Park 101 is Carlsbad’s unique spot for community dining, lounging and stylish sipping in the heart of Carlsbad Village. The 8,000-square-foot, multi-level, plaza-style complex offers something for everyone, including kiddos and dogs.
It also has a country western vibe, live music every other Saturday from 5 p.m. to close, and line dancing. Friday through Sunday, you will salivate as you arrive to the smell of El Corral BBQ in the air, featuring pulled pork, tri-tip and St. Louis ribs trimmed and smoked on-premise. Get there early: Once it sells out, you will need to make a future visit to enjoy Park 101’s barbecued delicacies.
Frank and I met with Ben Carroccio, operations manager for Grind and Prosper Hospitality, who is key to the success of four Grind and Prosper restaurants. Carroccio oversaw the opening of Q and A Restaurant & Oyster Bar and its upstairs, rooftop sister concept restaurant, Cococabana, both a few blocks from Oceanside pier.
The other two restaurants he manages are Park 101 and the next-door counter service, The Trap Shack. The Trap Shack’s menu is created by Grind and Prosper’s executive chef, Quinnton Austin, and features his Louisiana Cajun-style chicken tenders, lobster rolls, tacos and more.
It was a great time to visit Park 101 as Carroccio and Grind and Prosper beverage director Rob McShea had us enjoy some of the new dishes created and launched as part of the updated summer menu. Carroccio said, “Rob and I wanted to open the palate of cuisine with our updated menu.”
The new menu has something for everyone and is broken down into the following categories: El Corral BBQ, Salads, Shares, Tacos, Burgers, Between Two Buns, (Gourmet) Sides and a Grom (Kids’) Menu.
Park 101 also has a weekend brunch menu offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, featuring guest favorites: Chilaquiles, Tri-Tip Cali Burrito, Breakfast Sandwich and Chicken N Waffle Sandwich. For craft brew lovers, it has an extensive array of draft beers, including IPAs, lagers and blondes.
Now, for the delicious items that we tried. We started with the Western Burger. This is an 80/20 blend patty, melted cheddar, two bacon strips, onion rings and house-made barbecue sauce. You need to unhinge your jaws like a snake to get a bite of this mouthwatering burger served on a kolache bun.
The house-seasoned fries complete this indulgent burger. We also had the Baja Caesar salad with this first salvo of deliciousness. The Baja Caesar was a bed of romaine lettuce with house-made cowboy caviar, pickled red onions, cherry tomatoes, cotija and sweet heat tortilla strips. Yes, both were flavor explosions of greatness.
Our second salvo was two new specialty hoagies that McShea and Carroccio have worked on over the past several months. Their trials, research and efforts created the Smoked Tri-Tip Philly and the Chicky Chicky Boom Boom.
The Philly hoagie features 6 ounces of smoked tri-tip with sauteed red peppers, onions, garlic and melted cheddar grilled together on a flat top, piled into a toasted kolache bun, and topped with a house-made cheese sauce made from eight different kinds of cheese. Those wanting heat can “make it hot” with pickled jalapeno peppers.
The Chicky Chicky Boom Boom hoagie is chopped grilled chicken, sauteed red peppers, onions, garlic, melted pepper jack, buffalo sauce, Carolina mustard barbecue, ranch and bacon stuffed into a toasted kolache roll and served with house-made seasoned fries.
This, like the Tri-Tip Philly, was also delicious. You will need two trips to Park 101 to figure out which of these is best. In the spirit of the Olympics, they are a photo finish. Let me know which one you like more!
If sitting at the bar and looking for a nibble with a beer, I recommend the tri-tip beef jerky made on-site. The chewy strips of seasoned jerky were perfect with an IPA pint.
You are going to be impressed after trying Park 101, an elevated beach smokehouse. Location? Check. Excellent food? Check. Fair prices? Check. Kid and dog-friendly? Check. Great selection of beers for barbeue, specialty hoagies, burgers and more? Check.
Thank you, Ben and Rob, for sharing Park 101 with us! See more info at park101carlsbad.com.
— Story by Rico Cassoni
Wine Bytes
Vittorios Italian Trattoria hosts a Justin Vineyards Wine Dinner on Thursday, Aug. 29, at 6 p.m. The four-course dinner by Executive Chef Angelo Gijon features lamb loin roast, Yukon mashed potatoes and sauteed green beans paired with 2020 Isosceles as the main course. Cost is $75 per person+tax/gratuity. RSVP at 858-538-5884.
Rico Cassoni is executive producer for Taste of Wine and Food. He and founder/adviser Frank Mangio, a renowned wine connoisseur certified by Wine Spectator, are two of the leading reviewers on the web. Reach them at [email protected].
