You didn't have to wait long; we just told you about the fried chicken, doughnuts and coffee headed to North Park and now they're here. StreetCar Merchants of Fried Chicken, Doughnuts & Coffee soft opened today at 4002 30th Street in a 1,600-square-foot space with patio at the intersection of 30th and Lincoln.
Inspired by the local streetcar system that once connected North Park to other San Diego neighborhoods in the early 1900s, StreetCar pays homage to an earlier era in its design, from vintage photos to reclaimed wood, and its menu, which centers around small batch, from scratch food.
Friends and partners RaVae Smith and Ron Suel, who hail from Kansas and Louisiana, respectively, are behind the eatery which will specialize in two types of fried chicken, both brined and made from daily deliveries of Mary's Chicken. There's a Southern-style chicken, using a recipe from Suel's great-grandmother, and a twice-fried Korean-style, which comes with a variety of sauces, from sriracha mayo to sweet Korean BBQ. With the chicken, they'll be offering their own twist on fried potatoes, a cross between a crisp chip and a wedge potato, and a rotating side that might be macaroni and cheese one day and jambalaya the next.
Smith is frying her brioche dough-based doughnuts in rice bran oil, which leaves them light and greaseless. There will be a dozen varieties available each day, ranging from $2 to $5, from horchata-glazed donuts with strawberries to seasonal flavors like an apple pie donut topped with a fruit filling and garnished with an apple chip. StreetCar will also delve into savory doughnuts too; a chicken skin and mashed potato version is currently being workshopped.
They will be the only San Diego outlet for Intelligensia Coffee, serving espresso drinks, pour overs and cold brew and retailing the company's beans and merchandise. Eventually, they'll offer beer too, from six taps and a large bottle list.
StreetCar is easing into regular operating hours of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; the doughnuts will be available from open until the day's batch runs out, while the fried chicken can be ordered starting at 11 a.m. Eventually, StreetCar will launch late night food service via a window that opens onto their patio, with food to-go on weekends until 2am.
