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Joan’s on Third is now open in Studio City

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Joan’s on Third, the popular Los Angeles marketplace and cafe that Joan McNamara opened as a small catering kitchen on West 3rd Street 16 years ago, has debuted its second location.

The Studio City Joan’s, located in a former post office on Ventura Place, opened Monday to eager customers who wandered the 4,000-square-foot space in a giddy daze.

When entering the new Joan’s On Third, you’ll see a colorful candy cart to the left, pastries to the right and a generous cheese and charcuterie case straight ahead. There’s a well-stocked refrigerated section filled with take-home ingredients (including sauces and pickles), and a deli counter packed with prepared dishes for eating in or taking out.

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One of the walls is lined with exact replicas of the shelves at the original Joan’s on Third, which came from an 18th century convent in Albany, N.Y. The space shares other design elements with the original: penny tiles, white wainscoting, black trim, marble-topped counters and -- at the heart of the bright, airy cafe -- an open kitchen.

You’ll also find all of McNamara’s menu standbys: three-cheese macaroni (her mother’s recipe), omelets, chicken cutlets, Nutella pound cake and more.

McNamara and her daughters Susie and Carol were on hand to welcome diners to the Studio City marketplace. By 1 p.m., there was a long line at the deli counter (it moved quickly) and the communal tables were filled with families. A couple sipped wine on the patio out front (you can order by the glass) and shared the ficelle (thin baguette) sandwich made with fromage d’affinois and apricot glazed ham, which are neatly wrapped and ready to go.

Just like the original Joan’s, the Studio City spot offers seasonal and holiday catering, gifts (cookbooks and McNamara’s culinary finds fill most of one wall) and customized gourmet gift baskets.

Joan’s On Third, 12059 Ventura Place, Studio City, (818) 201-3900, www.joansonthird.com.

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