Frida
[?]
416-787-2221
It’s a pretty, mid-sized room, with one wall of deep blue tiles and others adorned with photos of the eponymous artist and works by local artists. This is midtown, so the professional couples filling the tables wear moderately sized, unironic eyewear as they chatter steadily but not too boisterously on a busy weekend night. Aiming for haute Mexican, the kitchen does well with the bass note of the cuisine’s deep, smoky flavours but falters when trying for the fresh treble tastes the nation is also famous for. For example, two appetizers: a cup of chicken broth with tomatoes, puréed with dried chilies and studded with avocado cubes, is earthy and satisfying under a cap of fried tortilla strips, as well as cotija cheese and dried pasilla peppers, but a bowl of mixed seafood ceviche brings chunks of decent seafood in a zesty lime marinade. Poblano chilies stuffed with medium-bodied Oaxaca cheese are deliciously charred. Pollo pibil is a half chicken rubbed with dark orange annatto seeds; though the meat could be juicier, the herbal, almost bitter flavour of the spice mix is a unique offering among the city’s Latin spots. For dessert, piping hot churros oozing a sweet river of goat’s milk caramel are mandatory. Lots of pricey tequilas on offer, but the house margarita isn’t as boozy as it could be. Service is at first distracted, then obsequious. Mains $9–$36.
Description
Category Features
Vegetarian: Yes
Brunch: Yes
Bring your own bottle: Yes
Outdoor Dining: Yes
Price Range: Dinner for $60 - $90
Editor's Star Rating: 1
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