The first night I went out, I went to Border Grill in downtown L.A. I went there last year for the first time and simply fell in love with the food that they offer. At that time, I had done some research on restaurants by well-known chefs and ran across Border Grill run by Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, both contestants on Top Chef Masters. When I entered their restaurant for the first time last year, I was amazed by the decor and relaxing atmosphere that the restaurant has. It has little tables on one side of the restaurant, a long couch on the other side where you can relax with some drinks and cozy tables at the back of the restaurant.
Last year, I decided to have Roasted Lamb Tacos, which were just heaven. The meat was so tender it just melted in your mouth and the flavors were absolutely amazing. For an entree, I had Citrus Chicken Quesadillas, which were amazing. Everything is made from scratch, including the tortillas, and you can really taste the difference. For dessert, I ended up having their Tres Leches cake with a prickly pear sauce, which was the perfect ending.
This time, they had a special where you had a three-course dinner for only $28. So as an appetizer, I selected a Fig and Goat Cheese Empanada with a side arugula salad. The empanada was amazing. The combination of fig and goat cheese went so well together and the arugula salad was a great compliment. For the entree, I selected the Yucatan Pork, which was slow roasted in banana leaves. It came with mashed plantains, caramelized onions and brussels sprouts, which homemade tortillas on the side. I was amazed by all the flavors and how well they went together. I can tell you that the last time I ate brussels sprouts was when I was about 13 and I have never liked them. These were cooked to perfection and had no bitterness left in them whatsoever. If I were able to cook them like this, I would eat them all the time. For dessert, I ended up having Bread Pudding with Cajeta cheese and some vanilla ice cream, which was good but I expected more out of it.
I can't wait to visit them again. Below are some pictures of their delicious dishes. Check them out at www.bordergrill.com.
The second restaurant I was able to make it to is Red O Restaurant by Rick Bayless. Having been a Rick Bayless fan for years even though I haven't been able to make it to his star restaurants in Chicago, I didn't want to miss out on this opportunity. I already had a little taste of his amazing Mexican flavors right before I left to L.A. as he recently opened a little place in Chicago's O'Hare airport in terminal 2. And since I had some time before my flight, I had to try it out. Make sure you do too if you are flying through O'Hare.
I went on a Thursday night to The Red O, but even so, the restaurant was packed. The decor inside is amazing. It has lots of little areas for some privacy and many areas with couches to lounge around. You can check out the pictures on www.redorestaurant.com.
Their menu is very extensive, which makes it hard to choose because everything sounds so delicious. I ended up going with the Pollo en Mole Poblano. I simply had to try it since Rick Bayless is famous for his complex moles - one of the reasons he won Top Chef Masters first season. The flavors were absolutely great even though I had expected a little more heat. The chicken was also cooked to perfection with an incredible crispy outside skin. You could hear it crackle as I cut through the chicken. For dessert, I ended up having Churros with dipping chocolate. Churros are Mexico's version of donuts and while I was pretty full, I just couldn't resist eating all of them, especially with the chocolate as a compliment. I can't wait to make it to his flagship restaurant in Chicago.
