French Dip Sandwich Part 2: The Hat

How do you make a sloppy sandwich look sexy? I tried my best, but somethings are just fubar.

With locations throughout the Greater L.A. region, The Hat is an established chain of deli sandwich eateries. Well-known for their "World Famous Pastrami", The Hat always has a line of hungry customers waiting to order up. But if I remember correctly, I never cared much for The Hat. The food seemed bland.

Growing up in Simi Valley, I occasionally went to The Hat for their chili cheese fries, but not much else. As a kid with immature taste buds, I never really appreciated a hot sandwich until I was older. So tonight, I decided to give The Hat another try.

After waiting in line, outside, on a dark corner in Alhambra, I ordered a French Dip sandwich with au jus; and it came immediately. Very convenient. However, I found the sandwich to be very lackluster. Its construction was sloppy, and it lacked the heaping mounds of roast beef that you would expect in a hearty sandwich. For $7.50, it was disappointing. But with that said, I ate the whole thing. +1 for au jus.

Next time, I'll just remember to order the chili cheese fries instead.

The Hat
1 W. Valley Blvd.
Alhambra, CA 91801

French Dip Sandwich Part 1: Brent's Deli

Plenty of thin-sliced roast beef layers.

Often, you hear about Philippe's, Cole's, and Langer's, all of which are located in Los Angeles, for having the best deli sandwiches in California. While I don't dispute claims that they make fine sandwiches, I would argue that location plays a large part in how these restaurants have earned their reputation.

For those of us who can't make the trip to L.A. just for a nice sandwich, we make due with our own cities' modest attractions. Anyone from the 818 Valley should know about Brent's Delicatessen. Started in 1967, Brent's is a family-run restaurant that offers a fine selection of sandwiches, smoked fish, baked goods, and soups. The kosher and non-kosher meats satisfy hundreds of hungry customers daily, especially those within the large Jewish community.

After work, I stopped by Brent's in Westlake for a French dip sandwich with au jus on the side. While Brent's is most known for their pastrami, I had no doubt that their roast beef would be just as good. In fact, I would recommend that whenever one orders a sandwich from Brent's, you eat the sandwich alone like a meat-lusting carnivore. Disregard the dinosaur-sized French fries and coleslaw until you finish the sandwich. They're good, but unimportant.

Brent's Delicatessen & Restaurant
19565 Parthenia St. Northridge, CA 91324
2799 Townsgate Rd. Westlake, CA 91361