Lilo Review: How a Carlsbad Stunner Earned a Michelin Star Just 10 Weeks After Opening | Eater San Diego

"Michelin-starred just 10 weeks after opening, this is chef Eric Bost’s most ambitious project to date: an intimate, 22-seat, dozen-course tasting that unfolds in just under three hours. The $265 menu goes heavy on seafood from both coasts and favors familiar flavors with clever twists—like a Maine lobster tail paired with Mission figs, dried chiles, and expertly laminated brioche for sopping. A dainty quenelle of orgeat ice cream topped with an even daintier quenelle of kaluga caviar has been on since day one, drizzled with almond oil and, for $60 more, shaved Italian white truffles when in season; the dish is memorable with or without the splurge. A small selection of a la carte aperitifs and bubbles accompanies a parade of amuse-bouche served on the patio, and dinner can be paired four ways: traditional ($190), Champagne ($290), non-alcoholic ($110), or hybrid ($165) with wine, sake, and enchanting, booze-free elixirs—the zero-proof options are worth exploring, with cherry-spiked chilled coffee alongside the Maine lobster proving phenomenal. San Diego’s laidback energy echoes inside: the horseshoe-shaped chef’s counter gives every diner front row seats to the open kitchen, a lo-fi sound system pumps out upbeat Gen X tunes like The Cure, and cooks deliver each course, spoon sauces, arrange garnishes, and engage in as much or as little conversation as diners desire." - Cathy Chaplin