We’re Crushing on Covington’s Frida 602

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Consummate (and communist—Leon Trotsky was a frequent guest) entertainers at their Blue House in Mexico City, painters Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera would certainly approve of Frida 602. Paul Weckman and Emily Wolff (who also own Otto’s) turned a crumbling storefront on MainStrasse into a vibrant corner café with bold pops of fuchsia, cobalt, and orange covering most surfaces.

The Frida 602 dining room
The Frida 602 dining room

Photograph by Jeremy Kramer

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Billed as a bar devoted to mezcal (tequila’s earthy big brother), there are lots of boozy libations, from shots of Los Nahuales Blanco (a bracing, almost minty mezcal) to the complex Viva la Vida cocktail, made with Frida Kahlo brand añejo tequila, sugarcane liqueur, blackberry, lemon, and cayenne pepper. Still, consider this place family friendly—the menu is geared toward a variety of palates.

Nectar del Diablo Margarita
Nectar del Diablo Margarita

Photograph by Jeremy Kramer

Cases in point: Piping hot tortilla chips with textbook queso dip; an array of housemade salsas (go for the peanut); a refreshing jicama, watermelon, and cilantro salad. Vegetarian diners win big with the roasted Brussels sprouts tacos: Weckman and crew tease out plenty of nutty flavors from the humble brassica before blanketing it with that heady peanut salsa. And diner devotees will want to dive into chile-seared shrimp tacos garnished with bacon, lettuce, and blistered tomato.

Elotes
Elotes (corn on the cob)

Photograph by Jeremy Kramer

Tacos
Tacos

Photograph by Jeremy Kramer

Finish up with the Tres Leches cake. Its dairy trifecta of whole, condensed, and evaporated milk forms the basis for a sugar bomb so intense that the toasted marshmallow topping seems almost superfluous. Almost.

Frida 602, 602 Main St., Covington, (859) 815-8736, facebook.com/frida602

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