Short Rib Sandwich at Joan’s on Third:

A few months ago this beauty of a short rib sandwich from Joan’s On Third graced the cover of Bon Appetit. It was amazing how the cover jumped out at you on newsstands. I was in Joan’s the other day and they have a blown up version of the cover hanging above there deli case. I don’t eat a lot of sandwiches but I couldn’t ignore the cover any longer. I got one sandwich and a side salad.

-Short Rib with Melted Jack Cheese, Arugula, and Sweet Red Onions on Country White Bread: The combination of short ribs and jack cheese melts in your mouth as grease oozes down your hands. The onions flavor get lost in the grease and the arugula might as well not be on there. While I enjoyed the sandwich I kept thinking it needed an extra kick. I think the key ingredient to any grilled cheese is dijon mustard. If Joan’s balks at putting a sandwich spread on this thing then even sharp cheddar would have provided more bite. I don’t think this was good enough to represent Los Angeles sandwiches on the cover of a nationally distributed food magazine.

-Butternut Squash, Red Onion, Red Chile Flakes, and Lemon Yogurt Sauce: This was the jump. Moved into my top five of favorite non lettuce salads. A little spicy and a little creamy with the yogurt and perfectly prepared butternut squash. Unlike the sandwich above the red onions natural flavor shone through. Well done Joan.