More than 2 years in the making, the team behind Fernside in South Park has launched a new modern sports bar concept dubbed Fairplay within the space that long housed Toronado in San Diego's North Park.
Toronado was a beloved San Diego craft beer destination before it closed in early 2020 after 12 years in business, much to the dismay of many local regulars. The prime North Park space was quickly scooped by Adam Cook after a bit of a bidding war. Cook is the proprietor of Fernside in South Park and Bluefoot Bar & Lounge in North Park and took over the former Toronado building to launch a neighborhood gastropub concept dubbed Fairplay.
After a complete gutting and renovation of the longtime Toronado space, Fairplay unveiled this past weekend with a no-frills, industrial look highlighted by a central bar. As far as food, expect an approachable menu of elevated pub fare similar to that seen at Cook's Fernside, with chef-inspired twists from consulting chef Logan Kendall. The eatery will also boast a curated list of craft beer, cocktails and spirits, as well as a selection of wines available by the glass or bottle.
"We’re a neighborhood bar for everyone, with sports for everyone," explained Fairplay Operating Partner & General Manager Shane Gerde. "As a neighborhood spot, we're all ages with a full kitchen and bar (meaning spirits too). The motto for both food and drink is 'familiarity done well' meaning you’ll probably see some things you’ve seen other places, we just focus on doing it exceedingly well."
The menu at Fairplay is centered around smoked meats and will be executed on the daily by Chef Amanda Jones. Smoked chicken wings and pulled pork and salmon will serve as staples, but expect other cuts as specials, as well as appetizers, salads, and sandwiches. From the bar, there will be 20 taps of mostly craft beer as well as some classics from the "pre-craft" era served in bottles and cans. There will even be a "Toronado Tap" to pay tribute to the previous bar's legacy, which will rotate some well preserved kegs that were handed down to Fairplay owners by Toronado in the transition. There will also be six wines on draft available by the glass and a small list of bottles, and eight signature cocktails, six of which will be served on draft. In addition to baseball, basketball and football, lesser known sports like soccer, hockey, lacrosse, rugby, most women's sports, and other world sports will be played on multiple big screen televisions.
"Adam is very active in the local soccer community with Bluefoot and just like them, we'll be opening early for most EPL games, as well as some other big matchups from leagues around the world," continued Gerde. "World Cup is gonna be a party we're really looking forward to. Closer to home, we've been fortunate to host some private viewing parties for The San Diego Wave women's professional soccer and SD Loyal with great success. We plan to continue growing those relationships moving forward."
Fairplay is now in its soft opening stage at 4026 30th Street in San Diego's North Park. For more information, visit fairplaybar.com and check out the launch menu below.
Fried Pickles
Chipico Pickles. Battered & Fried
Pick a Dip!
Saltines served with your choice:Smoked Salmon Dip
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Queso Soyrizo Fundito
Custom Fries!
Crispy Fries served with your choice:Carm Onions. Cheddar. Thousand Island. Chives.
Pork. Curds & Gravy.
Bacon. Queso. Sour Cream. Cilantro & Chives.
Smoked Chicken Wings!
Smoked & Fried. Cornstarch crispy. Served naked w/ sauce of choice.
Tarantino Sausage Plates
Sausage Sampler. Saltines. Grain Mustard. Carm Onion. Marinated Garlic & Cherry Peppers.
GREENS
Smoked Salmon Salad
Smoked Salmon. Arugula. Watermelon Radish. Ginger Lime Feta Dressing. Cucumber. Candy Pepitas.
Chicken Caesar
Grilled Chicken Breast. Ceasar Dressing. Anchovy. Duck Fat Croutons, Shaved Parm & Lemon Zest
Taco Salad
Taco Beef. Romaine. Pintos. Monty Jack. Marinated Tomato. Spicy Pico. Chipotle Salsa Dressing, Cilantro. Dorito Dust. Taco Shell Bowl.
MAINS
Fish and Chips
Beer Battered Cod. Fries. Tartar Aioli.
The Cheeseburger
Beef. Tillamook Cheddar. Carm Onion. Chipico Pickles. Iceberg. Garlic Chive Sauce. Martin Potato Roll.
Pastrami Sandwich
Good Pastrami. Swiss Cheese. Cherry Peppers. Sauerkraut. Thousand Island. Marbled Rye.
Pork Melt
Smoked Pork. Tangy Chipotle BBQ. Cheddar. Slaw. Chipico Pickles. Dutch Crunch.
Fried Chicken Sandwich
Pickle Brined Thigh. Honey Mustard. Tillamook Cheddar. Spicy Pico. Chipico Pickles. Martin’s Potato Roll.
Mortadella Sand
Griddled Mortadella. Swiss. Pickled Grain Mustard. Pepperoni Aioli. Pepperoncini. Arugula.
Crispy Tofu Sandwich
Pickle Brined Tofu. Gochugaru. Chipico Pickles. Cabbage. Martin’s Potato Roll.
*Also, a small breakfast menu for those early games, but you’ll have to come in to find out. Real good though.
