This week, Ira Sternberg spoke with Celebrity Chef Mary Sue Milliken.
Mary Sue Milliken is co-chef/owner of the popular, critically acclaimed Border Grill restaurants in Santa Monica, Downtown Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, serving upscale, modern Mexican food in a hip, urban cantina setting. She is also co-chef/owner of the gourmet taco truck phenomenon, the Border Grill Truck.
A pioneer of world cuisine since the creation of City Café and CITY Restaurant in Los Angeles in the 1980’s, Mary Sue is a preeminent ambassador of authentic Mexican cuisine, setting the standard for gourmet Mexican fare for over two decades.
Always a trailblazer, Milliken was the first female chef to work at Chicago's prestigious Le Perroquet in the late 1970's, going on to train at a Michelin 2-star, female chef owned restaurant in Paris, and later joining a handful of progressive women chefs to found Women Chefs & Restaurateurs.
A business partner with Chef Susan Feniger for more than 25 years, Mary Sue is co-author of five cookbooks, including Cooking with Too Hot Tamales, Mesa Mexicana, and City Cuisine. Mary Sue co-starred along with Susan in 400 episodes of Food Network’s “Too Hot Tamales” and “Tamales World Tour,” and has appeared as a guest on everything from “Iron Chef America” and “Oprah” to “Good Day LA,” “The Today Show” and most recently competed on season three of Bravo's “Top Chef Masters," raising $40,000 for Share Our Strength.