My Faves at Joan's On Third

My friends often ask me why in the world I commute 40 minutes in traffic to see my OBGYN and why not just find a doctor near my house? Am I crazy? How do I find the time between work and my kids? What is the deal? Not to mention the visits get more and more frequent the bigger my belly gets, so why in the world all the driving in notorious LA traffic?

Cheese Counter at Joan's On Third

My answer is simple. Although I do like Dr.Morrison very much and am thrilled to have her guide me through this pregnancy, there is something else that propels me to make the drive. Joan's On Third http://joansonthird.com/! Knowing that following every appointment there is an opportunity to stop by this bakery/marketplace/cafe, makes the drive worthwhile. As a matter of fact there has yet to have been a day that I did not stop by Joan's after a routine appointment. And I honestly cannot wait for my doctors visits to get more frequent (they're now tri-weekly and will soon move to bi-weekly) so I get to pick up treats even more often then I already do!



I can never leave Joan's in the Morning without grabbing
their Strawberry Buttermilk Muffin. The top is lightly sprinkled with
sugar that bakes in to the crust making the first few bites sweet and crunchy.
Once you've tackled the top you get to the moist middle, that is
not too sweet and packed with what seems like 20 fresh strawberries per muffin.

The options of incredible baked goods, to die-for sandwiches, gourmet cheeses, freshly baked breads, gazillion fresh salads and soups, are endless at Joan's. Besides, I love the weekday morning peace and quiet (that's when I usually go) of perusing the marketplace, as on weekends it can get pretty insane. Good luck finding a seat after you place your order at one of their counters!

Chocolate Flour less Cheesecake
Tried this with my girlfriends Alla and Patricia a few weeks back
after visiting our friend Sabina at the hospital.
Thanks Sabina for delivering your baby girl at Cedar Sinai, the hospital
is just around the corner from Joan's!

The place is a zoo full of hungry people devouring the home made succulent offerings of Joan http://joansonthird.com/whoweare.htm herself. A very sweet woman who doesn't seem to be phased by her success what's so ever. She happily brought me a to go box as if she were one of the bus boys and called me a sweetheart when I said I just couldn't bare the thought of not taking the left over peace of the apricot bar to go! I've even seen her cleaning tables like its no biggie. Now that's work ethic! No wonder she's so successful.

Apricot Bar is Buttery Crumbly Goodness I can rarely pass up!

You will never run out of options at Joan's but one thing that is a MUST TRY for everyone should you ever make your way there (if you haven't already) is their SHORT RIB sandwich with melted jack cheese, arugula and sweet red onions on grilled country white bread. The sandwich has even graced the cover of Bon Appetit February 2010 issue, and rightfully so!



Short Rib Sandwich

Where does one even begin to describe this sandwich? For starters it is definitely up there with the Godmother from Bay Cities http://alwayspassionateaboutfood.blogspot.com/2011/03/godmother.html  and not many sandwiches can do that. Only the ones which take your breath away and make you salivate before, during and after every bite. I would like to leave it at that for now. I don't think its fair to give away every detail of what will happen to you as you bite in to the crunchy, buttery bread, the juicy beyond words meat, the sweet caramelized onions, the tangy jack cheese and spicy arugula. Go to Joan's and experience it for yourself. But PLEASE save room for dessert!