Portraits of Philly: Musi BYOB’s Ari Miller

Clay Williams: What’s making Philly such an exciting city to eat and drink? What makes it stand out to you?

Ari Miller: Philly is such an exciting place to eat and drink because of the bootstrapping gumption of so many of its chefs. Look at spots like Heavy Metal Sausage, Gabriella’s Vietnam, and Stina, and you find plucky chefs, giving it their all, and putting out some of the most delicious food around. Then you have a place like Enswell, which takes the game further with one of the most stunning spaces to date and an innovative approach to beverage, offering a Pennsylvania-only drink selection. This is a workaround to an otherwise incredibly expensive liquor license, and it compels them to offer a full bar with selections of Pennsylvania beer, cider, and spirits but, most notably, an all-Pennsylvania wine list.

Now that Philly has been established as a food destination, what comes next? How do you want to see the food scene develop and grow? What do you want to stay the same? What does Philly need more of?

I think Philly should and will lead the way in leading the world in equitable restaurant culture. Places like Honeysuckle, Her Place, and Middle Child that promote culture and balance will push us into the next era. We’ll need more patience and empathy in this process. You see places like my restaurant, Musi, and Korshak Bagels, that took the shot and missed. It’s important for us all to build past the systemic misogyny and racism that’s already been established. We don’t need to do this with Michelin or a season of “Top Chef.”

Who or what in Philly is inspiring your creativity right now? What are you eating or drinking that you are excited about?

I’m constantly excited about water ice. It’s almost a Philly cliché, but I love it so much. I go to John’s, cause that’s where my dad took me when I was a kid. I also love D’Emilio’s Old World Ice Treats where they exude joy and community pride. I love that. I’m also really looking forward to Kampar Kitchen.

What are you focusing on right now? Are you working on anything new?
Bowties. I’m working on building off the success of Musi’s silk chile bowties to both tell the story of the spice as well as the simplicity of this dish, and making it at home. I got all sorts of Burlap & Barrel spices to make different varieties. I got a social media content camera to make videos about them and hopefully get people to make them at home, too. Follow me at @arimillerx for when that happens soon.

Clay Williams is a Brooklyn-based photographer whose work takes him across the country and beyond, documenting stories of food, culture, and community. Follow him at @ultraclay.