REVIEW: Santa Monica Border Grill

After shopping at the Santa Monica store of west elm, the hip interior furnishing outlet of Williams-Sonoma, the spouse and I decided to check out the Border Grill since it was a mere two doors away on the same side of 4th street (near Broadway). Although I immediately run to change the channel when their radio show comes on KCRW on Saturday mornings (NPR's "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me..." on KPCC is a weekly guilty pleasure), I had heard that Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger are outstanding cooks so I wanted to check whether their spot lived up to the hype. Did it ever!

Although the drinks are almost twice as expensive as they should be ($3.5o for a Jamaica Ginger Tea? Ouch. $8 for a michelada? Yipes. $12 for a marguarita?! Good grief.) the food is incredibly delicious. We split the Border Classics bocadito ($14.50) which consisted of two sweet corn tamales, two plantain empanadas, and two chicken panuchos. The panuchos were the star of this plate, they consist of "black bean stuffed tortillas, roasted chicken, pickled onion, and guacamole." they were beautiful to look at (yellow tortilla, light brown roasted chicken, bright green guacamole and bright red pickled onion) and absolutely mouth-wateringly scrumptious to eat: moist, tender with a bright flash of competing flavors and textures. The plantain empanadas sound better on the menu than the actual result; they are a bit mushy and sweet and little more than a biteful, but also quite rich at the time. The sweet corn tamales are also mushy but quite yummy.

We also split an entree. The cochinita pibil ($12.50): "achiote marinated pork slow roasted in banana leaf with grilled onions, orange, and cinnamon served with white rice, black beans, and roasted plantains." Yes, it tastes as good (or better!) than it sounds. The official description does not do justice to the succulent nature of the pork; it also neglects to mention that there is a dash of guacamole added. Also, the sauce of the pibil is very piquant, although it is almost dominated by lime or lemon. Very tasty. We joined the "clean plate club"!

The portions are not large and the food is not cheap but it is absolutely worth it. The decor is "interesting." It is very colorful, with large drawn figures over bold orange painted walls and striking yellowish cube-shaped lamps hanging from a blue ceiling. The service was efficient, although we had to ask for the price of a non-alcoholic drink. Overall, an excellent dining experience, I look forward to exploring more Border Girls cooking, either at Border Grill again or possibly Ciudad in downtown LA.

REVIEW: A+.