Bill Binder
Encyclopedia
Philippe's
Philippe's, or "Phillippe the Original", is a restaurant located in downtown Los Angeles, California. The restaurant is well known for continuously operating since 1908, making it one of the oldest restaurants in Los Angeles. It is also renowned for claiming to be the inventor of the French Dip...
restaurant, known as Philippe the Original, downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, United States, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area...
for decades. Philippe's, a mjor destination for locals and tourists, is famous for its French dip sandwich
French dip sandwich
A French dip sandwich, also known as a beef dip, is a hot sandwich consisting of thinly sliced roast beef on a "French roll" or baguette. It is usually served au jus , that is, with beef juice from the cooking process...
es, which are said to have been invented at Philippe's, and sawdust
Sawdust
Sawdust is a by-product of cutting lumber with a saw, composed of fine particles of wood. It can present a hazard in manufacturing industries, especially in terms of its flammability....
covered floors.
Early life
Bill Binder was born in Milwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, on February 28, 1915. His father, a brewer for the Miller Brewing Company
Miller Brewing Company
The Miller Brewing Company is an American beer brewing company owned by the United Kingdom-based SABMiller. Its regional headquarters are located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and the company has brewing facilities in Albany, Georgia; Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin; Eden, North Carolina; Fort Worth, Texas;...
, graduated from the Wahl-Henius Brewing Institute
Max Henius
Max Henius was a Danish-American Biochemist who specialized in the fermentation processes. Max Henius co-founded the American Academy of Brewing in Chicago.-Background:...
in Chicago.
He moved with his family from their home in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. Binder graduated from Calexico High School in 1933. He enlisted in the United States Marines during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1941. He was honorably discharged as a captain in the Marines in 1945, but remained in the United States Marine Corps Reserve
United States Marine Corps Reserve
The Marine Forces Reserve is the reserve force of the United States Marine Corps. It is the largest command in the U.S...
until 1951, when he retired with the rank of Major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
.
Philippe's
In 1944, while still in the Marines, Binder married his wife, Beverly Martin. Her father, David Martin, and uncle, Harry Martin, had purchased Philippe's restaurant in Los Angeles from its founder and original owner, Philippe Mathieu, in 1927. Bill and Beverly had met at Frank's Place, a cafe owned by her father, located directly across the street from the Eastside Brewery, where Binder worked at the time.The couple moved from California to Hancock, Michigan
Hancock, Michigan
Hancock is a city in Houghton County; the northernmost in the U.S. state of Michigan, located on the Keweenaw Peninsula, or, depending on terminology, Copper Island. The population was 4,634 at the 2010 census...
, after their wedding, where Binder worked as a brewer. However, after just a few months in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
they returned to Los Angeles.
Binder owned and operated a coffee shop in Los Angeles. After several years, Binder began working with his father-in-law at Philippe's following the death of Harry Martin. The family was forced to leave Philippe's original location on Aliso Street due to the construction of the Hollywood Freeway
Hollywood Freeway
The Hollywood Freeway is one of the principal freeways of Los Angeles, California and one of the busiest in the United States. It is the principal route over the Cahuenga Pass, the primary shortcut between the Los Angeles Basin and the San Fernando Valley...
. They reopened Philippe's at its present location on Alameda Street near Olvera Street
Olvera Street
Olvera Street is in the oldest part of Downtown Los Angeles, California, and is part of the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument. Many Latinos refer to it as "La Placita Olvera." Circa 1911 it was described as Sonora Town....
and Union Station
Union Station (Los Angeles)
Los Angeles Union Station is the main railway station in Los Angeles, California. The station has rail services by Amtrak and Amtrak California and Metrolink; light rail/subways are the Metro Rail Red Line, Purple Line, Gold Line. Bus rapid transport runs on the Silver Line...
in 1951.
David Martin persuaded Binder to run Philippe's at its now location. Binder kept the restaurant's menu virtually the same, focusing on its famous French dip sandwich
French dip sandwich
A French dip sandwich, also known as a beef dip, is a hot sandwich consisting of thinly sliced roast beef on a "French roll" or baguette. It is usually served au jus , that is, with beef juice from the cooking process...
es, which uses roast beef, ham, roast pork, lamb or turkey on a French roll, dipped in au jus
Au jus
Au jus is French for "with [its own] juice"; jus is the juice itself.In American cuisine, the term is mostly used to refer to a light sauce for beef recipes, which may be served with the food or placed on the side for dipping...
.
Later life
Bill Binder retired in 1985, turning Philippe's over to his sons, John Binder and Richard Binder, who continue to run the restaurant as of February 2010. The brothers added new menu items, such as salads and turkey sandwiches, after Binder's retirement, though he continued to eat breakfast at Philippe's frequently.Bill Binder died at a nursing facility in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, on January 28, 2010, at the age of 96. He was survived by his sons, John and Richard, who continue to run Philippe's; his daughter, Kathleen Binder Halstead, 10 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. His wife, Beverly, died in 2001. His memorial service was held at St. Therese Catholic Church in Alhambra, California
Alhambra, California
Alhambra is a city located in the western San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States, which is approximately eight miles from the Downtown Los Angeles civic center. As of the 2010 census, the population was 83,089, down from 85,804 at the 2000 census. The city's...
.