Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, City Restaurant and Border Grill, Los Angeles, CA

In their years of working together, Milliken and Feniger seem to have found a success formula. They began their creative collaboration under Jovan Treboyevic's direction at Le Perroquet in Chicago. Later they went their separate ways, although both ended up working in France. When Feniger returned to California, she went back to the kitchen of Ma Maison, where she'd worked before, but devoted her mornings to City Cafe. Soon she became a partner in City Cafe, and Milliken joined her there. Gradually the culinary focus of the cafe has moved more towards Mexican fare. Their second, larger venture, the 125-seat City Restaurant, has a similar menu, but they've added new dishes based on Milliken's travels to Thailand and Feniger's culinary explorations in India.