Wildland and a Revisit to Sleeping Tiger Coffee (Carlsbad)

Between all our Road Trips, we've taking JJ out to "explore" a bit. On one fine morning, we decided to head up to Carlsbad. We had enjoyed Jeune Et Jolie so much, that when the team behind that restaurant opened a breakfast-brunch-bakery we really wanted to try it out. I had read that dogs were allowed on the patio area, so we decided to head on up.

We easily found parking on State Street and when we passed Wildland, it wasn't very busy at all. So we took JJ on over for a walk thru the village and along Carlsbad Boulevard.

But first, we decided t get our caffeine fix at a familiar locale, Sleeping Tiger Coffee inside of Witch Creek Winery. The two tables fronting Carlsbad Boulevard were empty, so the Missus sat with J, while I went in and ordered us a Tanzanian Pour Over and a cold brew.

We find it interesting that Starbucks next door is quite busy, while there's no one getting coffee here. 

The Missus enjoys the pour0vers from here and the cold brew is pretty strong and wakes me up.

We sat and relaxed for a bit. We both think the coffee at Sleeping Tiger is much better than the Starbucks next door and wonder why folks aren't supporting a local business with a superior (in our opinion) product.

Meanwhile; JJ was wondering where "All the witches" were?

Sleeping Tiger Coffees (In Witch Creek Winery)
2906 Carlsbad Blvd.
Carlsbad, CA 92008
Current Hours:
Thurs - Mon 7am - 5pm
Tues - Wed   7am - 3pm

Fortified by caffeine we took JJ on a nice stroll along Carlsbad Boulevard overlooking Carlsbad State Beach, finally turning back near lifeguard tower 35. Walking back thru Carlsbad Village and along State, we arrived back at Wildland, which was still not very busy, so we grabbed a table on the patio.

I sat with JJ while the Missus went to peruse the menu.

The Missus decided on the three item Smoked Fish Plate ($18). Meanwhile, my food friend "LL" recommended the Shakshuka ($20), and after a pretty "meh" version at Flora, I was interested in trying this one.

Ordering is done at the counter; you're given a number and your food is brought to you.

The Smoked Fish Plate was quite good. We chose the Smoked Salmon, Olive Oil Poached Yellowtail, and the item that really made this for us; the Hot Smoked Pastrami Kampachi, which was full of smoky-peppery-herbaceous flavors.

Loved the veggies, so fresh, the tomatoes sweetly-fruity-acidic; man, those cucumbers crisp and palate cleansing. The vegetables were excellent. The weak point of the dish was the bread, too chewy, with a hard crust.

As for the Shakshuka.

 

  I thought this was going to be herb overload, but the dill actually complemented the acidic tones of the dish and the celery leaves added a mild "grassiness" to the dish. It seems that the versions in San Diego use za'atar and leave out the cumin and harissa. The eggs were nice and runny, with a hint of smoky-savoriness.

As with the smoked fish plate, the bread was the weak link here, being too chewy and the crust hard. Still, the dish was pretty good overall.

We did enjoy our time at Wildland and will make sure to return for that smoked fish plate and JJ enjoyed visiting Carlsbad.

Wildland
2598 State St.
Carlsbad, CA 92008
Current Hours:
Sun - Thurs 8am - 9pm
Fri - Sat       8am - 10pm

Comments

[Som Tommy]

That smoked fish looks good

[Junichi]

The weather's been beautiful lately. Perfect time for a staycation.

[Kirk]

It was ST!

Yes, it's been so lovely recently Junichi!

[mar]

I also tried the smoked fish platter when I visited and enjoyed it too! My fave was also the "pastrami" kampachi, I had no idea what to expect when I ordered it and was pleasantly surprised.

Had the exact same experience with the bread they served it with. It was way too hard and chewy to bite into, and I struggled to eat it. Wonder if there is a different bread that can be substituted.

Other than that I enjoyed everything else on the plate.

[Kirk]

Yes, that pastrami kampachi was so good Mar! Glad to know we weren't the only one's who thought the bread was subpar.

[kat]

glad everything besides the bread was delicious

[Kirk]

We did enjoy that Smoked Fish Plate Kat!

[LL]

I’ll need to go back to try the smoked fish plate sometime!
We were at another restaurant in Carlsbad recently - Little Victory Wine Bar. They have outdoor seating too!

[Dereck]

That fish platter looks great. My gf is gluten free and we haven't gone there due to that limitation. Maybe we will take some gluten free bread and hit that.

[Kirk]

We really enjoyed the smoked fish plate LL! Thanks for the heads-up on Little Victory....we're thinking of another staycation there!

We thought the smoked fish plate was quite good Dereck! Hope you can try it out!