Covington’s mezcal bar and taqueria Frida 602 is the second MainStrasse eatery for owners Paul Weckman and his wife Emily Wolff, who also run Otto’s down the street. Named after colorful painter Frida Kahlo, the restaurant mirrors her work with cerulean bar stools, bright-orange chairs, a floral banquette and Day of the Dead artwork, including decorative calaveras everywhere, and candles in the fireplace, which illuminate the upstairs dining room. But you’re not necessarily here for the Mexico City décor; you’re more likely here for the tacos. The restaurant offers five different tacos à la carte, served on corn tortillas with pickled red onion, radish and cilantro, the most delicious of which are the fish tacos, thick slices of mild mahi mahi, seared or tempura fried with pineapple slaw; the chicken tacos, stuffed with spit-roasted and spiced chicken, honey poblano slaw and black bean-mango salsa; and the incredibly interesting vegetarian Brussels sprout tacos. The slightly caramelized sprouts are sautéed and topped with a rich peanut salsa to produce an unexpected flavor explosion. On Tuesdays, the chicken tacos are only $2 (instead of $4), so you can double up while you sip on one of the complexly layered mezcal-laced house cocktails. Mezcal adds a smoky flavor to drinks like the Oaxacan mule and spicy Paloma, a palate pleaser with bitter grapefruit and spicy jalapeño simple syrup. Frida 602, 602 Main St., Covington, Ky., 859-815-8736, facebook.com/frida602.
Previous Winners
We write these words not to encourage the fine proprietors of Over-the-Rhine staple Senate to raise their prices but to acknowledge that without such a deal many of us would not often indulge in such fare. The “$25 wood-grilled, dry-aged ribeye” — which costs just $24 — with marrow butter and truffle fries is kind of like getting half-off a badass fancy meal. You can spend the other 20 bucks on the restaurant’s excellent beer, wine and cocktail lists. Or, if you’re one of those people who uses a budget app to make yourself feel guilty about how often you eat out, go with the $17 seared scallops or slum it with a $10 award-winning street dog until you’re deserving of the full steak treatment. Senate, 1212 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-421-2020, senatepub.com.
Some might argue that any good restaurant on the West Side is a hidden gem, but Sakura truly takes the cake. Located off I-74, this Japanese steakhouse is really hard to find from the street and must be accessed from Old Rybolt Road past the BP gas station or via Rybolt Road past the Holiday Inn, near the closed (we hope) Imperial House Hotel. The adventure continues inside, where patrons can choose from a seat at a Teppanyaki grill table or a spot at the sushi bar for classic rolls and rice dishes. If the music and lights emanating from the adjacent Hillside Gastropub tempt you, just head next door for drinks, jams and dad dancing. Sakura Steakhouse, 5510 Rybolt Road, Dent, 513-574-9666, searchable on Facebook.
Very few things beat waking up in the morning as a kid and sliding twin Pop-Tarts into the toaster for a morning jolt of sugar. Benjamin Arington, owner, creator and chef of Fat Ben’s Bakery, has taken that childhood nostalgia and updated it for 2017 (and for grown-ups) with the creation of his pastry pockets. The pockets are rectangular crusty pastries filled with classy flavor combos like strawberry cheesecake, blackberry thyme and pineapple rosemary. And if you don’t feel like adulting quite yet, Arington also offers flavors like milk and cereal, chocolate PB fudge and Girl Scout Cookie. While you can only order the addictive pastry pockets online for now, a Fat Ben’s storefront is coming soon. Fat Ben’s Bakery, 917-628-8202, fatbensbakery.com.
