Tostadas appear on many a Mexican or Tex-Mex menu, fried tortilla swathed with beans, chopped meat, cheese or sometimes with ceviche. The word "tostada" in Spanish means "toasted," harkening to the crisp tortilla that stands as the base.
Tostadas dishes give new life to stale tortillas, where after frying they are utilized as the vehicle for tasty morsels. Many non-Mexican restaurants are now transforming and adapting this toasted treat new and interesting approaches.
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In This Corner: Tuck Shop
The Setup: In a repurposed house in the Coronado Historic District, Tuck Shop has been offering up comfort food like beer battered cheese curds and dates stuffed with Schreiner's chorizo, gruyere and arugula. Expanding outside Tuck Shop, their newly revamped Astor House next door serves up "Coronado 'Cue," and their coffee and breakfast joint Vovomeena will help cure that hangover.
Duck Tostadas at Tuck Shop are served two to a plate. Plum roasted duck, red cabbage, jicama, cilantro, and crema are stacked on a crisp tortilla accompanied by a side of the plum jus.
The Good: Awesome flavor combination. The duck is tender and flavorful, hinting of the lusty plum jus, while the cabbage, jicama, and the tostada add a crunch. Rounded out with some creaminess from the crema.
The Bad: It needed a bit more acid to cut the richness of the meat.
In This Corner: Comedor Guadalajara
The Setup: Located off the I-17 in South Central Phoenix, Comedor Guadalajara has been operating for over 40 years. With a massive dining room and even more space for private events, Comedor Guadalajara packs the house for both lunch and dinner.
Tostada de Ceviche is a fried tortilla overflowing with plump shrimp, cucumber, tomatoes, cilantro, green onion, jalapeno, and tossed with lime juice.
The Good: On a hot day, this dish is incredibly refreshing. With a little heat from the jalapeno, the shrimp are tender and juicy. A beautiful bite from the lime juice and the crunch of the tostada.
The Bad: The tostada loses its crispness quickly, leading to soggy sadness if one doesn't finish fast enough.
And the winner is...Comedor Guadalajara. While both tostadas were amazing, due to the current warm temperatures in Phoenix, the ceviche tostada was perfect to escape the heat. We are looking forward to noshing on the duck tostada from Tuck Shop as we start to snuggle into sweater weather.
