![\"Tostadas1web\"](\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Tostadas1web.jpg\")
<\/a>\u201cI want people to see what it takes to make this food, how we keep the kitchen floor swept and what ingredients we store,\u201d he said while doubling as our food server as we dined at the lip of his kitchen.<\/p>\n
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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n Despite high-style elements and eye-popping works of art flowing throughout the restaurant and bar, Comun doesn\u2019t feel pretentious. Nor is the food snobby or pricey.<\/p>\n Brown paper bags filled with warm popcorn dusted in chili ash gets the meal rolling. It\u2019s a perfect come-on to the establishment\u2019s iPourIt beer system, which allows you to dispense a variety of craft beers by the ounce from sensor-activated taps.<\/p>\n Cocktails such as \u201cjungle boogies\u201d with black rum and \u201cLafayette sours\u201d using spiced pear bourbon are also in the offing. Or if you\u2019re thirsty for a 21st Century play on the forgotten gin-forward casino cocktail, the \u201cRoberto\u2019s Dinero\u201d replaces the customary maraschino liqueur with a grapefruit equivalent, along with tarragon and orange bitters.<\/p>\n From the \u201csnacks\u201d menu is an impressive rendition of Mexican street corn, grilled and cut straight from the cob. It\u2019s 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 \u2013 some of them hot, some of them not. They\u2019re served with lime and cooling aioli.<\/p>\n 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\u2019t taking them off the menu.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re selling up to 30 orders a night,\u201d he said of the cruciferous orbs finished deliciously in Caesar dressing and shaved Romano cheese.<\/p>\n Tostadas using tortillas made of coarse masa by a Barrio Logan vendor comprise a chunk of the menu. White\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Starting with the vegetarian \u201cescabeche\u201d 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019re well loaded and defy Downtown prices, selling for $7 apiece and only $4 on Tuesdays.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n My companion\u2019s roasted rock cod from the entr\u00e9e list was the Mexican version of what the French call \u201cen papillote,\u201d 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\u2019s a fantastic, foolproof dish with no mystery behind it, meaning that you can try it at home with the same good result.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>
(Photos by Frank Sabatini Jr)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n