Two of the city's top bartenders have teamed up to open Happy Medium cocktail bar and eatery in the space that long housed StreetCar Merchants of Fried Chicken in San Diego's North Park.
In November 2022, we broke the news that longtime San Diego bar experts Christian Siglin and Eric Johnson would be taking over the space then occupied by Streetcar Merchants Of Fried Chicken for a new cocktail bar and restaurant dubbed Happy Medium. We immediately received word that Streetcar ownership was claiming our report to be false.
Fast forward to 2023, and news broke that a federal grand jury in San Diego returned an indictment charging Streetcar owners Ron Suel and RaVae Smith with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Streetcar subsequently closed last summer. Then earlier this year, Suel was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Now after a year and a half in development, Happy Medium is now open on 30th Street and Lincoln in San Diego's North Park. The bar's founders are quite a big deal in the San Diego's cocktail scene. Siglin is considered one of the top bartenders in town, maybe in the country, and has experience working at many area bars, including La Jolla's Hyatt Regency, The Pearl Hotel, Noble Experiment, Craft & Commerce, Sycamore Den, Bankers Hill, Bracero Cocina de Raiz, and is a partner at Fernside in South Park.
Now after a year and a half in development, Happy Medium is now open on 30th Street and Lincoln in San Diego's North Park. The bar's founders are quite a big deal in the San Diego's cocktail scene. Siglin is considered one of the top bartenders in town, maybe in the country, and has experience working at many area bars, including La Jolla's Hyatt Regency, The Pearl Hotel, Noble Experiment, Craft & Commerce, Sycamore Den, Bankers Hill, Bracero Cocina de Raiz, and is a partner at Fernside in South Park.
Eric Johnson is another master mixologist and has worked to develop cocktail programs at San Diego hotspots like Sycamore Den, The Smoking Gun, Juniper & Ivy, Home & Away, Waverly, and Camino Riviera. He is also the beverage director for SDCM, which recently unveiled the revival of The Whaling Bar in La Jolla.
In addition to a standout cocktail program, Happy Medium will also offer a food menu designed by former El Barbecue owner, Chef Ami Cisneros. Expect dishes like mushroom toast with ricotta cheese, confit garlic, shallot and herb salad; roasted cauliflower with salsa matcha and avocado puree; bone marrow with fig jam and toast; and a variety of sandwiches including a chicken Milanese sandwich and Harlem's famous chopped cheese.
Happy Medium is now open daily from 4pm to midnight at 4002 30th Street in San Diego's North Park. For more information, follow Happy Medium on Instagram and check out the food menu below.
