The team behind area hotspots like Kettner Exchange and The Whaling Bar is ready to unveil Wilma's Carousel bar & restaurant in San Diego's Little Italy.
Earlier this summer, SDCM proprietor Matt Spencer acquired Wolfie’s Carousel Bar from its founder, Mauricio Couturier, who originally named the venue after his son when it first opened in 2020. Spencer also owns the adjacent Camino Rivera bar and restaurant, which he had previously purchased from Couturier when it was still known as El Camino.
Spencer has renamed the establishment Wilma's Carousel Bar in tribute to his grandmother. The 2,500-square-foot space has been revitalized with an interior refresh by Costa Mesa-based design group Davis Ink, who also collaborated with Spencer on the construction of Grass Skirt and Captain's Quarters in Pacific Beach. While the layout remains largely intact, the space now features updated design elements, including French Renaissance paintings, floral accents in shades of green and pink, and an ivy-lined swing.
At Wilma’s Carousel Bar, the iconic merry-go-round circular bar remains, but the menu has been revamped by SDCM corporate chef Brian Redzikowski and beverage director Eric Johnson. The offerings now feature a Cajun-French flair as a nod to the original inspiration, the Carousel Bar & Lounge at Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans’ French Quarter. Highlights from the menu include ranch labneh with crudites, pork belly fries, blackened seabags tempura, Philly beef toast with raclette and caramelized onion, a smashed Big Mac-style burger, a white Negroni Sbagliato, and the Bijou, a pre-Prohibition classic.
SDCM also owns and operates The Whaling Bar at La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla, Captain's Quarter in Pacific Beach, Waverly Restaurant & Lounge in Carlsbad, Camino Riviera in Little Italy, The Grass Skirt in Pacific Beach, Kettner Exchange in Little Italy, Vin de Syrah in downtown San Diego, Firehouse American Eatery + Lounge in Pacific Beach, and Devil's Dozen Donut Shop in Little Italy. Matt Spencer got his start in the local restaurant industry with strong financial backing from David & Lesley Cohn of the Cohn Restaurant Group.
Wilma's Carousel will open on Wednesday, August 21, at 2401 Kettner Boulevard, Suite B, in San Diego's Little Italy. For more information, visit wilmascarouselbar.com and check out the menu below.
Wilma's Carousel will open on Wednesday, August 21, at 2401 Kettner Boulevard, Suite B, in San Diego's Little Italy. For more information, visit wilmascarouselbar.com and check out the menu below.
