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LILO: PHOTO BY ELODIE BOST ANANDA BAREÑO: PHOTO BY JAMES TRAN LITTLE VICTORY WINE BAR: PHOTO BY KIMBERLY MOTOS What's New La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, home to The Marine Room and La Jolla Shores Hotel & Restaurant, has appointed Executive Chef Ananda Bareño to lead culinary programming at the beachfront resort. Bringing experience from top kitchens in Europe, South America, and the Middle East, as well as at Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas, Bareño now works alongside Director of Food & Beverage Amanda Cohen to oversee the development of the property's dining concepts. New menu offerings include Tasmanian Ocean Trout with coconut salsa macha and cassis chayote; Rose Snapper with piperade and garden sorrel sauce; and a refined caviar service, featuring the "Perfect Caviar Bite" and a curated tasting of estate, reserve, and select roe. Lilo is the latest dining destination in SoCal from restaurateur John Resnick and Chef Eric Bost. Located along a vibrant stretch in Carlsbad Village where the duo also own and operate Campfire, Wildland, and the Michelin-starred Jeune et Jolie, Lilo is housed in the same building as Wildland, a former boogie board factory. The intimate, 22-seat restaurant offers a soulful 12-course tasting menu that traverses global seaside regions from California and beyond. Chef Bost combines his extensive fine dining background (having worked with Alain Ducasse and Guy Savoy) with the terroir of the California Coast, while enlisted Chef de Cuisine Dusan Todic (Jeune et Jolie) and Pastry Chef Madeline Biehl (SingleThread) help to bring Lilo's vision to life. Guests encircle an inviting open kitchen, which also allows for a sense of interactivity between diners and chefs. Helmed by husband-and-wife owners Jeremy Simpson and Kirsten Potenza, Little Victory Wine Bar has debuted nearby on State Street in Carlsbad Village. Simpson worked alongside Chef Ori Menashe at Los Angeles landmark Bestia, where he served as bar manager when the Italian eatery garnered James Beard Award Nominations for "Best Chef "and "Best Restaurant." More recently, he served as beverage director at Jeune et Jolie and Campfire. With Little Victory Wine Bar, Simpson offers a beverage program emphasizing hospitality and high quality within a warm space. Potenza, an international wellness entrepreneur, conceptualized every element of the bar's aesthetic, collaborating with hospitality designer Ashley Hohmann and Workshop Valentino to bring a handcrafted intimacy to the space through custom millwork, furnishings, and vintage finds. Culinary direction is led by chefs Elliott and Kelly Townsend, another accomplished husband-and-wife duo whose culinary philosophy blends the sustainability ethos of the New Nordic movement with the agricultural bounty of Southern California. New, Now, Next With recent restaurant debuts and tasting events to fill your culinary calendar, San Diego's food landscape is more exciting than ever BY MIA PARK Executive Chef Ananda Bareño Lilo Little Victory Wine Bar ranchandcoast.com 54 JUNE 2025 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE