Joan's on Third
Encyclopedia
Joan's on Third is a specialty food marketplace and restaurant located on Third Street in Los Angeles
, California
. Joan's is situated in an area popular with Angelinos for its eating and shopping establishments, located between the Beverly Center on La Cienega Boulevard
and Farmer's Market at the Grove
on Fairfax Avenue
.
A family business owned and operated by chef Joan McNamara and her children, Joan's started out as a catering operation running out of a storefront on Third St. As demand grew, McNamara expanded her business to include a small café and marketplace. The store tripled its size after a decade of operation, and the restaurant now includes a full menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The shop in the same space sells artisan cheeses, prepared foods, baked goods, desserts and non-perishables.
Its popularity and success has grown on the strength of its products and good reviews in multiple publications and media outlets. It also has a reputation as a hip gathering spot frequented by Hollywood celebrities and foodies, such as Robert Duvall
, Jake Gyllenhall and Moon Zappa
.
When the lines get too long and customers are waiting, Joan has been known to rush out with a tray of cupcakes for everyone.
In 1998 Joan's expanded into an adjacent storefront on Third Street, helping to realize Ms. MacNamara's "lifelong dream of opening a gourmet foods marketplace and café." Another major expansion took place in 2007 that helped expand the scope of the company's operations by tripling the floor space of the market. Beside being a market, Joan's is also a full-service restaurant providing table service and take-out
meals for it patrons. Often very busy, Joan's has been described as being reminiscent of some famous New York restaurants, including Zabar's
, Dean & DeLuca
, and Fairway Market
.
Joan's has a full-service cheese counter stocked with artisan cheese
s; a dessert bar with baked goods, an assortment of chocolates and dessert bars; and a prepared food counter where sandwiches are offered along with other ready-to-eat foods, salads and snacks. An assortment of dry goods and refrigerated products are also offered, and Joan's sells gift baskets. The owners travel extensively to source products.
and Time magazine. A Los Angeles Times
review noted that Joan's is the "rare in LA specialty foods store" that "stocks essentials -- salt-cured anchovies sold by the ounce, capers under salt, ricotta cheese, fleur de sel (a specialty sea salt from France), and imported De Cecco brand pasta" and "a small selection of carefully chosen cheeses, such as locally made burrata, English Cotswold, or a truffle-infused Boschetto."
lists Joan's as a Top Bakery in the US and the customer reviews posted on the website are mostly positive, with one poster calling Joan's offerings "fun and delicious, albeit expensive, snacks, cheeses, etc."; however a couple of other commentators stated it is "overrated" and "overpriced".
Other customer criticisms center around customer service, the order taking system, food quality, price and value.
The Los Angeles Daily News Food Editor on LA.com noted the crowded conditions in Joan's and warned that "At busy times, it can be difficult to snag a table - and the frenetic pace and wait to order at the counter may not appeal to some. Parking is sometimes difficult to come by."
The Metromix website also explained "The seating is limited, and even if you do score a table, you'll spend a lot of the meal being bumped by take-out patrons."
s who live in the southlands of California. Writing for The New York Times
, Moon Zappa
described Joan's on Third as her favorite Los Angeles eatery. The restaurant is also a favorite of Jake Gyllenhall, who has been seen dining there with ex-girlfriend Kirsten Dunst
.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Joan's is situated in an area popular with Angelinos for its eating and shopping establishments, located between the Beverly Center on La Cienega Boulevard
La Cienega Boulevard
La Cienega Boulevard is a major, well-known north–south arterial road that runs between El Segundo Boulevard in El Segundo, California on the south and the Sunset Strip/Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood....
and Farmer's Market at the Grove
Farmers Market (Los Angeles)
The Farmers Market is an area of food stalls, sit-down eateries, prepared food vendors, and produce markets in Los Angeles, USA. It also a historic Los Angeles landmark and tourist attraction, first opened in July 1934...
on Fairfax Avenue
Fairfax Avenue
Fairfax Avenue is a street on north central Los Angeles, California. It runs from La Cienega Boulevard with Culver City at its southern end to Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood on its northern end.Fairfax Avenue forms the western boundary of Hancock Park as well as Park La Brea, an 160 acre ,...
.
A family business owned and operated by chef Joan McNamara and her children, Joan's started out as a catering operation running out of a storefront on Third St. As demand grew, McNamara expanded her business to include a small café and marketplace. The store tripled its size after a decade of operation, and the restaurant now includes a full menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The shop in the same space sells artisan cheeses, prepared foods, baked goods, desserts and non-perishables.
Its popularity and success has grown on the strength of its products and good reviews in multiple publications and media outlets. It also has a reputation as a hip gathering spot frequented by Hollywood celebrities and foodies, such as Robert Duvall
Robert Duvall
Robert Selden Duvall is an American actor and director. He has won an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and a BAFTA over the course of his career....
, Jake Gyllenhall and Moon Zappa
Moon Zappa
Moon Unit Zappa is an American actress, musician and author. She goes by the name Moon Zappa; "Unit" is her middle name.-Personal life:...
.
When the lines get too long and customers are waiting, Joan has been known to rush out with a tray of cupcakes for everyone.
History
Joan McNamara, namesake of Joan's, is a chef originally from New York, where she ran a cooking school and her own restaurant before moving to L.A. She opened Joan's in 1995 as a catering company located in a storefront on West Third St. Joan's two daughters, Carol, a graduate of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, and Susie, an alumna of the Georgetown University School of Business, also help run the business. San Francisco chef Chester Hastings came to work at the store in 1997 and eventually married Susie McNamara.In 1998 Joan's expanded into an adjacent storefront on Third Street, helping to realize Ms. MacNamara's "lifelong dream of opening a gourmet foods marketplace and café." Another major expansion took place in 2007 that helped expand the scope of the company's operations by tripling the floor space of the market. Beside being a market, Joan's is also a full-service restaurant providing table service and take-out
Take-out
Take-out or takeout , carry-out , take-away , parcel , or tapau , is food purchased at a...
meals for it patrons. Often very busy, Joan's has been described as being reminiscent of some famous New York restaurants, including Zabar's
Zabar's
Zabar's is a specialty food store at 2245 Broadway and 80th Street, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, founded by Louis Zabar. It is one of the best known commercial landmarks of the neighborhood, and is known for its selection of bagels, smoked fish, olives, and cheeses...
, Dean & DeLuca
Dean & DeLuca
Dean & DeLuca is a chain of upscale grocery stores. The first one was established in New York City's SoHo district by Joel Dean, Giorgio DeLuca and Jack Ceglic in September 1977. It is headquartered in Wichita, Kansas.-Locations:...
, and Fairway Market
Fairway Market
Fairway Market is a grocery chain. It is one of the United States' highest grossing food retailers per square foot with 14 million customers per year. It was founded in the early 1930s. The stores are known for vast selections of fresh products and every day groceries at a good value. The Fairway...
.
Joan's has a full-service cheese counter stocked with artisan cheese
Artisan cheese
Artisan cheese is manufactured by hand using the traditional craftsmanship of skilled cheesemakers. As a result the cheeses are often more complex in taste and variety. Many are aged and ripened to achieve certain aesthetics...
s; a dessert bar with baked goods, an assortment of chocolates and dessert bars; and a prepared food counter where sandwiches are offered along with other ready-to-eat foods, salads and snacks. An assortment of dry goods and refrigerated products are also offered, and Joan's sells gift baskets. The owners travel extensively to source products.
Reviews
The restaurant has generally been given favorable reviews in several publications and news outlets, including the New York Times, CNNCNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and Time magazine. A Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
review noted that Joan's is the "rare in LA specialty foods store" that "stocks essentials -- salt-cured anchovies sold by the ounce, capers under salt, ricotta cheese, fleur de sel (a specialty sea salt from France), and imported De Cecco brand pasta" and "a small selection of carefully chosen cheeses, such as locally made burrata, English Cotswold, or a truffle-infused Boschetto."
Criticism
While the Los Angeles Times reviewer stated that the food was "above average", she also noted that "It [the restaurant] is somewhat disorganized. When there's a rush (i.e., more than a handful of customers), the servers behind the counter can sometimes get flustered, and it seems to take longer than it should to put together an order." The Zagat SurveyZagat Survey
Zagat Survey was established by Tim and Nina Zagat in 1979 as a way to collect and correlate the ratings of restaurants by diners. For their first guide, covering New York City, the Zagats surveyed their friends. As of 2005, the Zagat Survey included 70 cities, with reviews based on the input of...
lists Joan's as a Top Bakery in the US and the customer reviews posted on the website are mostly positive, with one poster calling Joan's offerings "fun and delicious, albeit expensive, snacks, cheeses, etc."; however a couple of other commentators stated it is "overrated" and "overpriced".
Other customer criticisms center around customer service, the order taking system, food quality, price and value.
The Los Angeles Daily News Food Editor on LA.com noted the crowded conditions in Joan's and warned that "At busy times, it can be difficult to snag a table - and the frenetic pace and wait to order at the counter may not appeal to some. Parking is sometimes difficult to come by."
The Metromix website also explained "The seating is limited, and even if you do score a table, you'll spend a lot of the meal being bumped by take-out patrons."
Celebrities
The company has been noted as being popular among several celebrities and gourmandGourmand
A gourmand is a person who takes great pleasure in food. The word has different connotations from the similar word gourmet, which emphasises an individual with a highly refined discerning palate, but in practice the two terms are closely linked, as both imply the enjoyment of good food.An older...
s who live in the southlands of California. Writing for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Moon Zappa
Moon Zappa
Moon Unit Zappa is an American actress, musician and author. She goes by the name Moon Zappa; "Unit" is her middle name.-Personal life:...
described Joan's on Third as her favorite Los Angeles eatery. The restaurant is also a favorite of Jake Gyllenhall, who has been seen dining there with ex-girlfriend Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Caroline Dunst is an American actress, singer and model. She made her film debut in Oedipus Wrecks, a short film directed by Woody Allen for the anthology New York Stories...
.
See also
- Bristol FarmsBristol FarmsBristol Farms Inc. is an upscale grocery store chain in California, United States. Founded in Los Angeles County, Bristol Farms operates fourteen stores, twelve in Southern California, and one in San Francisco. The fourteenth store operates as Lazy Acres Market in Santa Barbara...
- Whole Foods MarketWhole Foods MarketWhole Foods Market is a foods supermarket chain based in Austin, Texas which emphasizes "natural and organic products." The company has been ranked among the most socially responsible businesses and placed third on the U.S...
- La Brea BakeryLa Brea BakeryLa Brea Bakery is a retail bakery, restaurant operator, and an industrial baking company started in Los Angeles, California. Since opening its flagship store on La Brea Avenue in 1989, La Brea has opened two much larger bakeries in Van Nuys, California, and Swedesboro, New Jersey, to serve...
- The Grove's Farmer's MarketFarmers Market (Los Angeles)The Farmers Market is an area of food stalls, sit-down eateries, prepared food vendors, and produce markets in Los Angeles, USA. It also a historic Los Angeles landmark and tourist attraction, first opened in July 1934...