COLE'S RESTAURANT -- DOWNTOWN LA -- PART 2

ORIGINATORS OF THE FRENCH DIP

Cole's at dinner time -- they serve till 10 p.m. -- is best spent prepping for that big (5.5 ounces) French Dip with one of the classic cocktails.

An Old Fashioned has bourbon, angostura bitters, sugar cube, stirred with hand cut ice rock and luxardo cherry.

The Original Martinez features genever, dolin sweet vermouth, orange curacao, angostura bitters and luxardo cherry.

The Red Car Named Desire contains rye whiskey, cynar, luxardo and maurin liqueur.

The Red Car takes its name from the welcoming 40-foot mahogany Red Car Bar, preserved in the recent restoration of the cherished landmark.

The restoration received the Los Angeles Conservancy’s coveted Preservation Award recognizing outstanding achievement in the field of historic preservation.

Housed in the Pacific Electric building, Cole’s, features original glass lighting, penny tile floors and historic photos.

Cole's is at 118 E. 6th Street, the corner of Main and 6th.

Phone: 213.622.4090

http://213nightlife.com/colesfrenchdip

 

COLE'S RESTAURANT -- DOWNTOWN LA -- PART 1

ORIGINATORS OF THE FRENCH DIP

Since 1908, Cole's has been serving its famed French Dips to hungry Angelinos.

The Downtown LA favorite looks like a bar, because it is the city's oldest public house.

Dips come in pork, pastrami, beef, turkey and lamb.

All come with aus jus and an atomic pickle spear -- a dill drowned in wonderfully spicy red pepper flakes.

We highly recommend the pork dip with cheddar cheese.

You dip the meat and cheese on French Bread into the aus jus for two seconds.

Lift it out and the crusty bread is delightfully soggy, the cheese almost melted and the meat bathed in the salty, warm aus jus.

The French Fries, regular or spicy garlic, are to die for.

Lunches at Cole's go best with a pint of beer.

Coles review continues tomorrow November 6