All stories about "Frida Mexican Cuisine"

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Well here we have Frida, the Mexican restaurant that anchors a showcase corner at the Rick Carusofied Americana at Brand in Glendale. This is the fourth outpost for the restaurant---the original sits on Beverly Drive in Bev Hills, one in San Diego, and a smaller taqueria in the Brentwood Country Mart---and it's by far the largest and, to some degree, most Vegasized. High ceilings, hand-blown glass tiles, custom-made light fixtures and a mural that was painted in Mexico and shipped in pieces show they really spared no expense. It's not as homey as the original, but there are some similar attributes, plus here there's a ginormous patio. Lots of ceviche, tostadas, sopas, tacos and the like on the menu, more than 30 tequilas and some mezcal for the drinking. The latter comes in handy to deal with the Americana crowds. Previous Frida coverage, more Americana.

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We offered a look around to some of the restaurants/cafes/eateries yesterday, and earlier today it was all Katsuya; now we have a final look at the rest. Frida Mexican Cuisine is the big corner anchor for the Brand entrance, and with its huge ceilings, big par, patio and shiny tile, it's nothing like the intimate original on Beverly Boulevard. Beard Papa's will be a kiosk not to far from that, and the Jewel City Diner looks all retro and cool over by the H&M. Caffe Primo is on the other side, near shops like Kate Spade and Lucky Brand. We didn't catch where Richie's Pizza, Granville Cafe or the Korean place will be. It's amazing that this entire development, which looked like controlled chaos today, will open in two days; one if you count the private black-tie premiere on Thursday. But we heard it from the tanned Rick Caruso himself: All will open on May 2.
· Americana at Brand Mega Preview: Day 1 [~ELA~]
· Americana at Brand Mega Preview Day 2: Katsuya [~ELA~]