Finding France on 190th Street

Ever since we got back from our last trip to France (April, 2016) we have been searching for an authentic baguette.  La Brea and Il Fournier disappointed - 'way too dense a texture; we rolled around Culver City for hours looking for the bakery Siri Smartphone lied about - "only a five minute walk away!"   Frankly I had quietly given up.  Different water?  Different flour?  Qui connais? 

And then in the most unexpected place ... luck popped up.  Back story - I'd asked our France-born French teacher where we could find le vrais chose and she nattered something about "John's Inglewood."  Since we haven't lost anything in Inglewood, that was that.

On the way home from an errand, Richie said, "I want to run into that supermarket on 190th for dinner meat."  Fine by me.  I vaguely remembered it from the last supermarket strike.  Richie had flatly refused to cross a picket line. 

As we pulled in I saw the marque "Jon's" - next clue - it's ON 190th but off of Inglewood Avenue.  Could this be ....

Yes!  a big basket holding an array of baguettes vertically!  I gently squeezed one - YES!  Proper texture - slightly crusty exterior and an airy interior that promised the chewy that is more or less the heart and soul of a French baguette!  And - it was still warm from the oven! 

I held it to my body and qvelled.  The loaf is nearly 3 ft. long and sells for $2.69.  Clearly they bake often during the day because as we were heading for checkout, a clerk came out of the back of the deli section carrying a whole basketful more.  This was at about 2:40 p.m. if you want to be there when it's still warm. 

We got home, I cut off the end piece (the best part) buttered it (real butter) and sank down in bliss to devour it.  Richie came upstairs and asked how it was?  I said, "Go ahead and bury me; I've died and gone to heaven."

Today we can have the classic French ham sandwich for lunch - a length of bread, split, buttered with a little bit of Dijon mustard and deli ham.   The bread makes all of the difference.  In fact... (yelling downstairs) "Richie - I'm gonna have lunch now"  "What?  Yeah, I know it's 9:30."

Jon's Market - 4848 W. 190th Street, Torrance   424-282-2034