Susan Feniger

* The chef and her business partner, Mary Sue Milliken, have a Food Network series, “Tamales World Tour,” and are chefs and owners of the Border Grill in Santa Monica and the new Ciudad in downtown L.A.

Downtown Delights: I love exploring the downtown area. It’s such a different world. I’ve always gone to Grand Central Market and hung out in Chinatown and Little Tokyo. But now I just love taking a walk through downtown from the business district, up to the Museum of Contemporary Art on Grand Avenue and then to Grand Central Market, where I often end up eating. It makes me feel like I’m in Manhattan. I love the historic buildings and those old theaters.

Canine Companionship: My girlfriend and I take our dog for long walks at a dog park not far from our Brentwood-area home. It’s become a social thing. The same eight or 10 people usually take their dogs to the park. So it’s pretty fun. Sometimes we take the dog really early, like 7 a.m., to Santa Monica Beach.

Decompression Time: My work schedule is so tight that when I do have free time, I love not having to follow a schedule. I look at my weekend as that time to re-nourish and re-energize myself. I absolutely adore Sunday morning when I can make a big fire, read the newspaper and have a cup of bourbon tea.

Food Therapy: Sometimes I decide to cook in the afternoon. It’s never anything complicated. It might be a big pot of soup, a brisket or fried chicken. To do that gives me a relaxed feeling.

Message Movies: I completely love going to movies. I like going to Laemmle’s Monica 4 Plex on 2nd Street in Santa Monica. They screen art films. I like serious movies.

Eating Out: I’m often working at night, so I’m not usually going out to eat. But sometimes I’ll meet my girlfriend after work at Bob Burns on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica because she’s a musician and they have a great piano player there. I also love Bombay Cafe on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Los Angeles for Indian food.