San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
La Calenda
The last place you’d expect to find the coastal food of Ensenada, Mexico, is in Wine Country, but that’s exactly where one of my favorite mariscos tostadas lives. The tostada de atun ($20) from Yountville’s La Calenda seems to take inspiration from the powerful Ensenada mariscos cart La Guerrerense, except it’s served in a fast-casual setting surrounded by grape vines. Layered on a crisp tortilla is sliced raw tuna, radish and avocado, plus thick, oily salsa macha made with chile costeño from Mexico. It’s hard to eat this crunchy thing without getting red oil on your face, but really, who cares? The tuna is tender and the avocado adds creaminess, but it’s the salsa that makes the whole thing a success. It’s smoky and hot and adds an unctuous richness that’s intense yet magnetic. It’s so strong that a bite might send you into a fugue state, entranced by oily peppers. La Calenda is part of the Thomas Keller Group and it’s the sort of place you might stop by for a casual weekend lunch in between wine tasting, where you can dream of the Baja California beaches.
6518 Washington St., Yountville. 4-9 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Sunday. lacalendamex.com