Hi foodies! I have just returned from a culinary journey in Los Angeles and am so excited to share it with all of you. First, I will tell you about Border Grill. The meal was great!
Border Grill 445 S. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90071
(April 2012-Dinner)
The fun and wacky art work throughout Border Grill transports the diner into another world of amazing Mexican cuisine. Once the food hits the table you never want to leave this paradise. The staff at Border Grill is extremely friendly and everyone is enthusiastic in what they do. The Bar Manager, Jane Park, was a pleasure to speak to and very nice. Mary Sue Milliken was at the restaurant during my visit and was very nice. She gave me some great recommendations on the menu. For the appetizers my favorite was the Plantain Empanadas in which the dough was made out of plantains. Mary Sue said that the inspiration for this was a pie with the pie dough made with plantains. The plantain empanadas were filled with black beans, poblanos, and cotija cheese. These empanadas were delicious. Another great appetizer was the Green Corn Tamale. It was so good. I also had the Quinoa Fritters. The fried up beauties were made even better with the garlic aioli. The Border Guacamole was amazing. The avocados were of perfect ripeness and it was complemented with simple ingredients and nothing over the top. The Ceviche Trio was great because it had all three amazing ceviches at Border Grill. They serve the peruvian ceviche, tiradito verde, and baja ceviche. The peruvian ceviche was very flavorful and very good. The tiradito ceviche was refreshing and light. The baja ceviche was nice and bold in flavor with a wonderful bite from the shrimp mixed in. Before I talk about entrees I must say that Border Grill makes their own tortillas, corn and flour. They were both incredible. My favorite entree was the Carnitas. This dish consisted of pork, roasted corn grits, black bean huitlacoche salsa, and chipotle glazed bacon. The corn grits were incredible with the smooth grits and the added texture of the pieces of corn inside. The chipotle glazed bacon was outrageous. Another yummy entree was the Pescado Veracruzano. This was a pan seared sustainable fish, which was Mahi Mahi that night, in a great white wine garlic broth. The Grilled Skirt Steak was delicious. I loved the charred corn that came with it. The Fava Bean Amaranth Fritters were great. The fritters came with some lovely greens including amaranth, which is like spinach, but sweeter. For dessert my favorite was the Churro Tots. The churros were delicious and it came with great chocolate and caramel dipping sauces. Another scrumptious dessert was the Banana Cream Pie. The whole dish had a wonderfully rich caramel and rum flavor to it. The Zesty Lime Tart was yummy too. The citrus and tartness was perfect. The Lemon Cheesecake was very good with a very powerful lemon taste. The Espresso Kahlua Flan had an intense coffee flavor that was great. The Coconut Tres Leches was moist and delicious. Border Grill was an amazing dining experience that is a must-try in Los Angeles.
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| (From Left to Right) Green Corn Tamales, Quinoa Fritters, Plantain Empanadas |
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| Ceviche Trio |
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| Pescado Veracruzano |
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| Carnitas |
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| (From Left to Right) Lemon Cheesecake, Espresso Kalua Flan, Zesty Lime Tart, Coconut Tres Leches |
Border Grill was great! For more mouth-watering pictures go to the
Foodie Finders NYC Facebook page. There are a lot more Los Angeles reviews to go, so be back soon. Also to jump back to what's happening in New York, Long Island Restaurant Week has begun and will be running until April 29.
-Mike
