Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger: Restaurants and Real Impact

Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger have spent more than four decades cooking, creating and collaborating.

They became household names as the “Too Hot Tamales” on the Food Network in the 1990s. Over nearly 400 episodes, they brought regional Mexican flavors to life for a national audience. In 2018, they made history by becoming the first women — and the first duo — to receive the prestigious Julia Child Award at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

Today, the partners remain as active as ever, with two newer restaurants — Socalo Santa Monica and Alice B. Palm Springs — and a new service business called Feedfolks (part of Border Grill Group), now expanding into a new commissary kitchen with support from East West Bank. They also continue to use their platform to help others excel in the restaurant industry, supporting causes like community health, education and cultural engagement.

Their story is one of adaptability and endurance, offering entrepreneurs lessons on resilience, reinvention and how to build something that lasts.

A Partnership That Endures

Few culinary partnerships have stood the test of time like Milliken and Feniger’s. Through shifting food trends, economic swings and cultural change, they have always returned to the strength of their collaboration.

"People say our partnership has lasted longer than most marriages,” Feniger says with a laugh. “And when things get tough, that’s when I feel like our partnership is strongest.”

Milliken agrees, framing their longevity around adaptability. “The only constant is change,” she says. “You have to embrace it.”

That mindset became especially critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. With dining rooms shuttered and an uncertain future for restaurants, the duo pivoted quickly — not just to survive, but to serve. They began preparing meals for frontline workers through initiatives like World Central Kitchen’s #ChefsForAmerica. What started as a temporary solution soon evolved into a new income stream.

"For our team, it was energizing to be able to be back at work, but also to feel like they were helping to feed their community,” Feniger says.

By the end of 2020, Milliken and Feniger formally established Feedfolks as a social impact business rooted in service.

Feedfolks: From Crisis Response to Creative Expansion

Built on a foundation of community care, Feedfolks now contracts with nonprofit organizations and government partners to deliver meals to a wide variety of communities in need. The company has supported hospitals, community clinics and (most recently) provided thousands of meals to firefighters battling the Eaton and Pacific Palisades Fires in January 2025.

Milliken says the growth of Feedfolks reflects a broader mindset: “We really have thought about how to creatively diversify our income stream. That’s why we’re building out this big, 11,000-square-foot commissary kitchen in Huntington Park with the help of East West Bank. We’ll diversify further by doing a lot of new and really cool things like co-pack cakes for [gourmet gift company] Goldbelly that are made to the specifications of, say, Martha Stewart, Ina Garten or Duff Goldman.”

That same spirit of adaptability and purpose continues to shape the restaurants they open.

Alice B. Palm Springs: Hospitality With Heart

In Palm Springs, the chefs recently launched Alice B. at Living Out, a 55-plus LGBTQ+ residential community. The restaurant serves residents and the broader community, creating a space designed for connection, dignity and joy.

“What I love is giving residents a place that could be their ‘Cheers’ bar,” Feniger says. “For people who have lost their husband, wife or partner, Alice B. is a safe and interesting way to meet other people who have common interests. It feels like home.”

Alice B. was named one of the 101 best restaurants in California by the Los Angeles Times. More importantly, it shows how a restaurant can be both a dining destination and a social anchor.

That same belief — that food is about community as much as cuisine — underpins the partners’ newest iteration of modern Mexican cuisine in Santa Monica.

Socalo Santa Monica: The Neighborhood Square

Milliken and Feniger opened Socalo in 2020, just before the pandemic. The restaurant was designed as a neighborhood gathering place, with a menu that blends Mexican traditions and Southern California influences, and walls decorated with street art by Milliken’s son artist Clark Oswald.

The name itself is a play on zócalo, the town square at the heart of Mexican cities. Here, “Socalo” reflects a Southern California version of that same idea.

“When Mary Sue and I traveled all around Mexico, the zócalos are where we would go late at night to eat great street food,” said Feniger. “Santa Monica is such a neighborhood, so we wanted Socalo to be that local hang.”

Socalo has since become the perfect laid-back spot to savor seasonal Mexican dishes and soak up the beachy SoCal vibe.

Mentoring, Outreach and Giving Back

Over the years, Milliken and Feniger have supported countless causes, fundraisers and community organizations. Each has led signature efforts with outsized impact.

During the pandemic, Milliken met weekly on Zoom with fellow women restaurateurs to navigate the crisis together and identify available grants. That led Milliken to establish Regarding HER, a nonprofit network of more than 1,300 women in food and beverage that provides mentorship, visibility and resources to accelerate women’s careers.

“It’s been the most rewarding experience to be able to help these women with stuff we had to learn the hard way,” says Milliken. 

Feniger adds, “Being mentors to people is something that has always been extremely important for both of us, and part of what makes this career so satisfying.”

Mentoring seniors and youths is the focus of another program that Feniger helped establish at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. As a board member, Feniger spearheaded the Culinary Arts Program — a 12-week training course that brings LGBTQ+ students together to learn kitchen skills and build confidence.

“What I love is not necessarily that they're going to come out and be chefs, but that it gives students who have come in off the streets the skills to be able to cook for themselves and the confidence to go out and get a job,” says Feniger.

For both chefs, their work reflects the values that they have long championed in their kitchens: respect, dignity and care for others. Their achievements as pioneers and mentors in the food industry and their influence on American cuisine were recognized on a national stage when they were honored at the Smithsonian.

Recognition at the Smithsonian

In 2018, Milliken and Feniger became the first women — and the first duo — to receive the Julia Child Award. The honor was celebrated at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, where artifacts from their respective careers now reside.

“The Smithsonian actually came and curated all kinds of things from our kitchens,” Milliken says. “The whole process was such an honor.”

Feniger adds, “That award at the Smithsonian — having the dinner — it was truly magical. We each felt like we were getting married because all these people were coming in from out of town for a whole weekend of celebration.”

The award marked a milestone in an enduring partnership defined by creativity and impact — one that helped shape how Americans experience modern Mexican cuisine.

Lessons for Entrepreneurs From Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger

While the partners’ culinary achievements have earned national recognition, it’s the longevity and strength of their partnership that offer enduring lessons for entrepreneurs. Their insights extend far beyond the kitchen.

“We’ve always respected each other’s differences,” Feniger says. “That’s what makes it work.”

She adds, “If someone isn’t the right fit, you have to move on respectfully — but quickly. It’s that idea of failing forward fast.”

Milliken ties it back to strategy: “We really have thought about how to creatively diversify our income stream.”

Taken together, their advice is refreshingly practical: embrace change, act decisively, respect differences and think creatively about growth.

After more than four decades of working side by side, Milliken and Feniger are still cooking, still learning, still mentoring — and still proving that adaptability and generosity are not just compatible, but essential to long-term success.

If you’re inspired by Milliken and Feniger’s decades of creativity and warmth, visit bordergrill.com to discover how you can enjoy their modern Mexican cuisine.