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“I figured out a lot of things we could do with an induction burner and a crockpot. “Writer’s Block doesn’t even have a kitchen, so I knew we’d have to get creative,” Miro says. Miro was heavily pregnant with her son when one of those friends who had long admired her skill, the aforementioned Ram Krishnan, came to her with a proposition: design the menu for Writer’s Block Rehab, a new bar he was opening in the Gayborhood, just a block away from the neighborhood’s iconic Pride and Progress mural. “I’m grateful I was able to go, and it was fun, but -” she laughs again, “goddamn, now I owe a lot of student loans, and I realized you learn so much more on the job.” “I was working so much that someone suggested I go to culinary school at the Arts Institute in 2011 to pick up some new skills and learn a little more,” she says. From there, she started picking up catering jobs, working alongside her uncle at the service Feast Your Eyes, cooking in some of the restaurants in the giant Comcast Center building, and completing an internship at chef Jason Cichonski’s much-loved “artful American” bistro, Ela’s, which closed in 2018. At various local quick-service joints, she got her start flipping burgers, baking pizzas, and crafting iconic Philly cheesesteaks. So, imagine her entire family’s surprise when Miro ended up skipping the military completely and going the restaurant route. “That was okay with me because I had zero interest in food at the time.” “She taught us all so much about flavor, but she hated when we got in her way in the kitchen,” Miro laughs. Nothing makes her happier than elevating a seemingly humble ingredient to surprise her diners.Ī post shared by Cockatoo up Puerto Rican in North Philadelphia, Miro felt connected to her culture through her mother’s incredible cooking.
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Her preferred cooking style is to choose an ingredient - maybe chicken one day or plantains another - and to see how she can enhance its flavor profile by tweaking her spice mixes and cooking techniques. “I hate when chefs let that froufrou s-t overshadow the ingredients. Everything’s fresh, but nothing fancy,” she says. It’s all about building a community, both at Cockatoo and in the larger Gayborhood and city, and it resonates perfectly with Miro. That vibe extends to the menu, which drives home Cockatoo’s purpose as a welcoming queer space that serves straightforward, rustic-style Latin street food, ideal for sharing with friends. The perfect place, owner Ram Krishnan decided, for a playful, beautiful, and fun vibe. It boasts floor-to-ceiling windows, swirling songbird murals, and a second-floor bar with a retractable roof.
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One of Philly’s two new LGBTQ+ bars owned by people of color, Cockatoo spread its wings in fall 2020. Rising like a phoenix from what used to be the French-inspired Maison 208 restaurant, Cockatoo is part of a new wave in Philly’s famous “Gayborhood,” which is lovingly referred to by this nickname and commemorated for its important cultural role while also being home to many of the city’s LGBTQ+ establishments, including the William Way LGBT Community Center. With her carefully maintained undercut hairstyle, Harry Potter glasses, and infectious laugh, Miro may seem shy at first, but she exudes a warmth that rivals her famous Latin-inspired small plates. At Cockatoo, the airy, gorgeously designed Philadelphia gay bar, you can often catch a glimpse of head chef Jess Miro through the open kitchen window.