Five years ago, a derelict IHOP languished on the corner of 20th and Santa Monica Boulevard. Today, it’s unrecognizable as SOCALO beams with a vibrant ambiance and tantalizing Mexican flavors, courtesy of iconic Santa Monica culinary duo, Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger.
"We were intrigued with the idea where we have such a history in Santa Monica. We love the neighborhood and we love the Santa Monicans that we’ve been feeding since they were having their birthday, their five year old birthday parties at Border Grill, and now they have their own five year olds," said Milliken.
The landlord of what is now the Gateway Hotel approached the chefs back in 2018 about transforming the desolate IHOP into a more approachable and modern restaurant for the neighborhood that would add to the appeal of the new hotel. The longtime duo was ecstatic to start fresh with a new place, and a new approach.
"It’s a little bit off the beaten track. We like those locations that nobody can find. But I think with the hospital and all the post-production places that were around, we [thought] that doing the kind of lunch service that we do here would be interesting for this area, and we’d never done that before," said Feniger.
Having worked together for almost 40 years, Feniger and Milliken have used their shared French culinary training to develop a variety of restaurants in Santa Monica, Las Vegas, and Pasadena, including the Border Grill, which opened its first location here in 1984. Each restaurant shares a strong attention to detail and time, but differs in the unique ways they are inspired by their particular cuisine and local communities.
"We wanted it to be an opportunity for us to kind of move in a little bit different direction than Border Grill. And that’s what we do together pretty well is we evolve. We’re constantly evolving our partnership and evolving our ideas about food and … what do neighborhoods want these days," said Milliken.
That different direction was to create a more nuanced type of taco joint, featuring a modern twist on Mexican cuisine made with local ingredients. At SOCALO, which combines the abbreviation for Southern California, and the Spanish term for a town square "zocalo," customers can gather for a high-quality meal with an upbeat ambiance. They offer counter-service tacos for lunch, perfect for those stopping in on a work day, and full service dining for dinner, which includes craft beers, wines, tequilas, and mezcals, all sourced directly from Mexico. Most dishes feature produce sourced directly from the Santa Monica Farmers Market.
To steer the restaurant in a different direction, Milliken and Feniger brought in a new face, Chef Raul Plascencia, to work alongside their long-time Chef Enrique Soltero as the heads of the kitchen. "This is very unusual because usually we have chefs that have worked for us for many, many, many years. It’s a new team and we’re excited about that because they bring new ideas," said Feniger.
Those new ideas include more paired wine dinners, possible beer tastings, and enhanced catering. Milliken and Feninger have introduced a small private room that they hope to make more available for parties and private events, which features hilarious and striking murals of dogs made by Milliken’s son, Clark Oswald.
The owners could have never predicted the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic, which hit mere months after opening in late 2019. Thanks to their long history together in the food industry, Feniger and Milliken felt assured in their ability to rise above, having survived during the 1992 LA riots and the 1994 Northridge earthquake. They got down to work, transitioning solely to take-out and meal kits, and eventually opening an outdoor patio which they now plan to keep post-pandemic.
"I’m happy with SOCALO and where we are. I feel like we’ve done a really good job of, of getting through the pandemic … We see more new faces… I went to yoga the other day at Yoga Changes, and three of the ladies [were] like, ‘that’s my favorite restaurant!"’ said Milliken.
Part of what keeps the business alive is not simply the inventive Mexican cuisine, but the strength of a partnership that has lasted longer than most marriages. Having known each other for almost 50 years, Milliken and Feniger are exemplary in their ability to navigate each other’s strengths and weaknesses to the benefit of both their business and their friendship.
"It’s been a long, slow building of trust and allowing each other to have more and more space. And now it’s just like we’re two old sisters that have been hanging out together for 50 years," said Milliken.
Walking into SOCALO, it’s impossible to not feel the positive energy the ladies have put towards the food, and each other.
"I think our strengths are really, they’re really in sync and it makes the difficult times …" started Feniger "... so much more bearable. It’s so much more fun to have somebody to fail with," interjects Milliken.
For more information check out the restaurant’s website.
Antoinette Damico, SMDP Intern
