PRESENTED BY

Vets from Juniper & Ivy and Jeune et Jolie Open Little Victory in Carlsbad

A Bestia-trained sommelier and a San Diego chef team up to open the Carlsbad's newest wine bar

By Jackie Bryant May 22, 2025

Vets from Juniper & Ivy and Jeune et Jolie Open Little Victory in Carlsbad — Photo Credit: Kimberly Motos

NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDES Know the Neighborhood Where to eat, where to drink, and what it's like to live there. EXPLORE THE GUIDES

In this week’s episode of Happy Half Hour, co-hosts Troy Johnson and Jackie Bryant raise a glass to Carlsbad’s buzziest new opening: Little Victory Wine Bar. co-owners Jeremy Simpson, a natty wine obsessive with a pedigree from LA’s Bestia; and Elliott Townsend, a hyper-local chef known for the pop-up Long Story Short; join the show to talk fermentation, formation, and forging a dream. The duo—half of a husband-and-wife Voltron of culinary minds—built a spot where natural wine and soulful, seasonal cooking meet with zero pretension. Natural wine gets demystified, tinned fish get love, and the team shares what it really takes to build a restaurant rooted in connection.

About Jackie Bryant

Jackie is a long-time freelance journalist covering cannabis, food/restaurants, travel, labor, wine, spirits, arts & culture, design, and other topics. Her work has been selected twice for Best American Travel Writing, and she has won a variety of national and local awards for her writing and reporting.

See profile