“We felt that Carlsbad and North County could use an approachable bakery place where you can get delicious things any time of day,” says executive chef and partner Eric Bost. Nearly 200 seats span indoor and outdoor areas, and soaring 30-foot ceilings give the space an airy feel. A bakery case greets guests at the entrance, often with a line before opening, especially on weekends. Laminated pastries headline the selection, joined by coffee cake, lemon bundt cake, baguettes, and beignets. The coffee program is equally strong, featuring locally roasted beans from Steady State Roasting, housemade syrups, and loose-leaf tea from La Jolla’s Paru Tea. The bakery also produces bread for sister restaurant Jeune et Jolie, while Lilo next door uses its proofing chamber, laminator, and ovens.
Head baker James Belisle works with Bost to make specific types of bread for sandwiches that he and chef de cuisine Kaitlin Smith are working on. “It’s very cool to be able to have conersations with James directly, and talk about what kind of flour do we want? Not just looking at what’s available to us, but what we can create,” Bost says.
Breakfast and lunch are walk-in only. With fast Wi-Fi, Wildland doubles as a weekday co-working space, hosting colleagues over coffee and pastries or client meetings that stretch into lunch. Dinner accepts reservations while still welcoming walk-ins. “It’s built for the community and we want to meet people where they are at,” Bost says. Wildland can also host the largest groups of any of Bost’s Carlsbad restaurants, including a private dining room for 18. The space feels lived in and comfortable, yet beautifully curated with handmade tiles and colorful accents.
For lunch and dinner, highlights include rotisserie, pizza, and pasta. A best-seller is the little gem salad, a relic from Auburn, Bost’s former Los Angeles restaurant. This version features green goddess dressing with basil, shaved raw turnips, housemade bread crumbs, toasted seeds, and lemon juice.
Rotisserie chicken is another staple. “It is its own program,” Bost says. “We brine the breast but not the legs. We try to perfect the cook and flavoring on all of it.” Guests can order a half or whole bird to go, or enjoy the chicken plate with hummus, bread, and pickled market vegetables.
If you can only try one pasta, order the malfadine. Freshly extruded noodles soak up a tomato butter sauce finished with marjoram, oregano, tomato vinegar, and sweet-and-sour tomato paste. “It feels super approachable, but on the other hand is something interesting and new and people gravitate towards that,” Bost says.
Pizzas are baked in a wood-fired oven, using a high-hydration sourdough fermented for 36 hours. Wildland partners with Los Angeles–based Gioia Cheese for stracciatella, burrata, and mozzarella delivered three times a week.
“All the restaurants hopefully feel like they’re coming from the same crew,” Bost says. “We’re working with most of the same suppliers and purveyors across all four restaurants, trying to find the best things we can while supporting the local economy.”
