Heading into the space that currently houses Cruiser Taco in San Diego's North Park community is Medina - a neighborhood eatery that will serve a fresh fusion of Moroccan and Baja inspired eats.
After running successful crowd-funding campaigns on GoFundMe and IndieGoGo, Alia Jaziri, who currently works at Juniper & Ivy, is ready to bring tastes of her unique upbringing to San Diego. While learning how to cook with her dad at a young age, Jaziri learned about Mediterranean spices and culinary traditions, but given San Diego’s proximity to Mexico, she was always enamored by the bright and undeniable flavor profiles of Baja-California Mexican food.
"Using my cuisine to unite friends and family in a warm environment has always been a passion of mine," explained Medina founder Alia Jaziri. "My love for tasty food was instilled from a young age - with a dad from Tunisia and a mom from Indonesia, there was never any shortage of delish-ness under our roof. So, I've decided to make my dream a reality by opening up my first restaurant, Medina. Medina’s fresh cuisine blends my Mediterranean & North African roots, with my childhood memories of San Diego’s vibrant Baja dishes.
Medina is currently operating through local pop-ups and can be found on Sundays at the weekly Lane Field Park Market. Once Cruiser Taco closes later this year, Medina will begin installing and redesigning the space, hoping to open by February 2019. The patio area will be revamped to evoke the lively atmospheres, energy and colors of La Boqueria Market in Barcelona, as well as the medinas and souks found in Morocco and Tunisia. The restaurant will serve a fusion menu consisting of such items as Moroccan Tacos, Couscous Grain Bowls, and homemade Merguez sausage Flatbreads. The restaurant will also serve beer and wine.
"The goal is for my cuisine to bring people together and reflect who I am as a person and as an artist sharing a piece of my unique cultural upbringing," continued Jaziri.
Medina will sit at 2850 El Cajon Boulevard, Suite 4, in San Diego's North Park community. For more information, follow the company's Instagram page.
