Early this morning I sat outside at the new Joan’s on Third waiting for an electrical storm to begin. I made sure to get a table under the thick awning to avoid any sudden downpour. Located in Santa Monica, this new Joan’s is at the corner of Ocean Avenue and Pacific, directly across from the Lowes Hotel. With its signature cow and pristine black and white design, rows of soft drinks, juices, exotic candies, and fresh-baked croissants and French muffins, at first glance it lives up to its reputation.
The menu is westside spectacular: breakfast varies from eggs benedict to steel-cut oatmeal with an assortment of fruit. I recommend the Honey Girl special: an egg white omelet with spinach, jack cheese, and grilled onions. Just make sure you check your teeth after you eat the spinach because Joan’s does not skimp on any ingredients.
Trust me, Joan’s on Third is going to be a real crowd pleaser, not only because of its food and location, which on the second day has already attracted the Brentwood Mart crowd with their oversized sunhats and Calypso white pants, tourists in t-shirts, and Venice locals tattooed to the bone. It’s the ultimate meeting spot complete with communal seating, counters with views, small tables for intimate dining, and a Parisian wraparound patio that will thrill all you people-watchers out there. It’s got the urban flow of the new Santa Monica. Foot traffic on this hip corner is no longer for guys in hard hats carrying giant lunch pails. It will now cater to all who want a delicious breakfast on the pricey side.
This section of Santa Monica is changing, although shiny Priuses and electric cars still occupy every parking space around Joan’s. But fear not fellow drivers, Joan’s supplies parking and validation.
What impressed me most about Joan’s on Third were the number of people who introduced themselves, not only to the staff, but to each other, as though new friendships were being born—a new community forming before my very eyes. I met Jennifer who runs the cash register, then Joey, Juan, and John. “Do you have to have a ‘J’ name to work here?” I asked. “I sure hope not,” Carlos chuckled.
There was no thunder or lightening this morning, but a man-made storm did settle in. Shockingly, when I drove through the neighborhood again, less than two hours later, directly across from Joan’s was a five-story, fully-operating crane – the gigantic type that rebuilt the 405 – and the men in orange were back, digging a hole the size of a football stadium. It sounded like Armageddon, and folks, that’s the Catch 22 of living in Santa Monica these days. One minute it’s a communal celebration, the next, it’s a demolition zone that citizens like you and me need a union card to enter. The only good note I can leave this commentary with is that the crane got there in less than two hours, and hopefully will leave just as quickly so we can all enjoy Joan’s on Third together.