joan's on third

If you like Dean & Deluca, you'll love Joan's on Third. The space is small (but in the process of expanding!) and jam packed with delectable goodies to delight the palate.

The charcuterie selection is amazing, particularly if you're a fan of cheese. The selection packed into the cold cases will make your head (and your wallet) spin. The sandwiches, salads, sides and condiments are all a little taste of heaven and the cupcakes are not be missed. The peanut butter filled chocolate and the coconut are a couple of my faves and they beat the pants off of Sprinkles any day. The cake is perfectly moist and the icing is never piled too high or sickly sweet - unless you like it that way, in which case you should try the clouds.


Despite the inviting and always busy street side seating, I've never felt compelled to sit and have a meal here, but I can't seem to leave without less than two calorie packed bags, including at least one of their amazing sandwiches.


To state the obvious, yes, the street is crowded, yes, the place is often overrun by beautiful people and their beautiful pets, and yes, parking's guaranteed to be a bitch. So, what? If you can't deal with that, why are you living in LA in the first place? Pack up your purse pup, get off your beautiful duff and head to Joan's!


8346 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 655-2285


Photo courtesy of Joan S.

swingers

This is the neighborhood place we tend to go when Beer is in the mood for what he calls "real" brek. In other words bacon, runny eggs and toast.

Everything about this Swingers is ... ok. I hate to say it's a great bastion of mediocrity, but in many respects, it is. Typical diner vibe with striped vinyl booths and an LA'fied menu. Read: virtually everything is made with organic produce, they offer many reduced fat/carb options, and have numerous options for the vegan/veg crowd.

The servers are a mix of too cool for school over-dyed rockabilly girls in their fishnet, combat boot, pleated mini uniforms and out of work actor/model types who seem to run a room temp iq. Case in point - this morning I had to ask for water three times, and when I finally got it, it was tap sloshing out of the glass like it was poured for one of the dogs on the patio, as opposed to the large tumblers of water, ice and lemon every other table seemed to have.

The food is good. Not great, not bad, just ... ok. For some reason they can never seem to keep hot foods, hot, and cold foods, cold, but it's all reasonably good and definitely edible. For what you get, the prices are relatively fair. (As an aside, the food at the SaMo Swingers in fantastic).

Only thing I've ever found remarkable about this place is their music selection ... it's eclectic and never fails to hit the spot. This morning, a mix of Joy Division, Led Zeppelin, The Cure and Frank Sinatra.

Something about the place always feels kinda dirty to me, but I will say the counter service is good. And, of course, there's the signature moo cow wallpaper you can't help but love.

There are numerous other (better) options in the area imho, but if you're looking for a late night meal when everything else is closed or just feel like a little local diner love, Swingers will do the trick.

Tip: If you're someone who actually likes the food here, they do local delivery for a few hours in the am and pm.

8020 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 653-5858

Photo courtesy of Andre H.

doughboys

Oddly enough, I've never been here for dinner in all these years, but good luck getting me off my soapbox when it comes to singing the praises of brek, brunch and lunch here. Despite some irritatingly long waits for a table, a couple of asshole servers, the impossible parking on 3rd, and even a friend's (legit) report of a rat running under her table, I can't seem to stay away!

The food is truly magnificent and the portions are rigoddamndiculous. No joke, you could feed a nuclear family with a couple of their dishes. Word to the wise - be prepared to waddle out and don't schedule any strenuous activity until you have a few hours to digest.

Some a.m. favorites you won't find at those "other" places on 3rd - SOS (shit on a shingle.. ask your granddads to explain this one), Red Flannel Hash made with sweet potato, Banana Caramel Pancakes (like banoffee pie for brek), the Blueberry Flax Seed Pancakes (good for you never tasted so gooood), and the Cinnamon French Toast (fuck ya!).

For lunch, you can't go wrong with any soup and sandwich combo including the Afterschool Special, but my fave is the piping hot Stracciatelli Soup with mounds of fresh spinach and asiago cheese cooked before your eyes. And, let's not forget, this is after all a bakery - the bread - amazing.

If you have room after all that, or happen to be a glutton for punishment like me, the desserts are divine. Their specialty, the Red Velvet Cake is melt in your mouth moist, and a must even for someone like me who doesn't usually like cake. Grab a piece to go if you want to ride the tide of food coma the rest of the day...

8136 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 651-4202

wild thyme

Remembering there was something about this place I liked the last time I was here nearly a decade ago, Beer and I stopped in for lunch while in Pasadena off to see the tax wizard.

With it's casual, country kitchen vibe, this is the kind of place that reminds you of grandma .. and the kind of place you could bring her for a meal out.

As I recalled, the service was warm and easy and the list of baked goods and sweets runneth over. We shared the appetizer platter which was ok and had the chopped salad (also just ok), but the turkey brie melt sandwich was pretty good. Just like I remembered, the zucchini bread (which is offered with nearly all the meals) was sweet and tasty.

Though not quite what I remembered after all these years, the food and the experience was reasonably good, and if you're in the area with a sweet tooth and in the mood for something easy and affordable, it's a good pick.

805 Fair Oaks Ave
South Pasadena, CA 91030

(626) 799-4169

chamberlain hotel bistro

The Chamberlain is one of my favorite local boutique hotels for those weekends you just need to get away without getting away. Often overlooked by locals is the fabulous little hotel restaurant for brunch and cocktails.

For those weekends that a meal is about as far away as you're gonna get, sneaking into the chic Chamberlain for brunch (from 7a-2p), is a great way to pretend. The nouvelle American menu is limited but everything is fresh, beautifully prepared and presented. Sitting in the dining room bathed in serene teals and blues, or on the palm lined patio, a glass of champagne (or three), will have you feeling like you're a million miles away in no time.

Despite the warnings that the restaurant is for hotel guests only, I have yet to run into any problems valeting the car out front and walking right in to get a table. Just smile and relax (which isn't hard to do once you get past those doors), and you'll have no problem either :)

alfredo's grill

Failing to find a parking spot at Quality and refusing to wait in line at Toast, we settled on Joan's for a late brunch, until we realized we were standing right in front of Alfredo's - our breakfast burrito delivery joint!

Being hungry and noting the patio dining and a couple of cozy booths open, we decided to give it a try. We walked in and were quickly seated. Once we (finally) got a menu, it was tough to decide what to have everything looked so good. They do brek all day and have an extensive list of options for both food and beverage. Beer settled on a fruit shake (strawberry-banana since they were out of blueberries) and I asked for the A.G (their version of a mocha ice blended). His shake was good and my coffee would have been as well - had it arrived before our food was cleared.

He ordered the chocolate banana pancakes and I got one of the scrambles. All of the food coming out looked great. When ours finally made it out, it was no exception. The only challenge was ... we still didn't have set-ups, Beer never got the water he asked for, his pancakes came dry without any syrup to be found, my coffee was MIA with the syrup, and every table in the house but ours had bread. Our server was nice enough and I wanted to think maybe he had too many tables on his hands, but the truth of the matter is that there were two of them (one of whom I suspect was the owner) waiting a small number of tables and the only one who seemed to have his shit together enough to be helpful was the busboy.

Once we got utensils, etc. the food was good. The portion of both fruit and scramble on my plate seemed a bit skimpy, especially in light of the mass of pancakes falling off the plate across from me, but it was pretty good. I wish I could have said the same for the service. Kept wondering why it was so relatively empty for a sunny Saturday, but given the staff, I think I know.

We'll probably give this one another shot the next time we can't get in to one of our usuals, but until then, I'm sticking with delivery.

8310 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 782-4922

bread bar

In a sea of Atkins inspired protein peddlers, Breadbar is a refreshing return to what eating is supposed to be.. good, simple, comforting, food.

The space - both indoors and out on the patio - is inviting, and when you walk through the door, the sweet smell of baked goodness is hard to resist. The beautiful display of floor to ceiling bread loaves that flank the entry wall is impressive and enough to make any foodie weak at the knees. If you're in the mood for brek, the omelettes - for example, eggplant and gorgonzola (all paired with a complementary artisan bread) with fig brioche - are yummy, and if you're in the mood for a splurge, the french toast is hard to beat. For lunch, the sandwiches on a wide variety of fresh baked breads are super tasty.

Despite not coming out of the oven, the oatmeal was a great alternative if you're there on a cold morning. Same goes for the coffee, lattes and capps, which were all much better than average. The first server we had was a checked out ass, but his replacement was sweet as pie and on the ball to right what he'd wronged, so overall, no complaints on that front.

Don't forget to grab a loaf (or two) and some pastries for the road. You'll be sorry if you don't! You might think of this place as a splurge to blow the glycemic bank on, but they manage to balance things out with reasonable portions unlike what you'd expect to find.

Though this isn't a spot I'd necessarily go out of my way to frequent, as an option at the mall after harried shopping or catching a matinee flick, it doesn't get much better.

10250 Santa Monica Boulevard
Century City Mall
Century City, CA 90067

(310) 277-3770

kokomo cafe

Hidden away on the backside of the Farmer's Market, this place is a gem for brek - especially in the absence of DuPar's. They've got all sorts of yummy stuff like Pumpkin Pancakes and Catfish and Eggs along with great standards like French Toast and a tasty Eggs Benedict. For those who're inclined, they do Mimosa's by the pitcher.

Another plus is the great 80's music that's usually playing via satellite radio and the choice of sitting where you can people watch inside the Farmer's Market at a table or the bar, or in their patio area which is surprisingly hidden away for being tucked in between the bustling market and the parking lot.

If you're not in the mood for the fuss and crowds at places like Toast and Doughboys, this is a great (and affordable) low-pro neighborhood alternative.

6333 W 3rd St Ste 120
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 933-0773

Photo courtesy of Nate F.