Ignite in Carlsbad

I've been to the new restaurant/bar in Carlsbad, Ignite, twice so far. I absolutely love it. It's got a great vibe and delicious food and drink. Go there for happy hour, to watch a sporting event, or dinner with a special someone. The decor is contemporary and energetic, with TV's everywhere, splashes of color on the walls, and a dim, bar like atmosphere. In fact much of the inside of the restaurant is bar, with low and high top tables. The dining area takes up about half the space. Outside on the front patio there is another bar and lots of low, casual tables. On a warm summer night the patio is the place to be.

The star of the restaurant is the food. I've had several items there that I can vouch for, the rest of the menu I will try at another time. Here's what I liked. Asparagus fries, with a wonderful aioli dipping sauce were fantastic. Instead of regular potato skins, Ignite serves fingerling potatoes, halved and topped with cheese, bacon bits and scallions. Just delicious. Fried pickles, very thin, with another great dipping sauce is only available at happy hour. I'm very particular about my pizza, but I am raving about the pizza at Ignite. Especially the thin, crispy crust. It's just the way I like it. I have had 2 different pizzas, the artichoke hearts, pine nuts and cheese, and another with Tuscan bean puree, bacon, tomato and arugula. Other things to try are the wonderful salads. A beet and goat cheese salad looked delicious, as did the chopped chicken salad. Several burgers are on the menu, and although I have not sampled one yet, my guess is that they're good. Ignite also has a steak, mac and cheese, and various other interesting menu items.

I'm not much of a drinker but it looks like they have a large assortment of beer, wine and specialty drinks. They don't have much for dessert, but trust me, you'll be so full from the delicious appetizers, snacks, salads and entrees you won't be interested in dessert. If you need something sweet, try the yogurt shop next door.

Ignite is a little on the loud side, but we found the perfect table. Look for us at table #30. That's our table.