You could say that chef Elijah Milligan’s first restaurant is a labor of love.
Lovechild is the new planned concept from the culinary creative, who some may recognize from kitchens around the county with experience under the likes of Daniel Stern, Christopher Kearse, David Ansill, Greg Vernick, and Nick Elmi (at Le Bec-Fin in Philadelphia.)
Now Milligan’s freshman solo conquest will be opening up in the former space of The Lucky Well (990 Spring Garden St.) this fall. The space will aim to feature a menu full of global influence with “a heavier focus on Japanese and Mexican cuisine.” Locals can find many of the dishes cooked on Milligan’s Argentinian wood-fired grill once doors are open.
Think a packed raw bar (plus some raw fish options), plus an “eclectic, lengthy menu” including various shareable plates, vegetable options, house-made pasta, signature cuts of meat and fish, and much more. The best part? Desserts will be made in-house.
The bar program will also be packed with options—including 3 to 4 rotating clarified cocktails a month. With these sippers, the clarification process removes impurities and achieves a clear appearance while smoothing out the flavor.
As a release notes, Milligan is looking to source locally for nearly everything at Lovechild, with the exception of wine, which he’s plans on focusing on through California and European vintages with extensive options on the menu. The name of the venue also holds a deep connection to the chef—Milligan was raised by a single mother, and is a single dad himself.
“I want this to be both a neighborhood gem and a destination. This is a project I’ve wanted to sink my teeth into for a long time,” says Milligan, 35. “I knew it was going to name it Lovechid, and I knew I was going to want to incorporate a variety of cuisines that I love into one menu. I have learned so much from some really incredible chefs, and I’m ready to create something really memorable in a city that I truly love.”
Milligan will take knowledge from his time spent in the City of Brotherly Love—where he was born and raised— and experience from his roots as well. Milligan’s mother and step-father owned a soul food restaurant and he also went to culinary school at J&A Culinary Institute in South Philadelphia.
Those who head out West may have also caught some of the local chef’s creations at Atelier Crenn and Petit Crenn in San Francisco and at Bottega in Yountville. When Milligan moved back to Philly, he also created a program dubbed Cooking for the Culture. The pop-up dinner series highlighted chefs of color around the city, and since then, he has been involved with numerous projects and restaurants as both an executive chef and a consulting chef.
The 3,500-square-foot space aimed to become Lovechild will boast somewhere from 85 to 130 seats in the dining room, a 20-seat chef’s counter, bar seating, as well as window spots. The design will contain a 1970s vibe, and the space will be adorned with fresh flowers, velvet upholstery and ambient light fixtures.Durell Bottoms, who worked on projects such as Ardiente (now Mei Mei) in Old City, is leading the design.
Plans are still being finalized for preview dinners ahead of opening, but once operations begin, locals can expect dinner service 5 nights a week. To find out more information, visit lovechildphilly.com online or on social media @lovechild_philly
