Results tagged “bordergrill”

The lines were long--but moving--this weekend in the mobile food court section of the Abbot Kinney Festival. Posted along one branch of the annual street fair and community gathering were several of the city's trendiest restaurants, all on four wheels, among them The NomNom Truck, Get Shaved, and Coolhaus. In line to get some grub at the Border Grill truck, however, a friend leaned over to me and asked: "So, is it that all these trucks are started up and run by really young people just getting into the business?"

Getting a taco from a truck isn't new by a longshot--it's been a way of life here in Los Angeles for hundreds of thousands of people for years and years. Lunch trucks, push carts, and street vendors are old hat for many residents and longstanding threads in many neighborhoods' fabrics. And yet "food trucks" are a buzzword--a trendy buzzword at that--and the people behind the buzz are often thought to be, well, a little "bougie."

Devoted LAist reader Ashley requested a Westside version of Deacon Booze -- and as a former long-time resident of the Westsiiiiiiiiide, I'm more than happy to oblige. Here are some of my top spots for drinks in West LA -- (and trust me when I say I have TESTED these places more than a few times). Why not email me your picks for when you find yourself west of the 405? carrie@laist.com. Did I tell you love email? I sure do. Sigh. [Hits refresh.] Siiiiigh. [Refresh. Refresh.] SIIIIIIIIGGHHHH.

Of course, if you're planning a shindig or soiree of your own, check out LAist's two part series on throwing New Year's Eve parties covering the planning and the food.

Continue reading "Foodie Roundup: Bests, Books, Bonanzas"

The The LA Times is reporting that beginning February 9th, restaurants in Santa Monica will be facing a ban on nonrecyclable foam and plastic, as city officials are "hoping to put an end to the blight of discarded take-out boxes and beverage cups on their beach." The City of Santa Monica outlines the reasons for their decision on their website:

Expanded polystyrene and non-recyclable plastic together make up the largest amount of waste that ends up on Santa Monica’s beaches. At the annual Coastal Cleanup Day, 10,000 volunteers came out to clean the beaches and in three hours picked up over 75,000 lbs. of trash, most of which was identified as Styrofoam® and plastic.

Many eateries in the area have already switched to biodegradable containers for take out food and "doggie bags" like the Border Grill on 4th Street, who began using containers made of corn-based materials this fall. The Times quotes Border Grill co-owner Mary Sue Milliken: "[Santa Monica] is a great place to set an example -- the city is small enough and there are enough progressive thinkers in government that we aren't daunted by the hassle of creating change."

Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, Food Network’s “Too Hot Tamales” are Chef/Owners of Border Grill Santa Monica, Border Grill Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, and Ciudad in Downtown Los Angeles. Last week we brought you a report from their fantastic Holidy Cooking Class (including two amazing recipes) and now it is our pleasure to share with you their tips for making your holiday gathering a deliciously smashing success.

TALK: Pulizer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold moderates a Zócalo discussion that focuses on “The Mexican Restaurant in Los Angeles.” Joining in on the roundtable are Gilberto Cetina of the Yucatecan restaurant Chichen Itza, Martin del Campo and Ramiro Arvizu of La Casita Mexicana, and Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger of Border Grill. 7 pm // Central Library – Mark Taper Auditorium // 630 W. 5th St., Los Angeles // Free. (Reservations are recommended.)...

Last weekend we were lucky enough to snag at seat at the demo-style Holiday Cooking Class hosted by Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, aka The Two Hot Tamales, at their Border Grill restaurant in Santa Monica. The room was packed with enchanted attendees focused on the endearing antics of the celeb chefs and the amazing food they were making, which we were served in tandem with the recipe demos. The menu was set to...

We at LAist love Zocalo's Public Square Lecture events (especially when they're either about porn or food porn) and we know lots of you love Mexican food. So we're excited about their event coming up on Tuesday December 11th called The Mexican Restaurant in Los Angeles, which will be moderated by Jonathan Gold, L.A. Weekly Restaurant Critic and idol-worthy food writer. The scoop and the lineup, from their website:Zócalo has gathered together some of the...

Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger are two of America's most beloved chefs. The duo have been business partners for over 20 years, beginning with the opening of City Cafe on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles in 1981. Currently they are hands-on owner-operators of the popular and critically acclaimed Border Grill restaurants in Santa Monica and Las Vegas, serving upscale, modern Mexican food in a hip, urban cantina setting. The pair also own and...

LAist knows that there's tons of great places to get your grub on in the city, but that many of our budgets don't necessarily afford us the luxury of checking them out. We also know that we're fortunate enough to be able to dine out, but that there's plenty of folks for whom a meal is not a given. Today kicks off two weeks of opportunities for dining out at reduced prices at some...

Chances are your plans for this weekend will include eating of some sort, so why not make eating your plans? Check out any or all of these three food-focused events taking place this weekend: September 15, 16, & 17: Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival Enjoy $17 Maine lobster meals and a variety of entertainment (free with admission) down at Ports O'Call Village in San Pedro. Admission is $8, Kids 12 & under free....

So the saying goes, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas." But what happens when Vegas is actually in Santa Monica's Barker Hangar?

As promised, LAist attended the Opening Reception event for this year's magnificent photo l.a.. This LAist, an ardent east-sider/Valley girl, was only a little bitter about making the rush hour trek to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, but since we know our south and west-bound streets well, made it there in record time. The place was brimming with all sorts of minglers, from young bohemians in scruffy denim, to older men and women in elegant evening wear and pricey suits. The Santa Monica Civic isn't the prettiest of venues, particularly with its arena concrete floors and sixties design aesthetic, but photo l.a. used the space well to set up a seemingly seamless maze of booths, each hung with representative photography and staffed with plesant and eager reps to show their wares. Our first stop was the food patio--it was dinnertime, and that drive made us hungry--to check out what kind of wine and cheese was being offered. Not only is this LAist an ardent east-sider/Valley girl, but she's also the LAist food girl, and we were tickled to see the food sponsors, like Border Grill/Ciudad (where aren't those two tamales?), Grace, Cinch, Cobras & Matadors, and Sonora Cafe. But, bestill our heart--is that Susina Bakery? And plates of gorgeous treats from La Provence? The most neglected table, curiously enough, was the one loaded with boxes from Krispy Kreme; can it be that their once-hot donuts are now passe?

Tonight, many Los Angeles-area restaurants join with OpenTable.com and the charitable organizations Share Our Strength and Windows of Hope to raise funds for relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina. The following restaurants are slated to participate: 310 Lounge & Bistro, Asia de Cuba, Border Grill, Chaya Brasserie, Chaya Venice, Ciudad, Doug Arango’s, The Edendale Grill, Il Fornaio Manhattan Beach, Il Moro, Joe’s, Josie, La Cachette, L.A. Prime, Literati II, The Lobster, Locanda del Lago, L’Orangerie, Madre’s, Mark’s, Mi Piace, Minibar, O-Bar, Ocean Avenue Seafood, Pacé in the Canyon, Reed’s, Röckenwagner, Tesoro Trattoria, and many, many more. A full listing with dining information is available via the OpenTable site's page for the event. A portion of the proceeds from your meal will support relief efforts. Reservations are recommended, and can be made via OpenTable, or by contacting the restaurant directly. Bring your appetites and help bring some relief; every little bit counts.

Well, it's another month in magazine publishing, so it's another month's list from the folks at Los Angeles Magazine. This time, like they do every year, they're apprising their readership of their picks for the "Best" in LA. We've noticed over the years that there's no particular method to their madness, just for them to make mention of 101 things that have struck their fancy this year in this city. In looking at their food and drink selections, we're frankly not surprised. They invoke a handful of the currently most dished about spots for dining in town; places they've name-dropped as recently as last month's "Cheap Eats" feature, like KP'S Deli, and places we've talked about, like The Farm of Beverly Hills (renowned here for their brownies), and The Border Grill (amazingly, for a non-alcoholic cocktail, the Minty Lime Cooler). We noticed a heavy favoritism towards restaurants in the Beverly Hills and adjacent areas, with only the ethnic entries coming from elsewhere around town (Middle Eastern at Mandaloun in Glendale, Tamales at Tamales Liliana in Boyle Heights). Naturally the inclusion of a "Small Plates" category was to hail the popular A.O.C., and we're also basking in the obviousness of the "Best Chowder" choice of downtown's Water Grill, highly reputed for their seafood. Some, like us, may balk at their assertion that Canter's Deli serves the best waffles, that the higher end Jar is the spot for french fries, and that a Curry House in Little Tokyo is the best spot for kids. So what was missing? We wish they'd settle our "Best Burger" debate, and also offer us insight on eats near and dear to us, like cupcakes (no mention, despite frequent foodie talk on the topic), ice cream, group dining, happy hour, and sushi. While we know that LA Mag's LA is not our LA, or that there's no such thing as one LA, but we sure wish they would up and surprise us.

LAist promised that we'd let you know when we went to check out Ciudad, Milliken & Feniger's downtown abode for inventive Latin American food. In fact, we're such keepers of our words that we even made our reservation via OpenTable.com, which earned us some more dining points. We'd been excited about this trip for some time now; we've been fans of the Border Grill for years, and were waiting for just the right time to head to the corner of 5th and Figueroa. The meal had a brilliant start, with their savory flatbread crackers and bread we dipped in their truly tasty tapenade, and our deliciously pink Guava-Cachaca (liquor made from sugar cane) cocktail. Our server was on her game (in thankful contrast to the patron reviews left on the Citysearch profile) and seemed to be training someone, although why this doesn't seem to get mentioned anymore in restaurants is a mystery to us. It left us feeling like we had a server and her hovering, silent, helpless shadow, and, much later, when the level of service began to dwindle, and the shadow was spotted serving on his own, we wondered why two people now couldn't manage the job of one.

Option One is for both the VIP Champagne Brunch & Tasting Event, and costs $150 per person. There are Noon and 1 p.m. seatings, which include an elegant brunch served in the historic Ivy Substation with patio seating, a preview of the Silent Auction, and full access to Tasting Event. Restaurants include Beacon, Bastide, Ford's Filing Station, Patina, and Valentino.

Coupons and specials for dining out are so hit and miss. Most often the fine print renders the coupon nearly useless, unless you want to eat dinner at 4:00 p.m. or you don't want to order alcohol, the savings expires in about ten minutes from now, or you have to order a certain number of entrees in order to save a couple of bucks. We went right to the fine print on the coupon that was handed to us with our receipt on a recent visit to our nearest Whole Foods Market. The "Border Girls," Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken, are gifting Whole Foods shoppers with a generous coupon for $20 off a lunch or dinner check of $50 or more at either of their Los Angeles eateries, Santa Monica's Border Grill, and Downtown's Ciudad. It's valid until August 31, 2005, says nothing about not including alcohol, and even has a friendly reminded to tip your server for the full amount of the check. All you have to do is remember to bring both the coupon and a Whole Foods receipt for any amount, and the savings are yours. We think this is a fantastic dining out deal. We're longtime fans of the Border Grill, and are eager to try the not-new but still often talked about Ciudad. We can even maximize the whole experience by reserving our table through OpenTable.com, too. We'll let you know how it goes! Three cheers for saving twenty bucks, and three cheers for those Border Girls!

The fifth day of the fifth month means celebration time for anyone with ties to Mexico, or an affinity for international holidays that involve hard liquor and good food. Here in LA, Cinco de Mayo is a hugely popular Fiesta time, and with the holiday landing on a Thursday, there's sure to be celebrations running through the weekend. In honor of 05/05/05, LAist would like to mention 5 great Mexican restaurants where you can get the eating portion of your party on. And, like we have been doing for the past couple of weeks, we ask you to holler out an "Ole!" on behalf of your own favorite. (Just don't dare mention Studio City's Mexicali; we hate that place with the fiery passion of a thousand suns.) In any event: Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Why is this relevant, you may wonder? Well, it seems that two of our favorite local chefs, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, of Border Grill and Ciudad fame, are in the running to become America's Next Top White House Chefs (if it were, in fact, a reality show).