Village Faire

Clara Opens in Carlsbad With Cocktails and Coastal Cuisine | Eater San Diego

"I found Clara just a block from the ocean in Carlsbad at the Village Faire shopping center; the newly remodeled 2,000-square-foot restaurant and bar, styled by local graphic designer Jess Hicks, includes two outdoor patios and a nine-seat bar that serves as the centerpiece of the dining room. Open now from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. with lunch and weekend brunch launching next month, the kitchen—led by Alex Carballo (Moto Deli, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens)—focuses on seasonally specific California cuisine with an emphasis on vegetable-based dishes such as fire roasted asparagus with lemon caper sauce and balsamic pearls, chile arbol-braised cauliflower tacos, and lettuce wraps filled with lemongrass tofu and mushrooms in a tamarind sweet chili glaze. Housemade flatbreads also highlight vegetables, from a beet crust topped with creamy dijon goat cheese sauce, sliced beets, arugula, sliced almonds, and honey drizzle to a ricotta- and mozzarella-topped dough with sliced zucchini and red pepper flakes. Heftier entrees include sous-vide lemon herb chicken served with sweet potato hash, cipollini, zucchini, tomato and chicken demi-glace, and scallops with sunchoke purée, asparagus fennel salad, and tarragon vinaigrette. Behind the bar, Seth Marquez (Campfire, Sycamore Den) offers a cocktail list of sessionable, low-ABV drinks that incorporate locally grown produce as well as liqueurs, fortified wines, and sherries, with several cocktails designed to be shareable and served in a classic porrón or Spanish wine pitcher." - Candice Woo