Happy Birthday!

Joe’s Turns 20 on Abbot-Kinney

Joe Miller
Joe Miller Photo: Joe’s

Abbot-Kinney was a different animal back in 1991, when Joe Miller, a veteran of L’Orangerie and Patina, opened a 60-seat French-Californian restaurant named Joe’s. 20 years later, Miller’s place, now expanded, is celebrating an impressive two-decade birthday with Miller standing as a chieftain of sorts among the restaurants on Abbot-Kinney. While the kitchen at Joe’s is currently headed up by Kris Tominaga, we were awed to consider just how many great culinary talents in L.A. have passed through Joe’s in the past two decades.

Looking at a long list of notable names Miller sends our way, our minds are staggered. Local chefs like Josiah Citrin and his pal Raphael Lunetta, Bouchon’s Rory Herrmann, Jason Travi, Lazy Ox chef Joseph Centeno, Michael Bryant, Andrew Kirschner, Joshua Gil, and Mark Gold have all done time at Joe’s, while Dan Barber, Trey Foshee, Philip Wojtowicz, Jason Knibb, and Tim Cushman are also alums of the Venice restaurant. Whew! Like Spago, Patina, and Campanile, Joe’s sounds like a proven launch pad for talented chefs’ careers in L.A.

To celebrate the big 2-0 (Miller thinks another ten could be in store, by the way), Joe’s plans to offer a $20 lunch special starting September 20th and stretching Tuesdays through Fridays to October 5th. The three-course menu will include Miller’s local produce-driven plates, a free glass of wine for Facebook fans, and a free amuse of Tominaga’s choosing. At dinner, a four-course pre-fixe will last from September 20th to 30th, with an included beverage and a nightly toast.

Happy Birthday, Joe’s!

Joe’s Turns 20 on Abbot-Kinney