Chef Jose Hadad's desire to elevate the Mexican food culture in Toronto led to the opening of Frida Restaurant & Bar in midtown late last month. "I wanted to show Mexican food as it really is," Hadad said. "It's not nachos or quesadillas. We're just giving it the respect it deserves in the style that it would be in Mexico."
The restaurant—owned by Hadad (who trained under Mark McEwan at Bymark and launched the Mad Mexican line of sauces and dips in 2006) and his partner Steve Newman—seats 56 and features contemporary decor inspired by Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, for whom the eatery is named. "She put Mexico on the map in the art community. She found her passion. Jose knew his passion was in food, and he wanted to come up with a name that actually meant something to him," said Dianne Lee, who handles event bookings for Frida. A color palette of black, white, blue, and terra cotta fills the space.
The menu features appetizers like ceviche de mariscos (lime-marinated shrimp, scallops, mussels with homemade potato chips) and enchiladas de barbacoa (gently braised lamb, borracha style sauce, cotija cheese, coriander, and onion). Main dishes include quail served over Mexican rice with plantain tostones, mole poblano sauce and toasted sesame seeds, as well as slow-cooked chicken in banana leaves and annatto seeds served with Mexican rice and roasted habanero salsa.
Frida Restaurant & Bar is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday. The space is available for private bookings.