Great Los Angeles Walk After Party at the Border Grill Santa Monica!

It's official: BORDER GRILL will help us celebrate post-Great Los Angeles Walk 2010!

The restaurant is setting aside space for us to gather and toast our 15.6-mile hike. As always, you're responsible for your own food and drink (so make sure you've got money/credit cards on you).

We'll head to Border Grill after taking group photos at the end of Wilshire, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. My guess? Around 4:30 to 5 p.m. ish. See you there!

Rate-A-Restaurant #222: Border Grill Truck

Restaurant: Border Grill Truck

Location: For this review, 5750 Wilshire Blvd. (Miracle Mile) -- but found all over the city

Type of restaurant: Mexican

We stipulated: I not only had a leftover free taco coupon from my Blogger Prom goodie bag, but needed lunch too. While the lines at the Border Grill truck were long, and both Kogi and Bool trucks were close by, I hadn't yet tried the only truck to come straight from the culinary minds of the Too Hot Tamales. (I've always liked both Border Grill and Ciudad, after all.)



They stipulated: From their website: "Presenting the bold flavors of modern Mexican cuisine, Border Grill Truck sets a new standard for mobile gourmet fare. Our menu is always evolving so this is just a sample of our most popular dishes. Be sure to ask about our farmers market specials and watch for secret passwords on Twitter and Facebook to get an exclusive taste of the latest chef creations."

What we ordered: Avocado Taco (chipotle salsa, creamy corn relish, pickled onion); Crispy Baja Fish Taco (chipotle honey, creamy salsa fresca); Cilantro Chicken Taco (tomatillo, creamy salsa fresca). Tacos cost between $2.50 and $3.



High point: I liked the uniqueness of the avocado taco, particularly the black sesame coating -- which gave it a nice crunch. And that tomato/onion/crema sauce that you see on all three tacos ins incredible.

Low point: It's not a long hike between the truck's parking spot on the Miracle Mile (when it's there at all, which is increasingly rare) and my office... but by the time I got back and began to eat, the fish in the fish taco had already gotten cold.



Overall impression: The Border Grill truck tacos are a bit more expensive than most taco trucks... but the gourmet nature of it is well worth the visit. Plus the service was strong: They even spotted me four cents when I was short. And the service was relatively quick.

Chance we'll go back: The BG truck seems to be mostly avoiding the Miracle Mile lately... but if and when they come back, I'll be there.

Border Grill Makes a Push To Get Into LAX

LAX continues to be a culinary wasteland -- particularly in some terminals. The Border Grill gals want to change that.

The restaurant has launched a campaign to try and persuade airport commissioners to allow an outpost of the Border Grill at LAX.

Here's a note from chef/owners Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger:

Wouldn't it be great to have the delicious Mexican food of Border Grill at the Los Angeles International Airport?

With a Border Margarita and a Yucatan Pork Taco, suddenly getting to the airport two hours early isn't that bad. Grab a Carne Asada Quesadilla to go, and you'll never go
hungry on a flight again.

For over 25 years, Border Grill has been shaping the food culture in Los Angeles. Now we're so excited at the possibility of showcasing Border Grill to the world at LAX. More importantly, we would love to share our food, flavors, and fun with you
when you're at the airport.

Yes, please. Go here for more info.

SPEAKING OF Feniger, she has signed on to compete in the next edition of Bravo's "Top Chef Masters." Here are the L.A.-based contestants for the competition, which returns for season two on April 7:

Govind Armstrong - 8 oz Burger Bar, Los Angeles, Calif.
Susan Feniger - Street, Los Angeles, Calif.
Ludo Lefebvre - Ludo Bites, Los Angeles, Calif.
Mark Peel - Campanile, Los Angeles, Calif.

Lefebvre and Peel return from season one.