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Tacos are a particularly strong section of the menu, where one can pick and choose from nicely charred carne asada or octopus, fried fish, braised pork, or chili-spiced birria with beefy consommé for dipping. e latter protein is also stuffed into shareable chimichanga-bite appetizers and served in a bowl with beans and salsa macha. But the best of the bunch — and maybe the entire menu — are pollo doradito tacos stuffed with shredded chicken, lettuce, crema, and smoked cotija cheese. ey're balanced and bursting with a flavor that tastes like home. Of course, Nómada isn't a residence but a restaurant, one looking to provide a getaway to its patrons, particularly those who call inland Carlsbad home. Judging by the voluminous, friendly buzz and the lack of empty seats, they have done a good job luring early adopters in with a solid menu — not only food, but also a creative cocktail list (a floral pisco sour incorporating macadamia-nut orgeat and Amargo Chuncho Peruvian bitters is incredibly delicious) — in addition to weekend brunches and entertainment Friday and Saturday evenings. e first two items on Nómada's menu set the tone for what follows. Bolillo rolls — the make-or-break factor for any torta — are baked fresh in the restaurant's wood-fire oven (a vessel that tops out between 900 and 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit) and served with jalapeño honey butter. Meanwhile, the house guacamole (a recommended add-on to complimentary chips and roasted- tomato salsa) consists of just four ingredients: avocado, salt, lime, and cilantro. It's real, and like many of Carballo's dishes, evocative of food prepared in a domestic environment. An entrée of cochinita pibil sees pork shoulder marinated for 24 hours, then wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked for 10 hours. e soft and scrumptious meat is served with tortillas, charred chayote squash, pickled vegetables, and salsa macha. Rich and toasty, a little of the latter goes a long way. Similarly homey is wood-fired chicken served in a smoky, chocolatey Oaxacan-style mole. at sauce also accompanies a trio of duck confit tacos (a reimagined version of a dish Carballo made popular during his half-decade helming Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens) with indigo-hued tortillas made with corn from Chiapas. Indulge dining << ranchandcoast.com 56 APRIL 2026 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE