To close out 2018, we asked over 40 top local restaurateurs for their favorite spot in San Diego. The most common name on their list was Campfire, the wood-fire-themed Carlsbad project from general manager John Resnick, chef Andrew Bachelier, and bar manager Leigh Lacap.
Jeune et Jolie is the second project from that team, a warmly lit midcentury modern French bistro designed by LA’s Bells + Whistles, the firm that also worked its magic at Campfire, Sycamore Den, and Starlite. The food is nouvelle cuisine (a lighter alternative to cream-based French), with everything from rabbit sausage to sunflower-miso eggplant, plus some pan-global inspirations (Caribbean, Vietnamese, African, etc.).
The raw bar’s got crab legs and oysters, and a “Carte Blanche” tasting menu will feature whatever’s fresh from local fishermen, farmers, and food haulers. Once-sleepy Carlsbad is currently doing wind sprints through our little food world.
2659 State Street, Carlsbad lejeuneetjolie
Photo by Paul Body