Devoted LAist reader Ashley requested a Westside version of Deacon Booze -- and as a former long-time resident of the Westsiiiiiiiiide, I'm more than happy to oblige. Here are some of my top spots for drinks in West LA -- (and trust me when I say I have TESTED these places more than a few times). Why not email me your picks for when you find yourself west of the 405? carrie@laist.com. Did I......

The LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold names his "Top Ten Dishes of 2007" and curious palates all over the Southland take note. His picks include the porcetta at Brentwood's Vicenti (a rotisserie-cooked piece of pork where the "loin and belly are wrapped into a spiral, seasoned with fennel, and spit-roasted to a crackling, licorice-y succulence"), Donut Man's Strawberry Donut, and My Taco's Barbacoa (lamb), which we fell in love with too, when we checked out Garvanza.......

The The LA Times is reporting that beginning February 9th, restaurants in Santa Monica will be facing a ban on nonrecyclable foam and plastic, as city officials are "hoping to put an end to the blight of discarded take-out boxes and beverage cups on their beach." The City of Santa Monica outlines the reasons for their decision on their website:Expanded polystyrene and non-recyclable plastic together make up the largest amount of waste that ends up......

Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, Food Network’s “Too Hot Tamales” are Chef/Owners of Border Grill Santa Monica, Border Grill Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, and Ciudad in Downtown Los Angeles. Last week we brought you a report from their fantastic Holidy Cooking Class (including two amazing recipes) and now it is our pleasure to share with you their tips for making your holiday gathering a deliciously smashing success. 1. Impress your......

TALK: Pulizer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold moderates a Zócalo discussion that focuses on “The Mexican Restaurant in Los Angeles.” Joining in on the roundtable are Gilberto Cetina of the Yucatecan restaurant Chichen Itza, Martin del Campo and Ramiro Arvizu of La Casita Mexicana, and Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger of Border Grill. 7 pm // Central Library – Mark Taper Auditorium // 630 W. 5th St., Los Angeles // Free. (Reservations are recommended.)......

Last weekend we were lucky enough to snag at seat at the demo-style Holiday Cooking Class hosted by Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, aka The Two Hot Tamales, at their Border Grill restaurant in Santa Monica. The room was packed with enchanted attendees focused on the endearing antics of the celeb chefs and the amazing food they were making, which we were served in tandem with the recipe demos. The menu was set to......

We at LAist love Zocalo's Public Square Lecture events (especially when they're either about porn or food porn) and we know lots of you love Mexican food. So we're excited about their event coming up on Tuesday December 11th called The Mexican Restaurant in Los Angeles, which will be moderated by Jonathan Gold, L.A. Weekly Restaurant Critic and idol-worthy food writer. The scoop and the lineup, from their website:Zócalo has gathered together some of the......

Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger are two of America's most beloved chefs. The duo have been business partners for over 20 years, beginning with the opening of City Cafe on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles in 1981. Currently they are hands-on owner-operators of the popular and critically acclaimed Border Grill restaurants in Santa Monica and Las Vegas, serving upscale, modern Mexican food in a hip, urban cantina setting. The pair also own and......

LAist knows that there's tons of great places to get your grub on in the city, but that many of our budgets don't necessarily afford us the luxury of checking them out. We also know that we're fortunate enough to be able to dine out, but that there's plenty of folks for whom a meal is not a given. Today kicks off two weeks of opportunities for dining out at reduced prices at some......

Chances are your plans for this weekend will include eating of some sort, so why not make eating your plans? Check out any or all of these three food-focused events taking place this weekend: September 15, 16, & 17: Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival Enjoy $17 Maine lobster meals and a variety of entertainment (free with admission) down at Ports O'Call Village in San Pedro. Admission is $8, Kids 12 & under free.......

So the saying goes, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas." But what happens when Vegas is actually in Santa Monica's Barker Hangar? A week from Saturday, Sin City invades the City of Angels via a food and wine gala that is slated to include food and wine tastings amdist more than forty casino-style gaming tables and the music of DJ Five Star. Close to 40 top local eateries and 80 wineries will be......

As promised, LAist attended the Opening Reception event for this year's magnificent photo l.a.. This LAist, an ardent east-sider/Valley girl, was only a little bitter about making the rush hour trek to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, but since we know our south and west-bound streets well, made it there in record time. The place was brimming with all sorts of minglers, from young bohemians in scruffy denim, to older men and women in......

Tonight, many Los Angeles-area restaurants join with OpenTable.com and the charitable organizations Share Our Strength and Windows of Hope to raise funds for relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina. The following restaurants are slated to participate: 310 Lounge & Bistro, Asia de Cuba, Border Grill, Chaya Brasserie, Chaya Venice, Ciudad, Doug Arango’s, The Edendale Grill, Il Fornaio Manhattan Beach, Il Moro, Joe’s, Josie, La Cachette, L.A. Prime, Literati II, The Lobster, Locanda del......

Well, it's another month in magazine publishing, so it's another month's list from the folks at Los Angeles Magazine. This time, like they do every year, they're apprising their readership of their picks for the "Best" in LA. We've noticed over the years that there's no particular method to their madness, just for them to make mention of 101 things that have struck their fancy this year in this city. In looking at their......

LAist promised that we'd let you know when we went to check out Ciudad, Milliken & Feniger's downtown abode for inventive Latin American food. In fact, we're such keepers of our words that we even made our reservation via OpenTable.com, which earned us some more dining points. We'd been excited about this trip for some time now; we've been fans of the Border Grill for years, and were waiting for just the right time......

Share our Strength's Taste of the Nation is an annual event aimed at raising money to fight hunger. With over 60 cities in the U.S. and Canada participating, the event uses the power of sponsorship and the generous donations of participating chefs and restaurants to ensure that 100% of the ticket price goes to the cause. The Los Angeles event is Sunday June 5th, and has two levels of support aimed at giving donors......

Coupons and specials for dining out are so hit and miss. Most often the fine print renders the coupon nearly useless, unless you want to eat dinner at 4:00 p.m. or you don't want to order alcohol, the savings expires in about ten minutes from now, or you have to order a certain number of entrees in order to save a couple of bucks. We went right to the fine print on the coupon......

The fifth day of the fifth month means celebration time for anyone with ties to Mexico, or an affinity for international holidays that involve hard liquor and good food. Here in LA, Cinco de Mayo is a hugely popular Fiesta time, and with the holiday landing on a Thursday, there's sure to be celebrations running through the weekend. In honor of 05/05/05, LAist would like to mention 5 great Mexican restaurants where you can......

Even though the Presidential election is long over and no matter what your feelings on the outcome, one thing is for sure: The President has gotta eat. And who is in charge of what the President eats when he is kicking it in the west wing watching the latest monster truck race on TV? The White House Executive Chef, of course. Why is this relevant, you may wonder? Well, it seems that two of our......