Saturday, July 9, 2011

Day 4: Tuna Tostada

Upon further review, this is beyond a bad photo... Mental note, food does not look good
when viewed view flash photography.
Ok, not the best photo, and sorry I was delayed today.  Anyway, last night marked the first meal out.  After years living in Charlottesville I finally found my way to the Continental Divide.  A small, loud, tex-mex restaurant on West Main.  I've heard about it for years, but never found my way inside.  For those of you who haven't I strongly suggest heading in, although it may be difficult to locate if you don't already know where you're going.  The simplest approach is just look for their sign.
Once you obey the sign's direction you'll be greeted with the dull roar of conversation and music from the inside.  After a wait to be seated (not bad, but I can definitely see it taking a while in a place this small without a reservation) we sat down in one of the large booths available and were promptly delivered menus.  Here was our first pleasant surprise:
Yup, definitely my kind of place.  And now to the food.  While there were a number of dishes to be had, ranging from various tacos, burritos, and enchiladas, but what caught my eye was the Tuna Tostada.  A wonderful piece of sushi grade tuna, lightly seared and placed atop a black bean puree and a pair of crispy tortillas.  Surrounding this stack of deliciousness was a red pepper sauce and a jalapeno glaze.  Yup, somehow they managed to turn the wonderful spicy burn of jalapenos into sweet and spicy glaze.  The tuna was perfectly seared and wonderfully seasoned with just a hint of extra spice added to it.  The puree was smooth and added another layer to the flavor of the dish.  The final kick was the sweet red pepper and jalapeno glaze that mixed in throughout the dish and melded with each bite.  I honestly couldn't tell you how the dish was made, but then again, that's the point of eating out, to try new things that you can't or don't make yourself.  This meal was an unqualified success, and means that you will almost certainly be hearing about different preparations of tuna and a different toastada dish in the near future.  For those of you who live in or visit Charlottesville, I strongly suggest you find your way to The Continental Divide for great food and a unique and fun atmosphere.  Just be ready for the noise and the less than kid friendly environment.

And with that simple and easy entry my 4th day comes to a close.  I'm getting ready to head out for day 5's meal (and don't worry, some of these dishes are going to be lunches and breakfasts, it has just been dinners thus far).  Hopefully it'll be a fun and enjoyable meal as well.

No comments:

Post a Comment