R.I.P. - William Binder of Philippe's

I was sad to open the Los Angeles Times this morning and read the obituary of William Binder of Philippe's. Even if you're not a meat eater you've got to make the pilgrimage to Philippes, its always on the list that I give visitors to our fair city.
Mr. Binder married into the family that purchased the restaurant in 1927 from Philippe Mathieu. The original location fell to the bulldozer when the 101 freeway was built but Mr. Binder persuaded his father in law that the restaurant had life in her yet and they located in 1951 to their current location on Alameda. Do yourself a favor and please visit Philippe's, the Binder family has kept it true to its roots.
On a related side note- did everyone catch the Los Angeles Times article on Dolores chili brick in last week's Food Section? Dolores is the chili that is served (deliciously) at Philippes.

R.I.P. - Randy Hoffman, proprietor of Chili My Soul

As a fan of Chili My Soul on Ventura Blvd at Balboa I was saddened to open the Los Angeles Times today and read Randy's obituary. From the L.A. Times:
HOFFMAN, Randal Kent Passed away on June 18, 2009. He was a beloved son, brother uncle, brother-in-law, relative, loyal friend and charismatic to all. His two passions in life, music and the culinary arts, led to his mastering the drums and becoming a most wonderful chef and the proprietor of Chili My Soul.

Enjoy L.A. - Eat Out More Often! Chili John's since 1946

Chili John's is the place to go if you like chili with a little heat. Too many choices! Available mild, medium and hot. With/without beans, in a bowl, over spaghetti, on a hot dog, chili size. Add cheese, sour cream, onions, pepperoncinis, oyster crackers (particularly good here). Don't forget a piece of the pineapple cream pie.

What went before? 2420 N. Broadway

Today it's a shoe store but once upon a time 2420 N. Broadway was the home of the originator of the chili size Ptomaine Tommy (aka Tommy De Forest) and is not to be confused with The Original Tommy's.

According to Tommy's recipe the chili size (also known as the hamburger size) consisted of two hamburger patties about 4 inches in diameter. The beans that cover the patties are soaked in salt water overnight then cooked in a 40-quart pressure cooker. Each patty is covered with a half cup of beans and a half cup of chili. The chili is made with tomato puree, canned tomatoes and drained ground beef for two or three hours - chili powder is added afterwards. To this concoction add onions and viola -the original chili size.

In 1913 Tommy bought a lunch wagon for $75 and 'Texas Tamale Tommy's Ptomaine Tabernacle' could soon be seen around Ave. 22 and N. Broadway. He moved to the 2420 location in 1929 and this became the mecca to which all walks of life flocked to get their chili size fix. To stay humble Tommy kept a model of his original cart in a bottle in the window. Tommy leased the business to Berkeley W. Batchelor from 1946 to 1954 and took it over again after Batchelor's death. Unfortunately Tommy's health declined and the business had trouble staying afloat, succumbing to its creditors Ptomaine Tommy's closed its doors on August 10, 1958.

Tommy De Forest died August 18, 1958.

So you say you can't afford one of them fancy locations? (Part One)

Just choose a great name. There was nothing drab or lackluster about these restaurant men of the past!

So you say you can't afford one of them fancy locations? (Part Two)

No sir, not boring at all.