La Finca Resort

Finca Opens in North Park With Spanish Tapas and Wine | Eater San Diego

"A fresh point of view on a traditional tapas bar touches down in North Park on Thursday, February 8 with the arrival of Finca, a 90-seat, 3,000-square-foot restaurant that anchors a new building across from Tribute Pizza on what was once a citrus farm. Partners Dan Valerino and Joe Bower—who met while working at Juniper & Ivy and also operate Bottle Boon, Green Acre, and Casa Campus Point—have joined veteran restaurateur Ricardo Dondisch to create an airy dining room with a 16-seat patio, 14-seat bar, open kitchen, and artwork by Bower’s brother Patrick and Dondisch’s wife Gabriela. Reflecting parallels between Spain and California, Bower’s mostly small-plates menu riffs on classic tapas using SoCal produce and a global pantry, with highlights that include patatas bravas brightened with a spicy chile pepper crema, grilled sunchokes with gochujang, duck confit croquettes, roasted cauliflower in a miso- and popcorn-infused cream, plus larger entrees and indulgent late-night bites like fried chicken with caviar and a jamon iberico sandwich. The neighborhood also gains a bottle shop stocked exclusively with Spanish and California wines made from organically farmed grapes, and Valerino plans a monthly wine club offering perks like free tastings and dedicated events. To fuel the convivial vibe, the bar encourages rounds of housemade Spanish-style vermouth, porrons filled with sangria, and a selection of low-ABV cocktails from Cory Alberto—such as sherry with house agave tonic and the Andalucia All Nighter made with Pedro Ximénez, espresso, and arbequina olive brine—while service begins with dinner (weekend lunch coming soon) and the bottle shop opens at noon." - Candice Woo