French Dip Review: The Golf Club at Echo Falls, Snohomish, WA

Setting the Stage

Was out golfing with my buddy Ryan.  After our round we stopped at the club house for a bit to eat and a beer.  They had a French dip so I was obliged.

Raw Notes

3, 4 tops
Beef ok 3
Side 🥗 fine
Size okay
Jus just salty, no real beef flavor

Summary

Bread 2.  Non-standard FD bread.

Meat 3.

Non-Meat Toppings 3.  White cheese ok.  Horseradish cream on side ok. 

Jus 2.  Overly salty with not the correct rich and beefy flavor.

Overall 3.  What a person might expect at a golf course.

"The Dip" French Dip Sandwich at Issaquah, WA's Chicago Pastrami Awarded a 5 of 5 DeliciScore™ (Great) on this 16th day of March, 2017 - A temperature hot delight

Raw Tasting Notes

1. The restaurant location is clean inside and smells good.  It smelled a little bit like Indian food to me but it was a pleasing food smell. 
2. The sandwich was expensive at $12 for the sandwich only and I found the sides to be quite pricy as well.   
3. I was not given a choice of cheese type but I was okay with that.  I later came to find out it was Swiss cheese and it was very good and very complimentary, very well melted and mixed in with the beef.
4. I got the sandwich only with a can of Diet Dr. Pepper, which was good and cold. 
5. The reason I was down there was that my wife didn't want to stay and "watch me eat a sandwich", so she went grocery shopping while I participated in my hobby.  Thanks, Jessica!
6. The location is downtown old town Issaquah and easy to find although I must say I had never previously noticed it and the place had been open for years. 
7. The sandwich alone is a 4-5 score for its size, good beef and really nice, temperature hot flavor. 
8. There was tons of beef on this thing; very impressed with the size and amount of beef. 
9. The darkly caramelized onions were also very good and complimentary. 5 to the non-meat toppings. 
10. The au jus was scalding hot like I had never experienced.  Molten lava hot but also very good.  5 of 5.
11. The sandwich was not greasy at all even with the cheese in there. 
12. The sandwich was indeed quite salty but I don't want to take points away from it for this issue.  The flavor really was nice.
13. The bread was very absorbent bread and since the jus was soooo hot, it kind of was hard to eat but hot food is not a problem unto itself, that is the problem of the eater.  The hotter, the better for most things, I say. 
14. The sandwich had a great, unique and delicious flavor. 

Also while there

I asked a couple of guys who sat near me if the Reuben sandwiches they ordered were any good and the guy said, "this jew approves", which must have been a very good sign.

Summary

Meat 5 of 5 for its crispiness and amount.
Non-Meat Toppings 5 of 5 for adding something really good to the sandwich.
Bread 4 of 5.  All you needed, nothing overly special but good enough and complimentary.
Jus 5 of 5.  Peppery, temperature hot, delicious.
Overall 5 of 5.  A really great sandwich with a really big portion.  Temperature hot, peppery, good cheese, great jus, salty delight.

4 of 5 DeliciScore™ (Great) Awarded to Wedgwood Broiler for their Prime Rib Dip Sandwich in Seattle, WA on this 17th day of October, 2015 - Thanks, Tim! Solid choice.

I went to a party on a Saturday night about a month ago now for my good friend Greg's 40th birthday party.  It was a great and fun night, keg and all.  Yes, there was some drinking involved.  While there, I ran into and struck up a conversation with my old buddy Tim S.  Tim and I go way back and have had some fun times together at previous parties thrown by Greg.  It was a lot of fun talking to and joking around with Tim.  I was talking to him about my French dip reviewing and he asked me if I'd been to the Wedgwood Broiler (WB) yet for their French dip.  He is a super big fan of the place and it sounds like he has a ton of history there.  Since I hadn't been there before, in Tim's eyes this was very bad and I needed to go immediately.  I felt it requisite to visit WB soon thereafter and give their French dip a full review.  I went the next day.  The review of this legendary Prime Rib Dip follows.

I talked Jessica into running up to WB, which is about 20 minutes from our house.  We pulled up on a nice, sunny, early Fall day about two hours before the Seahawks game started.  

Here's the WB from the parking lot.  Nothing too fancy, pretty funky, but I was pumped.

I entered first while Jessica walked the dog and got settled into the bar, which was mostly empty.

Here's a picture of the bar from my seat.  It was super dark in there and really felt cave-like.  But nice.  It had a real 70's vibe to it, which I found comforting and nice.

I ordered a bloody mary (two, actually).  They were good and spicy, traditional.  Nothing too fancy, save the dill bean which was tasty.

Drink in hand, I began poring through the menu and spotted the *section* with French dips on it.  Not just the traditional, classic French dip, but also a Prime Rib dip (which is what I ordered) and a burger dip.  I really am fond of burger dips.  It might be true that I prefer the traditional roast beef French dip least of all of its brothers.

The place has an old, funky 70's throwback feel but it feels very welcoming.  The service was good and the waitresses were very nice.  The bar was cozy and cave-like.  The bloody mary was very strong and served in a low glass.  

I was impressed when I ordered the Prime Rib Dip: you get to choose how fine you want your prime rib sliced and are asked if you want dressing on the side of the salad or tossed in.

The Prime rib dip arrived.  As we can see above, we got it with the side salad and the jus is extremely dark, which wound up being an absolute coup.  The sandwich itself was average-sized but good.  It came with a plastic cup of good (Beaver I believe) creamy horseradish.  Just from the picture above, we can tell that this is not, per se, a gourmet French dip but it is a good one.

Here's a closer shot of the sandwich itself.  You can tell that it has standard bread and a good amount of beef.  The beef was nice and supple.

So I dove into the sandwich (first sans jus, then later with the jus).  The jus was very (midnight) dark and it was really good.  It wasn't too salty and had a deep, satisfying flavor.  Because of its value and usability, it scores a 5 of 5.

The sandwich itself was small and "classic" but that's fine.  They don't have to be over the top to be great.  As for the beef, it was good, soft and tasty but did not have an overly distinct beef flavor.  There was also a little fat in there but I don't mind.  That must means it is authentic prime rib.

The creamy, spicy Beaver horseradish on the side was a hit with me this day and gave you that big nasal hit that is so fun.

This meal also came with a salad that had very cold lettuce, which was a major plus.  Tim had told me to get bacon bits on the salad and I forgot, which resulted in cheeze-its and salami, which is their default.  It was a simple salad and there was evidence of other herbs on the simple salad, making it fancier than "just iceberg".

Here's the salad, which was quite good.  Cold lettuce goes a long way in my book.  I score it a 4 for its creativity and value.

Beirut no no no was playing on the radio.  I got my French dip comfort food fix on a Sunday and two Bloody Mary's to straighten out my mood and outlook.

So circling back to the party at Greg's, I am greatful that I was introduced to Wedgwood Broiler from Tim and others.  Tim takes this place seriously and I verified that their three French dip varieties and their Prime Rib Dip in particular are solid units.  The place is cool, old, swanky and comfortable and I felt at home.

Bread: 3 of 5
Meat: 4 of 5
Non-Meat Toppings: 4 of 5
Sandwich: 4 of 5
Au Jus: 5 of 5
Salad: 4 of 5
Overall Meal: 4 of 5

French Dip Review: The Manship Wood Fired Kitchen, Jackson, MS (Roast Beef Panini)

Jackson, Mississippi isn't known as a culinary mecca unless all you are looking for is fried seafood, fried chicken, and homestyle Southern food in general. There's nothing wrong with Southern food at all - it's DELICIOUS! But I travel a lot, and being one from the South myself (NC), it's not usually the first thing I seek out when looking for a good spot for lunch or dinner.

So why not see if Jackson has a good French Dip somewhere? I searched on Yelp, UrbanSpoon, Google, and more, and came up empty handed. I felt my search for a French Dip in this city was all for naught.

There are a few restaurants making a change from the regular Southern fried fare in Jackson, though. New entrepreneurs and chefs are opening some adventurous (for Jackson) restaurants, and are hitting the nail on the head. I must first give compliments to the restaurant Parlor Market, which gave me one of the best meals I've ever had (literally, ever), though not a French Dip. This is a restaurant that could easily fit in the Meat Packing District in NYC and be packed every night. But even after the great meal I had there, I was convinced there had to be a joint somewhere offering a good French Dip.

"I felt my search for a French Dip in this city was all for naught."

I'd been searching for dinner spots, and continued to come up with nothing. So while in town, I needed a spot to grab lunch before a meeting. Low and behold, there was a joint with a French Dip - but only for lunch, which is why it hadn't turned up on my radar in my previous searches.

The Manship Woodfired Kitchen has nothing to do with being a man - Manship Road is just the name of the road on which it's located. It's somewhat of a manly place nonetheless, with over 300 bourbons on the shelf, including the whole line of goods from the Old Rip Van Winkle distillery ($20-$80/shot). But this was lunch and I was about to meet with a client afterwards, so I did not partake in a slowly sipped glass of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon (mmmmmm....).

"I was there for one thing, after all. The French Dip."

I was there for one thing, after all. The French Dip. On the lunch menu only, they managed to discreetly place a French Dip titled the "Roast Beef Panini." You have to read further into the description to realize that it's a variation on a French Dip and includes au jus for dipping. And at only $12, a no-brainer for me.

The sandwich comes with red onions, gruyere, horseradish cream, and herb au jus. I'm not one for raw onions, so I forewent that option. But the resulting sandwich was a wonderful take, if not so traditional, on the French Dip. Between the two pieces of pressed, toasted sourdough bread was a healthy portion of medium to medium-rare cooked, tender and flavorful roast beef, cheese, and creamed horseradish with a slight kick. 

The French Dip with Parmesan Reggiano  Fries.

The au jus was incredibly flavorful - salty, beefy, but with a much deeper herby flavor than you typically get with a jus. 

Meaty, Gruyere-y goodness!

The au jus on the side was minimal. I had to ask for more. If the ramekin was full to begin with, it would have been plentiful. But it was incredibly flavorful - salty, beefy, but with a much deeper herby flavor than you typically get with a jus. The most prominent was the flavor of rosemary, which I've long thought was the best herb to add in au jus when I make a French Dip at home.

Tasty (though not plentiful enough) au jus!

The crispy, toasted bread was, though not traditional, a nice departure from the norm and certainly didn't hurt the sandwich at all. It may not mean it's a French Dip in the traditional sense, but hey, it's a sandwich with roast beef and au jus. It's a French Dip to me.

The sandwich came with parmesan reggiano herb french fries, which I swear were some of the best tasting fries I've ever had. I was picking out the crumbs of herbs and parmesan from the bottom of the bowl after finishing them.

I highly recommend checking out The Manship Woodfired Kitchen if you are ever in Jackson. Lunch time is unfortunately the only time that you can get the Roast Beef Panini with au jus, but the menu (and bourbon selection) are strong, even if you feel like a dinner (though it would have to be sans French Dip).

The Bread: 4
The Roast Beef: 4
The Au Jus: 5 (just make sure to ask for more)
The price: 5
Overall: 4 of 5

3 of 5 DeliciScore™ (Good) Awarded to Safe House for their French Dip Sandwich in Milwaukee, WI on this 15th day of April, 2015 -

Most restaurants try to entice clientele in with their street presence, framed menus, and greeters at the door. The Safe House is different. The goal here is to remain as inconspicuous as possible. In fact, there's not even a sign outside, nor any welcoming windows to peer in to see diners enjoying their experience. Instead, it's a wooden door with a metal placard beside it that says "International Exports, Ltd." No one would know, walking down the street, that a restaurant and bar is inside. This place has probably the most secret French Dip in existence.

"...probably the most secret French Dip in existence."

This CAN'T be a restaurant, can it?

NOT inviting!

"It's a Milwaukee institution that locals enjoy taking out-of-towners for a bar experience like no other."

The Safe House is basically a speakeasy. But rather than a prohibition theme, The Safe House goes for a spy theme. You enter, and are greeted by a receptionist who asks you to stand against the wall. She'll ask you if you know the password. And if you know it, don't say it aloud - just whisper it into her ear when she asks. If you don't know it, then expect to be asked to perform a few tasks to be let in - this could be whatever she wants. My task the first time I came to this place was to make muscle poses (with my toothpick arms). Luckily, I was in the know on my second visit, and didn't have to make a fool of myself prior to entering (and no, I'm not telling anyone the password - nor should you if you find out). After you've given the password or completed your tasks, a bookshelf door will open and you'll be sent up the stairs, and into a hallway which ends at...a full wall mirror. Where do you go now? Just wait a few seconds and the doors will open to let you in the place. Inside, the place is actually bustling. It's a Milwaukee institution that locals enjoy taking out-of-towners for a bar experience like no other.

So now that I'm in, on to the food. If you are in Wisconsin, you simply must have deep fried cheese curds. So I had to start out with that. Delicious! But I must admit that it's kind of hard to mess up deep fried cheese curds with marinara for dipping.

Deep fried cheese curds and marinara.

I ordered "Ze French Dip," as the menu calls it, for my entree, with a side of onion rings. There are 7 or 8 sides to choose from - After eating the cheese curds, I figured I should just clog my arteries all at once rather than doing it over a period of time.

The sandwich wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either.

The sandwich wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. The bread was somewhat of a rectangular soft ciabatta. That's the only way I know to describe it. The roast beef was plentiful and tasty, with no fat or gristle, but nothing really special. I chose to have the sandwich topped with provolone, but it's up to you to decide on the cheese (if cheese at all). The au jus was the shining point in this dip - good consistency, the right amount of saltiness, the nice beefy flavor...just not enough of it to complete my dip. I got about 2/3 of the way through the sandwich before I went dry.

The au jus was the shining point in this dip - good consistency, the right amount of saltiness, the nice beefy flavor.

Great au jus...just not quite enough of it.

The Safe House is more or less a place you go for an interesting experience, not necessarily renowned cuisine. That being said, my meal in itself certainly left me satisfied, but not wowed. It's a decent French Dip, but the experience of the restaurant/bar itself is the real attraction here.

You can't enter the same way you came in. You've got to go through a side door in order to remain "secret" about your visit. Safe travels, secret agent...

The Meat: 3
The Bread: 2
The Au Jus: 5
The Portion: 5
Overall: 3

But...
The Experience: 10

0 of 5 DeliciScore™ (Terrible) Awarded to Monsieur Benjamin for their French Dip Sandwich in San Francisco, CA on this 15th day of April, 2015 -

Now, I know a French Dip isn't actually French at all - it originated in Los Angeles. But after arriving at one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco (Absinthe) to find that there was an hour long wait to be seated, I decided to peruse the neighborhood on the south end of Market Street to see if there was somewhere else worth a try. Right across the street, there just so happened to be a French restaurant called Monsieur Benjamin, and as I browsed the menu...well, you know what I found - a French Dip sandwich. Done and done - I had my restaurant picked out.

"The portion was just disappointing..."

I wanted an appetizer to start out with, and chose the leek, potato and gruyere croquettes. They came with a dill/herb creme fraiche, and though quite delicious, consisted of 4 or 5 small bites of potatoes for $7.50. The portion was just disappointing, but I still had my hopes up for the French Dip.

Potato and Leek Croquettes. Yes, this is a $7.50 portion.

"When it arrived, the small sandwich, which cost $18.50, was just that - a sandwich."

When it arrived, the small sandwich, which cost $18.50, was just that - a sandwich. No fries or any side items. "Oh, you wanted french fries with that? I'll have them right up," the waiter said. I probably had them within 90 seconds of ordering that, but didn't realize at the time that a side of fries was $5. So being that I expect a sandwich to come with a side - whether it's fries, chips, veggies, a salad...whatever - that basically brings the French Dip at this place was really $23.50, very much on the pricey side. 

"a side of fries was $5."

The meat was medium rare to medium, but lacked any flavor whatsoever.

What a puny little sandwich! And that meat doesn't look all that appealing...

Gosh, what a disappointment this place was. The meat was medium rare to medium, but lacked any flavor whatsoever. The creamy horseradish was tame enough for a small child to eat. The French bread nothing to write home about (c'mon, it's a French restaurant for goodness sakes!). The Gruyere cheese - well, you just can't go wrong with Gruyere. That was the only redeeming quality of the sandwich.

"The Au Jus: It wasn't salty. It wasn't beefy. It was just sweet, and full of onions." 

So on to the au jus, what I consider the most important part of a French Dip. I can't begin to describe how much of a disappointment that was. It wasn't salty. It wasn't beefy. It was just sweet, and full of onions. Now, I know that the broth for French Onion soup can very closely resemble a perfect au jus for a French Dip. But they must have used Vidalia onions. Or a pound of sugar. Not sure which, but the jus was just way too sweet. it also had a bit of thickness to it that I just don't like in an au jus. It reminded me of what you get at Quizno's or Arby's in consistency. And Quizno's and Arby's au jus is much better than what I had at Monsieur Benjamin.

"...Arby's au jus is much better than what I had at Monsieur Benjamin."

Puny sandwich, meet puny au jus ramekin.

The fries were good, served with an aioli and ketchup. But not great. Overall, there really wasn't any part of this meal that I loved. In fact, it all pretty much was below average or average. And the centerpiece of the meal, the sandwich itself, was just a plain disappointment. Not recommended if you are in San Fran and looking for a French Dip fix.

This might just be the worst French Dip I've ever had.

The Bread: 3
The Meat: 2
The Au Jus: 0
The Price: 0
Overall Score: 0 out of 5