From the LA Times article:

William “Bill” Binder, who for years ran Philippe’s, the Los Angeles eating institution famous for its sawdust-covered floors and trademark French dip sandwiches, has died. He was 94.

Binder, who retired in 1985, died Jan. 28 of natural causes at a care facility in Pasadena, said his son John, who runs Philippe’s with his brother, Richard.

“He had a real mild temperament; he always tried to treat everybody with respect,” John Binder said. “He had a very, very deep religious belief. He felt we were just so blessed to have the business.”

Philippe’s — or as it’s officially known, Philippe the Original –has been a fixture on Alameda Street near Olvera Street and Union Station since 1951 and has been in Los Angeles for more than 100 years.

The French dip sandwich has always been the restaurant’s star attraction — roast beef, turkey, ham, roast pork or lamb on a French roll, with the bread dipped in the roasts’ gravy. And alongside the salads, desserts and drinks on the menu, there are some surprising touches, such as hard-boiled eggs pickled in beet juice and pigs feet.

I can’t count how many times I’ve eaten at Philippe’s.  We’ve written about it a couple of times here.  It was one of the first places I was taken when I first came to Los Angeles.  Definitely an unforgettable restaurant.