Por Frank Sabatini Jr.

A trend is growing in which chefs run their restaurants for personal pleasure and the customer benefits. Such is the case with Chad White, who has carved a fast and playful identity at Comun Kitchen & Tavern after working behind the hype of popular, local establishments owned by others (Gabardine, Sea Rocket Bistro and Roseville, to name a few).

At Comun, he’s on the front lines and happier than ever in his double-storefront venture featuring an eight-seater chef’s table flanking an open kitchen. A few feet away, a refrigerated pantry sits behind a large glass window, allowing us to glimpse the meats and organics he assigns to crafty tostadas and imaginative Latin-stamped entrees.

“I want people to see what it takes to make this food, how we keep the kitchen floor swept and what ingredients we store,” he said while doubling as our food server as we dined at the lip of his kitchen.

White is vested also in La Justina on Avenue Revolucion in Tijuana, a similar concept to Comun, and Craft Pizza Company in La Jolla, which means he isn’t always on property 100 percent of the time. But consumers preferring to interact directly with the man flaunting industrious tattooed arms need only request the experience in advance.

Despite high-style elements and eye-popping works of art flowing throughout the restaurant and bar, Comun doesn’t feel pretentious. Nor is the food snobby or pricey.

Brown paper bags filled with warm popcorn dusted in chili ash gets the meal rolling. It’s a perfect come-on to the establishment’s iPourIt beer system, which allows you to dispense a variety of craft beers by the ounce from sensor-activated taps.

Cocktails such as “jungle boogies” with black rum and “Lafayette sours” using spiced pear bourbon are also in the offing. Or if you’re thirsty for a 21st Century play on the forgotten gin-forward casino cocktail, the “Roberto’s Dinero” replaces the customary maraschino liqueur with a grapefruit equivalent, along with tarragon and orange bitters.

From the “snacks” menu is an impressive rendition of Mexican street corn, grilled and cut straight from the cob. It’s served in a mug with mayo, lime, butter, cilantro and chicharron (fried pork rinds). We also took a strong liking to the fried, yellow guero peppers – some of them hot, some of them not. They’re served with lime and cooling aioli.

So what if Brussels sprouts have topped the list of trend foods? White has been roasting them with expertise since his professional cooking career began more than a decade ago. And for good reason he isn’t taking them off the menu.

“We’re selling up to 30 orders a night,” he said of the cruciferous orbs finished deliciously in Caesar dressing and shaved Romano cheese.

Tostadas using tortillas made of coarse masa by a Barrio Logan vendor comprise a chunk of the menu. White’s penchant for Mexican cooking blossomed during a past marriage to a gal from Acapulco, hence his knack for knowing how to spin the rules without leaving our palates dizzy.

Starting with the vegetarian “escabeche” tostada my companion chose, a whisper of pickling juices tied together carrots, red onions, avocado, hominy puree and kicky morita peppers. Even diehard carnivores will submit to their explosive flavors and earthy textures.

Other choices include smoked mahi mahi with peanut chili de arbol salsa; leg of lamb drizzled in queso; beef heart tartare with dehydrated spring onions; and noteworthy carnitas kissed by smoked-orange marmalade. Neither diminutive nor jumbo, they’re well loaded and defy Downtown prices, selling for $7 apiece and only $4 on Tuesdays.

A shareable plate of house-made chorizo con papas had everything going for it: multi-colored potatoes, beech mushrooms, basil, horseradish, Hungarian chili crema and egg yolk sauce that mimicked butter. Yes, the dish sounds wonky on paper, but it made perfect sense in the mouth.

My companion’s roasted rock cod from the entrée list was the Mexican version of what the French call “en papillote,” where fish is poached inside a sealed puff of parchment paper to maintain maximum moistness. White uses tin foil instead and tosses in shrimp, garlic, green onions and lime. He then crowns the ingredients with baby arugula and a little bit of white queso. It’s a fantastic, foolproof dish with no mystery behind it, meaning that you can try it at home with the same good result.

Our dessert was the strangest tres leche I’ve seen. It looked like a roasted turkey breast in gravy. But beneath its brownish caramelized skin was a thirst-quenching construct of sweet bread soaked in cream that’s flavored with star anise and vanilla — so surprisingly blissful that we fell silent.

White has come into his own with hard-knock experience and ambition. He isn’t afraid of taking culinary risks and nor does he need to apologize for them. In fact, a footnote on the menu encouraging guests to shoot and hashtag food photos proves he isn’t lacking confidence.

—Frank Sabatini Jr. es el autor de “Secret San Diego” (ECW Press), y comenzó su carrera como escritor local hace más de dos décadas como miembro del personal del ex San Diego Tribune. Puedes localizarlo en [email protected]