The Chef Comes Full Circle

Since beginning his career at Border Grill in Santa Monica, California nearly 20 years ago, both Chef Scott Linquist and the brand have grown and evolved. Linquist, who found notoriety as the head of the restaurant group, Dos Caminos, has also authored a cookbook, Mod Mex,  and recently developed the menu and lead training efforts for El Toro Blanco in New York City.

Back at Border Grill, chefs and owners Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger have grown the brand from the west Los Angeles location where Linquist once externed, to an acclaimed restaurant group with locations in LA and Las Vegas, as wellas a popular and wildly successful food truck. In October, the team announced their reunion, welcoming back their former apprentice as Executive Chef, in charge of preparing Border Grill for the next generation.

What lead you back to Border Grill?

I was struggling to figure out how to stay in LA. I’ve been in New York for about 17 years, but my family is here, my high school friends are here. And it just so happened that the executive chef at Border Grill had just given notice, it was literally by coincidence I started chatting with them.

What was it like to return to the place you first started at nearly 20 years earlier?

It was kind of surreal because a lot of the same people work for them that worked in Santa Monica when I was there. That is a testament to them, in that they have people like that still working with them and that explains why I work with them.

Border Grill is obviously an old favorite in LA. What can we expect to change?

The idea is to standardize the menus so each restaurant has some classic menu items everyone is executing about and then give each chef some freedom. Border Grill was ground breaking: the farm-to-table idea started with them as well as modern Mexican cuisine. The idea now is to take Border Grill into a new era.

You were also involved in the recent opening of El Toro Blanco in New York City. What was it like to work on that project?

Working with Josh Capon (the corporate chef there) and John McDonald was great. I wrote the menu and recipes and then worked on the ground two or three weeks prior to opening, training the chefs, working with the chefs, doing tastings. I was there for the opening and about 5 days in went back to Los Angeles. For the most part, it’s been highly embraced.

What has kept you so loyal to Mexican cuisine throughout your career?

I love it. People say, “You cook Mexican food and you’re not Mexican.” That’s because I love it. The food I’m serving isn’t always authentic, that wouldn’t suit the American diner. Everything I do on a menu is based on something I learned in Mexico. You learn about the cuisine from the people and the street vendors. You take what you learn and adapt it for a restaurant on Park Avenue. I like to think i am sort of an ambassador for the cuisine.

What’s you’re favorite light Mexican dish?

Pescado a la Veracruzana is one of my favorites of all time. It’s a classic dish from the city of Veracruz, a city in which the French and Spanish conquered. It’s made with local snapper from the region with tomato, capers, olive and garlic. It’s so simple, light, healthy and delicious. I’m also really into ceviche and doing fun things with it. They started preserving fish with citrus juices and salt, we don't need to keep it from spoiling we just buy really good quality.

What is the most exciting thing happening in the culinary world right now?

I’ve never been one to embrace all the gastronomy. The over-manipulation of food, that’s really not my thing. Farm-to-table is a huge trend right now. Mary Sue and Susan were pioneers in that 20 years ago.

What is your number one resolution for 2013?

I'm looking forward to opening new restaurants while balancing that with life. I think when you’re happy and content with life, you’re just much more creative and much more productive. The reality of not working that way is it doesn’t inspire creativity. I think it’s going to be beneficial for the food and for the restaurant.