Toronado

If you're like me, you're on a constant quest for a few life staples such as a great beer bar, a great brunch spot, and hey, if the two happen to coincide, so much the better! Toronado has been a solid stop for any beer enthusiast for the last year since opening in North Park (even mentioned in Men's Journal WHERE SAN DIEGO IS NAMED THE NUMBER ONE CITY IN AMERICA FOR BEER DRINKING!), and is now open for brunch! As an avid appreciator of all things brewed and also brunched, obviously we had to give it a try as soon as possible. Luckily, we caught the second Sunday brunch, so a few bumps wouldn't have been surprising.

However, none were to be had! The bar service was much better on a quiet Sunday morning than the usual bustling Friday night crowd, and the menu was solid with fantastic options and reasonable prices. I was torn between the Big Breakfast (2 eggs any style with 2 sausage links and a potato pancake) and the Soyrizo scramble (2 eggs or tofu scrambled with soyrizo and an assortment of red, green, and jalapeno peppers with rosemary potatoes and Bread & Cie cracked wheat toast) but when Ashton declared his intent to order the former, I happily accepted my soyrizo fate. I wouldn't recommend pairing this incredibly spicy dish with an organic wheat beer, which unhappily I did and what a poor pairing it was. However, the jalapenos were plentiful and some of the spiciest I have EVER had. As a spice lover, I relished in this searing, tear-inducing, tongue-scorching masterpiece, but unless you're prepared for it I wouldn't recommend this particular scramble! However, it was absolutely superb, and the generous helping didn't go unnoticed. Ashton's big breakfast was pretty standard, the eggs were well cooked, the potato pancake solid, but the sausage was the star of his plate. Maple cured and piping hot, these puppies were a joy to have reside (albeit briefly) in my mouth.



If you're willing to forgo the usual bloody mary for brunch, make Toronado your next Sunday destination. Don't worry about missing your mimosa, those are available as well!

Toronado
4026 30th Street
San Diego, CA 92104