Restaurateur John Resnick and chef Eric Bost will open Lilo on April 17 in Carlsbad, Calif., occupying a former boogie board factory in a town with their other restaurants.
Lilo, which is the Hawaiian word for “one who is generous,” will be in Carlsbad Village in North County San Diego.
The 22-seat restaurant will feature dishes from coastal regions throughout the world.
It will join Resnick and Bost’s other restaurants in Carlsbad, which include Campfire, Jeune et Jolie, Sister Spot and Wildland, which opened in December 2024.
Lilo will be housed in the same building as the casual all-day Wildland — a former boogie board factory.
It will feature a 12-course tasting menu that combines Bost’s fine-dining background at Alain Ducasse and Guy Savoy with the terroir and spirit of the California Coast. The tasting menu begins at $265, plus tax, gratuity, and optional beverage pairings.
Lilo’s menu preparation is assisted by chef de cuisine Dusan Todic (Jeune et Jolie) and pastry chef Madeline Biehl (SingleThread).
While Lilo’s tasting menu will evolve with the seasons, customers can expect to start the dining experience with a selection of canapés, such as the Tartlet of Spring Peas charred in the hearth and served with fresh cheese, egg yolk jam, shiso flower, and Osetra caviar, and a Gougère Waffle with 24-month-aged compté, maple, and lardo.
Other planned dishes include squab with burned vanilla oil, green juniper, and laminated brioche, or courses that feature in-house, dry-aged elements like dry-aged wild turbot cooked on the bone, with a sabayon of pineau de charentes, coffee oil, and a sauce of fermented white asparagus, lemongrass, and koji.
Lilo’s wine director is Savannah Riedler (Saison), and the beverage director is Andrew Cordero (Jeune et Jolie, Campfire, Wildland).
The restaurant’s design was executed by Bells + Whistles, a Los Angeles-based interior design studio. The 14-seat chef’s counter and two chef’s tables enveloping the open kitchen are crafted from oak and quartzite, with accessible heights that allow guests to experience the interactive elements of Lilo.
Lilo, at 2571 Roosevelt St. in Carlsbad, will be open Tuesday to Saturday, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. PDT.
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