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.

grace

If you don't want to read past this sentence, one word could sum up my culinary experience here ... underwhelming.

We ended up here the other night after a tequila tasting in serious need of nourishment. The first thing that struck me was the crowd. The restaurant had a surprising number of tables available and it seemed as if the last of the hollywoodites had long since departed giving way to a bizarre mix of out of towner's and grandparents. I'll start off with saying, the space is beautiful - clean design in a palette of natural earth tones with beautiful shell light fixtures that dot the space like chandelier earrings. Simple, chic and inviting.

Another positive was the stellar service. It was prompt, attentive, pleasant, and we had nary a complaint about our waitress. Non sequitor side note - there are two restrooms; one for women and one that's unisex. As bizarre as it is to have a waz while staring at a urinal, it was remarkably clean.

The fact that I'm more compelled to write about the loo than the food speaks for itself, so without further ado.. the review.

We started off with oysters and the trio of seafood. The oysters were beautifully presented but on the small side. Out of a dozen, a few were gritty. The accompaniments were creative, but more cloying than complimentary. The trio of seafood consisted of three tiny bowls of minced fish. Literally, about 1/8c of each. I appreciate having a taste of this and that, but with a price tag upwards of $20, come on.

After being torn between the scallops and the rabbit, our server convinced me the rabbit was the better choice. Other dishes at our table included the salmon and the wild boar. Aside from from being beautifully plated, each of our mains had one thing in common - someone seriously heavy handed with the salt. After a few bites it went from 'gee, this tastes awfully salty' to 'the roof of my mouth is stinging and I need more water'. Beyond the salt, the rabbit was well thought out and a solid dish. The salmon was dry, dreadful and nearly inedible. Hands down, the best entree of the bunch was the boar. The roasted Brussels sprouts were perfect, but it would have been better with a simple mash in lieu of the dry spaetzle, which again, was unnecessarily fussy. When our server came by to check on our hardly eaten entrees we were honest about the salt, and she offered immediately to bring something else, but at that point, we were both over it and declined.

Moving on, it seemed something sweet was in order. We went with the butterscotch donuts and the meringue topped lemon granita. The donuts were perfect, not overly sweet, and the lemon was light and refreshing.

Even with the sweet finish, overall it was a disappointment and we all agreed, we likely wouldn't be back. When our (nearly $300) tab arrived, we noticed not even our desserts had been comped (which, at a restaurant like this, I would have expected), after two of our entrees returning to the kitchen hardly touched. C'est la vie. Given the price of admission, I'd probably take my dining dollars elsewhere next time - unless it was donut night!

7360 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 934-4400

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

electric karma

Beer and I are the first to admit we're food snobs, and when it comes to Indian, we're especially spoiled - and particular. That said, Electric Karma is one of our few local faves to make the speed dial list.

There's nothing on the menu we haven't liked, but some top picks include the samosas, sev puri, aloo tiki and mixed chutneys for starters. For mains the lamb korma, mixed tandoori grill, and fish vindaloo are always good. On the side, the aloo gobi, mattar paneer and bhindi masala never disappoint. If you're in the mood for something different or drop by for lunch, try one of the frankies - for lack of a better description, it's like an Indian burrito. Good stuff.

More often than not we opt to order in and enjoy at home, but this is a great location to enjoy a romantic meal out with your lover or some friends. The interior is colorful and dimly lit with seating indoors that flows out to an enclosed courtyard with tables and cushion seating where you can dine on the floor with a group. Another reason to dine in are the cocktails. Inside, Bollywood movies play on a wall hanging plasma. You'll notice a little bar when you enter and for good reason. The libations here are creative and tasty. And don't worry about the nasty parking on 3rd - they have you covered with valet. Or, you could just order in :)

8222 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 653-2121

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

beverly flower gardens

Stumbled onto this neighborhood florist in a strip mall next to my shoe repair one day when Moe's on Melrose was out of what I was looking for. Now, anytime I head to a dinner or birthday party, this is my first stop.

At first, I wasn't sure what to think of the little space, but ended up ecstatic with the beautiful, fresh flowers I left with and even happier with the amazing price. I've been there dozens of times since and they've never let me down. Even if you have only $20 to spend (I recommend $30-$50 for something impressive - on average, I spend $45), they'll make it work.

This is a family run business and the Korean lady there, while not always the warmest in town, is very helpful and kind. I've noticed they do a lot of weddings and funerals (as evidenced from the arrangements filling the little shop at times), but even on their busiest days, they have seasonal stock on hand for bouquets to go.

One of my favorite things here is that aside from the fresh and reasonable flowers, the presentation is always nice. If you're not doing an arrangement in a vase, urn, etc. (they have a good selection), they'll wrap your flowers in either brown paper (which is always chic) or this pretty fabric they have in lots of colors.

There's parking in the little strip mall lot - which even when it's swamped is usually workable. Just beware of the limited weekend hours. They close early at 3p on Saturdays and aren't always open Sundays. However, I recently learned they deliver locally for a nominal $5 charge.

8250 W 3rd St Ste 104
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 657-3533

el carmen

Hands down, this remains one of my favorite watering holes in town.

I'm a tequila drinker and this is one of my favorite places to enjoy it. The lucha libre theme, the Mezcal Margaritas, the Dune-esque paper lanterns, the velvet wall paintings, the jukebox, the Mezcal Margaritas, the weeknight dj's, the red leather bar chairs, the Mezcal Margaritas, the fact that it's dark enough for me not to care how nasty the little girl's room is and close enough for me stumble home.

Did I mention the Mezcal Margaritas?

All that AND I can get a fish taco?

Love it!

8138 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 852-1552