out of 37 locations on the list. Aren’t you hungry? Cure your hunger with our selections.
The week’s biggest stories
Housing and homelessness
- A Chinatown fire leaves 50 homeless. The cause outrages residents.
- Editorial: A test for Mayor Bass’ Planning Commission — support affordable housing or preserve single-family zoning?
- Southern California’s hottest commercial real estate market is for tenants that aren’t human.
Crime, courts and policing
- Model claims she was drugged, sexually assaulted and impregnated at Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ L.A. home.
- Eduardo Xol of ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ dies after assault at Palm Springs home.
- Mom ejected from Disneyland in viral video is a habitual gate crasher, Anaheim police say.
- Man accused of exploding bomb at California courthouse had more bomb-making materials, feds say.
- Newsom OKs speed cameras for dangerous stretch of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.
Election season
- Brian Williams will cover election night in Amazon Prime’s first foray into news.
- On the economy, Harris looks to reassure moderates.
- Why wait? Six weeks before the 2024 election, California is having a 2026 governor’s debate.
- Harris touts ‘border security and stability’ at Arizona campaign stop.
- Is L.A.’s planned ‘sanctuary city’ law languishing?
Environmental, climate and health issues
- Some in this California beach town insist the Tijuana River is poisoning them. Officials disagree.
- Exxon Mobil says advanced recycling is the answer to plastic waste. But is it really?
- Boy who died in blisteringly hot P.E. class inspires new law to protect students during extreme weather.
- Newsom signs bill pushing for Narcan in workplace first aid kits.
More big stories
- Hezbollah confirms Israel killed longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah; Israel on alert for retaliation.
- Highway 47 reopens after battery-laden trailer that crashed and caught fire is moved off road.
- ‘Mind-blowing’ moment: Whale-watching tour spots white shark feeding off Santa Barbara coast.
- Warren Wilson, trailblazing Black journalist and former KTLA broadcaster, dies at 90.
- ‘Mexican culture is corn.’ A temple of masa opens in L.A.
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Column One
Column One is The Times’ home for narrative and longform journalism. Here’s a great piece from the week:
Inside LA Librería’s new West Adams location, a hush falls over the thick crowd of multigenerational families. Angelica Sauceda, a librarian at Anaheim Public Libraries, faces an audience of young readers ready to hear the bilingual story of “La Siesta Perfecta.” “Es hora,” she calls out. It’s story time.
More great reads
- In a ‘purple’ California district, a GOP congressman fights to defend a seat he won by 564 votes.
- In postwar California, the Red Light Bandit pricked a governor’s conscience.
- Los Angeles has to rezone the entire city. Why are officials protecting single-family-home neighborhoods?
- Ten locals share wild ‘only in L.A.’ stories, from a freeway romance to a porn set surprise.
- As investors replace residents, Cayucos, gem of the Central Coast, is becoming a seasonal ghost-town.
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.
For your weekend
Going out
- 🥤 Start your day with Pilates and brunch with former “Saturday Night Live” star Sasheer Zamata as she breaks down her Sunday Funday.
- 🌳 Why pay when you can pick up a free fruit tree throughout locations in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
- 🕯️ Need some date night help? Here are 13 romantic restaurants where you can impress a date for under $100.
Staying in
- 😱 Author Jeremy Dauber analyzes terror in his latest, “American Scary: A History of Horror, from Salem to Stephen King and beyond.”
- 🍩 American’s longest-running animation show, “The Simpsons,” returns for season No. 36 on Fox.
- 🧑🍳 Happy National Coffee Day! Here’s a recipe for a chilled and delicious iced coffee.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, Sudoku, word search and arcade games.
L.A. Affairs
Get wrapped up in tantalizing stories about dating, relationships and marriage.
After the in-flight movie ended, I looked up, and there he was. I waved; I was glad to see him again. I thought he was on his way to the restroom. He wasn’t. He‘d come to find me. It was good I had an aisle seat. For the next two hours, we dove in, surrounded by strangers.
Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team
Andrew J. Campa, reporter
Carlos Lozano, news editor
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