Jeune et Jolie earned a Michelin star in 2021 and has maintained it ever since.
CARLSBAD, Calif — The meaning behind the French name “Jeune et Jolie” is right as you walk in the door.
Chef Eric Bost is the culinary architect behind the beautiful restaurant, and his food is exquisite.
The first dish he brings out is their version of a Croque Madame. It’s made up of brioche, béchamel, ibérico ham, Kaluga Queen Caviar and a touch of shiso blossoms.
The crisp and buttery taste of the brioche is delicious paired with the savory flavor of the caviar.
“It’s a riff on a classic bistro dish. We just want to make it slightly elevated. It’s definitely a celebratory dish,” said Chef Bost.
There are French touches in the interior design, from the artwork to the rose-colored booths. The reel-to-reel near the bar plays French music.
“It fit the vibe. It’s cool. They sound great,” said Chef Bost.
He’s originally from North Carolina. He’s worked in prestigious kitchens all over the world, from Singapore to New York City to Paris.
“It was going to be a challenge, right? An American going into France to cook,” he said.
“Some people were nice. Some people were not so nice. But part of that, I think, that builds the ability to like [say], ‘You have to make a decision.’ You have to believe in what you do, because people are going to challenge you all the time,” he added.
“I really fell in love with the style of eating [in Paris.] I really fell in love with the savoir faire of the French. Simple things like baguettes, bread, making cheese. When you go shopping and you’re in Paris, you go to the butcher for meat, you go to the fromagerie to get cheese,” said Chef Bost.
The second dish he brings out blew me away. Soup of chilled English Peas served with poached scallops and a bit of fermented white asparagus. The texture of the vegetables and the complexity of the broth was so delicious, I didn’t want the dish to end.
Jeune et Jolie is just one of four restaurants Chef Bost leads. Campfire focuses on food cooked over wood, while Wildland is a brand-new all-day restaurant bar and bakery.
Lilo is the brand new concept scheduled to open on April 17.
“This one is meant to be a very immersive chef’s counter. 40 guests a night. There’s 22 seats. You’re there, hopefully to kind of have great conversation and engage with the team,” said Chef Bost.
He does his best to balance work and family. He and his wife have a 13-year-old son.
“My son, he goes to French school in La Jolla, and I live in North County, and so my 40-minute drive in the morning is the time for us to kind of bond and talk and catch up and listen to music or do whatever,” he said.
The last dish I try is a Sea Bass with a sauce of vanilla and warm spices. The combination of sweet and savory is delicious. The crispness on the top of the fish makes it even more special.
Chef Bost’s journey in the culinary world began when he was young. His grandparents had a steakhouse and a seafood restaurant.
“I kind of grew up in the kitchen, wrapping baked potatoes with aluminum foil and just being around sort of the energy of it,” he said.
He ended up steering away from the kitchen to study business management. But the kitchen kept calling him back.
However, the road to success hasn’t always been easy.
In 2019, Chef Bost opened Auburn in Los Angeles. It earned a James Beard Award and was named one of the best new restaurants in America. Yet, it didn’t survive the pandemic.
“More for me, was like the people, the people who had joined the team, that trusted what we would do, they gave, like, so much effort,” he said. “[The restaurant] didn’t exist anymore. And that whole time, everything was up in the air, but it was really, really difficult.”
He took the lessons he learned and kept moving forward.
In 2021, Jeune et Jolie earned a coveted Michelin star. It’s kept it ever since.
“It was a huge celebration,” he said.
“We can’t really slow down. We always have to be curious. We always have to keep evolving and doing better than the year before,” he added.
