Cafe Frida
386 Columbus Avenue (between 77th & 78th)

I am usually not a person who like Mexican food, but I was talked into it by a few friends who were meeting up one Saturday evening. I am the "phantom" bass player amongst them (a keyboardist, guitarist and lead vocalist), so I guess they dictated the pace once again! But joking aside, it has been a long time since I had Mexican, and the menu for Cafe Frida looked quite nice, so why not?

As readers may know, the UWS is usually not this lone diner's hangout because it is such a headache to get there. And this evening that proved to be so much more accurate, as nearly every uptown train went down. After 30 minutes waiting for a B/D train it shows up...then another 30 minutes waiting at Columbus Circle with hundreds of irate riders for local trains, they never showed. Hopped onto a cab after nearly jumping in front of one in the mad struggle with scores of others having quit the Subway at that point. So I got to the restaurant like 45 minutes late...horrible, as I am usually always early.

The place was lively and packed, which was nice. The music was a very annoying and continuous dance-beat loop -- very "un-Mexican" in a traditional way, but quite "Mexican" in a modern way. I think it's a bit too up-tempo if I was a lone diner, but since I was with a group, it was okay -- though it was a bit dark and loud. The paper-wrapped candle was a complete brain-puzzler...why would such a hazardous and flammable item be placed in a table in the upstairs area where there's little room for smoke to build before we're all asphyxiated if it goes up?

We had split some varied fandango de salsas for a starter, which was nothing very special. The amounts were tiny and I wasn't too impressed. The main course I ordered was a special for the day, the rack of lamb. The meat was nice, but nothing special. The sides were a little boring, a bit too sour for my taste. Not enough to help work the flavour of the lamb. The rice and beans were nice though -- I thought I'd never say that...

Overall it was an okay experience, but definitely not a place I would frequent...or even return. I'm not a Mexican food fan, so it was probably just an anomaly in my dining experience. Even if I was, it's too far away and offers nothing too special. If I really want good Mexican food, I'll eat it in one of my trips to New Mexico or Texas or California.

Food: C+
Atmosphere: B
For Lone Diners: C (*)