Etna welcomes Wild Child chef Jamilka Borges and her restaurant

Chef Jamilka Borges will put her bravery and culinary prowess on display in Etna as she opens her first restaurant, mid-pandemic, appropriately named Wild Child.

Etna’s business district will welcome the new concept, inspired by Borges’ passion for international, coastal foods, in the space formerly occupied by Seasons restaurant on Butler Street by late July or early August. Wild Child will open in phases, offering predominantly take-out, daytime service initially, with more robust options expected later.

A native of Puerto Rico, Borges’ list of culinary accomplishments includes two James Beard Award semi-finalist nods and Pittsburgh Magazine’s Chef of the Year in 2018. She’s built her career unconventionally, bounding from Legume’s fine dining, to a fledgling and informal Bar Marco, then to the sophistication of Spoon in East Liberty. Most recently, Borges was executive chef at trendy-but-casual Independent Brewing Company in Squirrel Hill until the two parties mutually agreed to part ways in March.

“Someone said to me years ago, ‘Oh my God, you’re such a wild child!’ said Borges. “It’s always kind of stayed in the back of my mind. I’ve always done things in a very non-traditional way.”

In addition to her atypical route through the Pittsburgh food scene, Borges is well-known for her generosity — a habit she attributes to the gracious nature of her mother. Even before Borges reached her current level of distinction, she taught high school students how to cook, helped to organize dinners raising thousands of dollars for various causes and has worked extensively with Pittsburgh’s 412 Food Rescue, just to name a few of her efforts.

The conception of Wild Child was equally as uncommon.

Borges traveled to Puerto Rico just after moving on from Independent Brewing Co. and just ahead of a nearly-five week, covid-19-related lockdown that began the day after her plane touched down.

“All I wanted was to spend time at home, clear my mind, figure out what was next for me, and there I was not able to leave my house,” said Borges. “It was a moment of looking back at my life.”

Quarantined with her mother, the pair revisited the many forks in the road that led Borges to become a chef, including the suicide of her father just after she finished high school. Borges cooked through that grief and fed those around her in the process, which was an early example of her use of food as a vehicle for kindness.

“Reliving it so many years later was really powerful for me and reminded me that I packed up my things and left Puerto Rico and moved to Pittsburgh because I wanted to do something different, and I did it,” Borges said.

Almost simultaneously, Borges was confronted by four of her female chef friends who lobbied her to consider going out on her own, even in the midst of a pandemic.

“All of them are accomplished restaurant owners, not only chefs, and they’re pushing me to do it and believe in me, which is so important,” Borges said.

She arrived back in Pittsburgh by mid-April and signed the lease for the quaint Etna spot on May 26.

“When you think about opening a restaurant during a pandemic, it’s kind of like, ‘What’s the worst thing that can happen?’ It fails?” said Borges. “Sadly, that’s life. People fail and rebuild. Hopefully, that’s not going to be the case, but I think, at some point, you really have to go for it.”

“Going for it” will mean a bright, airy space, likely with white-washed, wood-planked walls, tropical colors and made lush by a smattering of potted plants. A drink rail and four or five two-person tables will populate the front of the building (keeping covid-19 safety measures in mind) as designed by Borges’ friend, an original Bar Marco owner and New York City architect, Michael Kreha.

The first phase of opening will mean counter service only, situated conveniently at the front of the space, reflecting social distancing best practices. Coffee, fresh juice and Millie’s soft-serve ice cream in custom flavors will be available throughout the day service.

Initially, Wild Child will offer a breakfast menu featuring two breakfast sandwiches, a few breakfast bowl options and a selection of breads and pastries. Lunch will include salads, sandwiches and ceviches, as a hat-tip to Puerto Rico. Vegetarian and vegan options will be available throughout the menu.

Dinner service and a liquor license are anticipated sometime later.

“I kind of do whatever I want, and the name speaks of being unconventional and freedom and doing things that follow who you are and are very specific to you,” said Borges. “The restaurant is going to be a space that I hope doesn’t feel like every other place.”