Press Release - Border Grill’s Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken with Blue Window’s Kajsa Alger Partner with The Huntington to Create Dynamic New Dining Destination

SAN MARINO, Calif.—Those who love Border Grill’s authentic, modern Mexican cuisine created by celebrated chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken will be able to enjoy it in an unexpected new location starting on Nov. 2: the main café at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Additionally, fans of Kajsa Alger’s accessible global fare featured at her Blue Window locations in Los Angeles no doubt will be delighted to find her serving dumplings and noodles in the tea shop at The Huntington’s spectacular Chinese Garden.

“We see the introduction of world-class dining at The Huntington as a natural extension of who and what we are,” said Laura Skandera Trombley, Huntington President. “We are home to a 6,500-volume historic cookbook collection, including the first known printed cookbook—dating to 1475. Specially prepared good food beautifully matches our commitment to authenticity, quality, and culture. And, for that reason, we couldn’t be more excited to have Susan, Mary Sue, and Kajsa joining us at this time.”

The three Los Angeles chefs, whose names are synonymous with culinary innovation, will bring to The Huntington a focus on L.A.’s diverse cuisine, with support from Bon Appétit Management Co. In addition to creating exciting new menus, all three will collaborate with The Huntington and Bon Appétit on a series of cooking classes, "dinner salons” with special guests, and catering for community-focused and private events.

“We’re excited to offer a variety of new culinary options from Border Grill and Blue Window at The Huntington,” said Feniger (who also cofounded Blue Window with Alger). “In the heart of the San Gabriel Valley, surrounded by breathtaking botanical gardens, art collections, and renowned library holdings, and serving flavorful foods that reflect Southern California’s growing multi-cultural population, we hope to transform The Huntington into a place that inspires all the senses!”

Beginning Nov. 2, at the mini–Border Grill in the main café (newly renamed 1919), Feniger and Milliken will serve an array of dishes based on their iconic Border Grill restaurants. The menu will include their famous tacos on handmade corn tortillas with organic rice and beans, quesadillas, ceviche, and seasonal aguas frescas. Also at the café’s small-plates bar, Alger will oversee the creation of freshly made sushi, using seafood sourced according to Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch guidelines.

On Nov. 9, at the Chinese Garden’s Freshwater Dumpling and Noodle House, Alger and Feniger will begin offering dishes drawn from the many regions of China (as well as from Nepal and Mongolia). In the same way that the surrounding garden reflects the shift of seasons and harmonious balance, their food will shift through the landscape of China to explore diverse features and elements of surprise. "The Huntington has always been this little oasis within the city, a place where you can come and feel tranquil among the chaos,” said Alger. “We’re thrilled to be at the center of the Chinese Garden and to offer the simple dishes and flavors that I grew up with, spanning the regions of China. We're excited to work with Bon Appétit Management to create a place where the food is as special as our surroundings."