I just realized that every time I write about a restaurant lately, it is because I had to go shopping. But ... I'm not kidding when I say I hate shopping, and the best way to get me to go shopping is to promise me food, and/or a cocktail.
At the end of July, we are going to Italy. Cinque Terre to be exact. Which means it is time to start preparing for travel. So on Saturday, we took a walk down to Flight 001 so that J. could search for travel merchandise. In order to get me excited about this, I was promised a trip to The Cook's Library and, most importantly, to Joan's on Third.
At the Cook's Library, I purchased Molecular Gastronomy, by Hervé This, which I found to my delight also happened to be signed by the author. Mr. This is the only person to have a degree in molecular gastronomy and write the first essays on the subject. The book covers the whys and wherefores of food. These are the books I read, rather than cookbooks, because I think if you can understand why food does things, then you're most of the way to knowing how to cook.
And then we got to eat at Joan's. Joans is great. Fresh sandwiches, salads, entrees, desserts, sorbets, cheeses, and a small gourmet market to boot. The only downside is the crowds that fill up the small space to claustrophobic, but Joan's is expanding! They have the space next door now and hopefully it will be a lot easier to maneuver in there from now on.
I got the trio of salads, for which I picked out the corn and black bean salad, a pasta salad with baby cauliflower, and a fruit salad. All were delicious. The corn and bean had a smoky, spicy southwestern-type sauce, while the pasta and baby cauliflower came with pine nuts and mozzarella chunks, for a mellower bite, and then finally the fruit salad for a sweet and juicy finish. J. had the chinese chicken salad, which, according to him, had some kind of amazingly delicious, tender and juicy chicken for a salad.
And by the time I was done, the approximately one million years I had to spend in the travel store was forgotten (minus the fascinating two minutes I spent staring at the travel herb & spice kit, that had tiny vials of all kinds of herbs and spices plus a little Tabasco and packet of soy sauce. Awesome) and I was ready to make the walk home.
Joan's on Third
8350 W. Third St.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
323-655-2285
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