What is your best version of ANY item from Border Grill or Ciudad restaurants? I always wanted to create excellent Mexican apps and dessert!

they also have done a few cookbooks that you could check out.

Bek, I absolutely love "The Too Hot Tamales", Susan and Mary Sue and I've been going to their restaurants since literally before you were born. Way before Ciudad they had City Cafe on Melrose, a tiny space where they were doing some of cooking outside on a hibachi which happens to be a code violation. I always send friends to Border Grill and every body loves it. But I can't actually think of a signature dish. Personally, speaking only for myself, I see cooking as a process of reverse engineering. I'll taste something that I love and then try to figure out how the chef did that. You might check out the LA Times website and go to "dining". Russ Parsons edits a terrific but sadly shrinking food section. Do a search there and you might find something like "adapted from" Border Grill. Good luck in your quest.