Paseo has a great mix. And even with the new, shiny places there are still plenty of the old stand-by's that have the old Paseo feel, like Picasso and Sauced and The Other Room.

I suspect the newer places will start to pull more people. Get ready for the parking complaints.

Paseo has a great mix. And even with the new, shiny places there are still plenty of the old stand-by's that have the old Paseo feel, like Picasso and Sauced and The Other Room.

I suspect the newer places will start to pull more people. Get ready for the parking complaints.
But I’m already hearing from long time Paseo goers that they think they are being displaced. They don’t necessarily say gentrification but that’s what they mean. The newer places aren’t like the cool funky places that have resided there for years. I fear soon the cool little independent art shops will be displaced as rents escalate.

Wonder where the next organic real art area will be.

Impressive structure, should add to improve the Paseo District; this district has always been so unique. Especially charming during the late 60s & 70s era.

So we were fortunate enough to get in to the soft opening last night and spent some time in both Frida and The Daley. Pete had mentioned it before but this place is beautiful and should definitely be on a list of places to go. I hope you don't mind amateur pictures, because there are going to be a few.

Frida



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The interior is spacious and relaxing and we were arrived at a time where you could see the transition into evening. Because of how the building is oriented, there were no errant shafts of light catching any of the restaurant patrons in the eyes. We sat at the bar as we didn't have an official seated reservation time. The music wasn't overly loud as to drown out conversation and the bartenders were attentive and helpful with drink recommendations. I ordered the Purple Rain cocktail and it was quite possibly one of the best cocktails I've had. I don't envision Frida as a place I'll frequent regularly since the prices can be a little high for being in a regular rotation, but I'll strongly consider this drink every time I do go.



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Our small group each chose a different appetizer and meal to try out multiple dishes at once. The Seafood Empanadas were a highlight and have earned the prominent spot on their menu. For our main courses, we split the Sea Bass, Tenderloin, and the Pork Belly & Scallops. All of the dishes were fantastic however the seafood overall was a bit too salty by itself, but mellowed out when paired with the sides such as the risotto. They do offer to-go boxes in case your eyes are bigger than your stomach but they com in one large size only right now and we found that the portion sizes would be solid if you're not trying multiple meals between people at once. :Smiley063

The Daley
After our meal we decided to check out the speakeasy attachment, The Daley, through a connecting hallway that also houses the bathrooms. Side note, the bathrooms are monochromatic with traditional gender designations, which seemed odd since there are so many other beautiful color palettes throughout the restaurant to work with.

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The space is very relaxing and I could see us frequenting this side more than Frida, especially with the experimental cocktails being made over here and future possible events that could be held here. It was around this time that remembered that pictures of full menus tend to help out more than a review of a few dishes.



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I settled on the Scotchy Scotch Scotch, but was a little underwhelmed by it. The table agreed that it was a little too sweet and tasted like drinking a cherry found in a Manhattan. I'm sure they will tweak their ratios and add new drinks whenever they come up with an interesting new combination.

Overall this place is great, but not an every day or maybe not even a once a week type of restaurant for me. I'm looking forward to the next anniversary/birthday or out of town relative to take them to Frida for seriously good food in a great atmosphere and show a little bit of what OKC's food culture can be.

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Wow, thanks for the review.

They plan to open to the public on Friday.


It's just a gorgeous and unique setting.

No problem, I've lurked around OKCTalk enough that it's probably time to actually contribute.

Also I'd like to amend the appetizer to the Seafood Tamales, I didn't catch this in time to edit the post, plus other odd typos.

Went last night and I will second the excellent review provided by snark0leptic above. We thought Frida was fantastic. My wife's Salmon was the "best she has ever had." The Tamale appetizer might have been my favorite. Really top notch experience and a fantastic place for OKC. Really a great night.

Went last night and I will second the excellent review provided by snark0leptic above. We thought Frida was fantastic. My wife's Salmon was the "best she has ever had." The Tamale appetizer might have been my favorite. Really top notch experience and a fantastic place for OKC. Really a great night.

How was the crowd?

I walked by last night around 8 and it seemed very full and lively. It looked beautiful from the outside in!

I walked by last night around 8 and it seemed very full and lively. It looked beautiful from the outside in!

You should have waved Ross! :) It's very nicely done. We had reservations but there were a few spots at the bar on and off all evening. May not be that way on weekends but last night wasn't too bad.

Everything I have eaten at Frida has been absolutely terrific, including cocktails. I would venture to say it is the best restaurant in the city right now.

I think the Daley might be my new favorite drinking place in town. Brian Fitzsimmons did a great job with the whole building but the fitout of the bar is great; it's refined but cosy. Their wine list is left-field but that's no bad thing.

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The Daley is a great little spot and Frida continues to get rave revenues.

My wife and I met some friends here on Friday night. We started out at The Daley for pre-dinner cocktails. It's a very small, intimate setting so finding a seat when it's busy might be a challenge. But it makes it a great place for conversation at a reasonable decibel level. I didn't go for one of the fancy cocktails as that's not my thing, but a couple friends took advantage of the $8 martinis for happy hour.

In the restaurant, we were seated promptly at our reserved time. Our waiter was very knowledgeable of the menu and seemed genuinely excited to tell us about each dish we asked about as well as a couple off-the-menu specials. He even proudly explained how the unique plates are sourced locally.

Pre-dinner bread and cornbread fingers were brought out while we decided what to eat, which was a tough decision as everything sounded great. Our group decided to try the short rib empanadas and the tuna tartar for appetizers. The empanadas were delicious and I could have made a meal of those alone. The tuna was served on a spicy whipped avacado base. It was tasty, but I couldn't taste much of the tuna.

Against my better judgement, my wife convinced me to try the Southwest Caesar Salad. It wasn't bad for what it was, it's just that I am a traditionalist when it comes to a Caesar salad. I realize that "southwest" is their thing, but some things don't need to be messed with. I tried it and just don't prefer it. That's all I'm gonna say about that. :)

Moving on to the main course, I went with the sea bass entree, my wife decided on the smoked chicken pasta. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the sea bass. It was perfectly cooked, delicate, and the lobster buerre blanc complemented it well. The accompanying risotto was rich & creamy. Although I thought it was a safe but boring choice, my wife's dinner turned out to be surprisingly great. It is easily the best chicken pasta dish I've ever had. I was shocked at how good it was (and no, that wasn't from the pre-dinner cocktails). The only problem was that she refused to accommodate my subsequent requests for another bite. It was seriously good.

Overall, I'd give this place a solid 9/10. The atmosphere is upscale casual; the service is friendly, knowledgeable and attentive; the menu is nicely varied without being overwhelming, and the food is both uniquely prepared and artfully presented. It was a great experience and we will be back.

Also went for the first time this weekend. Had the Queso Fundido and Pork empanadas for an app. Absolutely wonderful. We had older people in our party who are very meat and potatoes types but really enjoyed their entrees and were impressed. I had the bone-in pork chop and it was a lot of food. Drinks were good but they were out of several local beer choices.

Mayor David Holt was there having a drink at the bar with his wife. Neat little place and I will be back.

I agree that the pasta dish is incredible.

Had holiday dinner at Frida and they remain one of the Top 5 in OKC for decent food, excellent interiors, and knowledgeable service. We had seafood tamale, lobster empanadas, and braised short ribs , all fantastic. I'm also impressed that they've kept the same front of house hostess since they opened, since I remember seeing her then too. Service is so unobtrusive as to be invisible, unlike some other places in town that should be better in that area (cough cough Ranch Steakhouse).
Frida is where I'd recommend for out of town guests who want a nice dinner in OKC.

We enjoyed Frida Valentines Day and was very satisfied. Initially we were unable to get reservations unless we went very early or late. AMEX Concierge service was able to get us a table at 7. Upon walking in, the host and hostess were spruced up looking very dapper and handing the ladies a single rose. Sat at our table immediately with no wait.

Food was amazing. The charred pork belly app was three pieces and was cooked perfectly. Great choice of meat as it wasn't overly fatty as a bad cut of pork belly can be. the roasted peanuts and salad provided diversity of flavor with salad dressing cleansing the palate.
I had the blackened strip with whipped potatoes and okra.

The steak had a great flavor but was a little over cooked. It was a high medium versus a med rare. Still tasted great. (I did not say anything but I am sure they would have fixed it) Okra was hot and crispy and was on a sauce that accented it well. The potatoes were dense and were a little on the cool side. They offered to replace them but I was planning on just having the one bite and taking them home so declined. I only pointed it out so they could turn up the heat whatever they were using to hold them.

My wife had the blackened MahiMahi and it was the star of the show. The fish was cooked dean on and had nice crust with a great delicate flavor. I am not a fish fan and any hint of fishiness turns me off. I would have eaten her whole dish if she would have let me. We had the lobster mac and cheese. Was very good. Small pieces of lobster amidst cheesy goodness.

I asked about whisky selection and she brought me a whisky menu telling me how great the whisky selection is. Upon coming back, she asked if I wanted anything and I politely declined as the menu was basically core line nothing special. She then mentioned they have a speakeasy next door and that she could get anything from there also. I stepped through the door in the hall way and discovered a wonderful display of great whiskies. I finished the night with a pour of 25 year old laphroaig

Service was outstanding, bright and upbeat. Ran pretty much at the speed it should have where we weren't rushed nor did we ever have to look for her. They do a nice job of packaging leftovers instead of just bringing you a to go container.

Would definitely return and encourage others to go there when looking for a nice evening out. I will be back as there are several things we didn't get to try that I want to.
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Thank you for the solid review. Definitely going to go back in to try that fish!

It's just so good and such a beautiful spot. Great place to sit at the bar or go to the adjoining bar, The Daley.

I went on Christmas Eve a couple of years ago and it was a fun and fantastic experience.

Frida's one of the best and most consistent restaurants in OKC... I don't think we've ever been disappointed there. The shrimp and grits on their brunch menu (may be on their regular menu) is my favorite in town.

Their brunch might be my favorite in the city, either them or the Jones

I completely understand why they are doing what they're doing but I wish so bad that they would revert to the original concept of the Daley being separate from Frida. It was such a great little hole-in-the-wall when it opened. And to be fair, still is, but went there with another couple last week for a 5:30 happy hour and was hoping to sit at a table, but all of the tables were still being used for Frida reservations later in the evening so we had to sit at the bar, which is just slightly more awkward for a group. Again, it's a great "problem" that Frida has so many reservations it needs the tables, but the Daley is just such a great space as its own concept and wish it would go back to being as such.

That and Goro moving into a new space and re-opening Gun are my two biggest OKC restaurant-related wishes by a mile.

I completely understand why they are doing what they're doing but I wish so bad that they would revert to the original concept of the Daley being separate from Frida. It was such a great little hole-in-the-wall when it opened. And to be fair, still is, but went there with another couple last week for a 5:30 happy hour and was hoping to sit at a table, but all of the tables were still being used for Frida reservations later in the evening so we had to sit at the bar, which is just slightly more awkward for a group. Again, it's a great "problem" that Frida has so many reservations it needs the tables, but the Daley is just such a great space as its own concept and wish it would go back to being as such.

That and Goro moving into a new space and re-opening Gun are my two biggest OKC restaurant-related wishes by a mile.

Frida delivers pretty much every time ..

Gun was right there as a great concept i wish it would return