Lovechild, an eclectic new restaurant, will open this fall in Philadelphia’s Callowhill neighborhood.
Owned by Elijah Milligan, Lovechild represents the culmination of his lifelong journey and the diverse culinary influences gathered over years in the restaurant industry.
The name also holds a deeply personal meaning. Milligan told What Now Philadelphia he was raised by a single mother and affectionately called a “Lovechild” by his grandmother. Now, as a single father, he uses the same nickname for his daughter.
“In terms of business, there’s a lot of people coming together to ‘make a baby.’ Obviously, I’m the driving force as far as being a chef and a creator of it but I’ve picked up a lot of friends along the way in the industry and everyone’s really come together to help on this project,” Milligan said.
Milligan brings a rich culinary background, classically trained in French cuisine and experience with Mexican, Spanish, Japanese and Italian flavors. He aims to blend these techniques into a unique global fusion.
“Even though there are a lot of different flavor profiles and techniques drawn from global inspiration, a big part and the heart of what we do is that we have a wood-fired grill,” Milligan said. “A lot of our flavors are going to essentially be the life cycle of fire, building flavors off of smoke and wood.”
Though an official menu has not been released, Lovechild plans to offer a wood-fired selection featuring a variety of meats beyond just beef. The cocktail program will highlight drinks made with locally sourced ingredients.
“The true focus here is going to be on making sure our food, our cocktails, our service is at the top tier level, taking an old school approach,” he said. “The biggest part, the same reason I love to cook, is inviting people into our home and feeding people and watching them have a great experience and time.”
The restaurant does not yet have a set opening date. For updates, visit the website and follow Lovechild on Instagram.
