LOS ANGELES, Calif. (JUNE 26, 2018) — The Experience Magazine stopped by the Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feinberg hot spot Border Grill in downtown Los Angeles. Mary Sue and Susan are legendary restauranteurs who have a Border Grill in downtown Santa Monica, downtown Los Angeles, and coming in October of 2018, a new Border Grill on 20th and Santa Monica Boulevard in the Mid City area of Los Angeles. This past Thursday, we went to Border Grill in downtown Los Angeles to see manager Daniel, expert server Henry and we even got to meet executive chef Giovanni Lopez. You can’t go to Border Grill without sampling one of their handcrafted cocktails.
Henry recommended a Grapefruit Serrano Mule. This was so refreshing and a real tasty cocktail. It had tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, ginger beer and Serrano chile. We also tried the Sparkling Stiletto. This drink has vodka, orange liqueur and prickly pear. These drinks were a perfect start to our meal.
We got right down to business when the Heirloom Tomato and Watermelon Salad arrived. There was a touch of watercress, chile lime pipettes and a chimoe salsa. This vege dish was so tasty and perfect for summer. The Border Grill always prepares fresh and gourmet style food. This meal was the best Border Grill meal that I’ve had. The chips at Border Grill are light and crispy. They come with three different salsas. Each one is as tasty as the last. Henry recommended the Grilled Fish and it was a good choice. This was a sustainable wild caught trout with a gourmet cucumber citrus slaw, avocado, a sprinkling of lettuce and a roasted jalapeño aioli. Great flavor and the presentation was superb.
We got to try the Pollo Adobado which is a roasted chicken dish with a touch of burnt cauliflower, a garlic mojo and an herb salad. This was the surprise dish of the night. First of all, the cauliflower had a crispy outer crunch to it. I don’t know if chef Giovanni did this on purpose, but it added to the chicken’s flavor. The garlic mojo was so good too. This handmade sauce was spooned over the chicken on every bite. The cauliflower as well was seasoned with the garlic mojo. What a dish!
I really wanted to try the Sautéed Shrimp. Mary Sue and Susan go out of their way to get fresh ingredients for each dish. The shrimp were so tasty. On a bed of organic rice sat a generous portion of shrimp flavored with chile ancho, garlic, parsley and a side of braised green beans. I told Chef Giovani that I could taste a hint of lemon in the sauce. He was proud of the food he had prepared for the night. The food is prepared by a chef. I’m not sure that people understand that. There’s a big difference in a meal assembled by a cook and a meal prepared by an executive chef.
The big news about Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feinberg at Border Grill is that they are opening a new location in Los Angeles on 20th Street and Santa Monica Boulevard in October. The Experience Magazine looks forward to covering the opening and the menu at the new location.
As we dinned on an amazing meal, the restaurant began to fill up. Henry recommended some dessert and how could we say no? The Tres Leches cake was delicious and expertly presented.The hisotry of the Tres Leches cake goes back to medieval times when the British invenetd a cake soaked in liquid like the Tifle cake. Also, the Italians invented tiramisu during this time. Mexico’s Tres Lecehes cake, which means “three milks” in English, was invented in the 1800’s.
We also went on for the Churro Tots and the Chocolate Tots. These authentic Mexican creations were a perfect end to our meal. It was such a pleasure to dine at Border Grill downtown. The Experience Magazine recommends that you stop by Border Grill today for an upper level gourmet experience.
Check out the Border Grill website here.
