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Mary Milliken
Chef/owner of Socalo, Border Grill Restaurants and Trucks, and BBQ Mexicana. Co-founder of RE:Her
Mary Sue Milliken is a James Beard and Julia Child award-winning chef, cookbook author, media personality, food system activist, and co-owner of Mundo Hospitality Group.346 She is best known for her modern Mexican concept, Border Grill restaurants, trucks, and catering, which she runs with her business partner of more than 35 years, Susan Feniger.14
Milliken and Feniger have sustained one of the most enduring business partnerships for over forty years.78 They are widely recognized as ambassadors of modern Mexican cuisine.2 Together, they also co-own Socalo and BBQ Mexicana.5
After graduating from Washburne Culinary Institute in Chicago, Milliken became the first female chef at Le Perroquet in 1978, where she met Susan Feniger.1346 She then cooked at the woman-owned, two-Michelin-star Restaurant D’Olympe in Paris before returning to Los Angeles to launch City Café in 1981 with Feniger, applying French techniques to dishes from around the world.1346 The culinary pair found further acclaim with CITY Restaurant in 1985 and captured the hearts of Angelenos with Border Grill’s debut that same year, which was evidenced by a James Beard Award.1346
Milliken and Feniger brought their innovative approaches to The Food Network with the Too Hot Tamales and Tamales World Tour series, along with the Los Angeles’ popular food-centric radio show, KCRW’s Good Food.16 In 2011, Milliken competed on season three of Bravo’s Top Chef Masters and won $40,000 for her chosen charity, Share Our Strength.146 She has also co-authored five cookbooks.146
Milliken uses her platform to enact societal change, serving on the boards of Share Our Strength and the James Beard Foundation.16 In 1993, she co-founded Women Chefs & Restaurateurs and Chefs Collaborative.146 She was also selected to join the U.S. State Department on the American Chef Corps to promote diplomacy through food in Pakistan, Malta, and Italy.16 Her passion for sustainability has led her to work with the L.A. Food Policy Council, Pew Charitable Trusts, Oxfam, and Monterey Bay Aquarium.146
In 2018, Feniger and Milliken were the recipients of the fourth annual Julia Child Award from The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts, marking the first women to be honored.16 This distinction complements additional accolades, including the Elizabeth Burns Lifetime Achievement Award from the California Restaurant Association in 2013, induction into the Menu Masters Hall of Fame in 2014, and the 2018 Gold Award from the Los Angeles Times for culinary excellence and innovation in Southern California.16

