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In honor of the Frida Kahlo exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Xochitl (so-cheet) is offering a delectable prix fixe menu of some of Frida’s favorites. Xochitl, an upscale Mexican restaurant in the heart of the Head House Square, offers warm ambiance, great drinks and an innovative yet traditionally influenced menu. My friend Tom and I were lucky enough to get a chance to taste the fare and sample some of Xochitl’s signature cocktails.

Here’s a quick run-down:

The downstairs bar at Xochitl

Upon arrival, I decided to order a cocktail. I asked the bartender’s advice, and he recommended the Seňor Barriga. This thyme and lime based drink was refreshing and had just a hint of jalapeňo for flavor. If you like mojitos, you’ll love this.

As starters, we had the noodle soup with vegetables, the cactus and cheese salad and the turkey meatballs. Everything was great! I’m a big fan of cactus salad, and the queso fresco was perfectly balanced with the tomato-based dressing. Tom said the meatballs were good”"nice and moist. Although we didn’t taste the pozole, our tablemates said it was pretty darn good, too!

The Main Course: on the Frida menu, diners have the choice of Revoltijo (giant shrimp with cactus, potatoes, watermelon and jicama), Chiles en Nogada (a ground-beef stuffed poblano pepper with fruit and nuts, and covered in a creamy walnut sauce; this is one of Frida’s favorites) or Borrego en Salsa Borracha (lamb in a “drunken sauce”"”Tom confirmed the lamb was amazing). We topped off our dinners with the special Frida cocktail and a bottle of Negra Modelo.

After dinner, we received a small palate cleanser of fruit and tequila, and then we got pumpkin flan and Mexican fritters (buňelos). The desserts were wonderful”"especially the buňelos. They featured plaintains, crispy dough and a boule of cajeta ice cream (a lot like dulce de leche).

We had a delightful time sampling the exciting dishes on the Frida menu, and you can too! The Frida menu is available starting February 20th “”so go see the exhibit and head over to Xochitl for a nice treat (that rhymes).

Four course Frida Kahlo menu: $35/person

Xochitl
408 South 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA
(215) 238-7280