From Connecticut to TCU, With Mi Cocina at Every Milestone

For as long as I can remember, Mi Cocina has felt like an extension of my family table. My grandparents have lived in Greenway Parks for decades, just a few blocks from the Highland Park location, so some of my earliest memories are tied to that restaurant. Growing up in Connecticut, trips to Dallas always meant family gatherings around the table at Mi Cocina. Birthdays, holidays, ordinary Tuesdays, it didn’t matter. If we were together, chances are we were at Mi Cocina.

Those memories are especially meaningful because Mi Cocina was also one of my cousin’s favorite places. Before he was diagnosed with cancer and before we lost him far too young at just 12 years old, we spent countless afternoons there together. Those moments are memories I treasure deeply, and Mi Cocina will always hold a special place in my heart because of them.

When it came time for college, I knew wherever I went needed to keep me close to my favorite restaurant. Four years ago I headed to TCU, and I made up for lost time. Every birthday dinner was celebrated there. My first meal out after hip surgery recovery was there. Countless nights started with a Mambo Taxi and ended with the sunset over I-35 walking out of the Fort Worth Hulen Street location. My love for Mi Cocina comes from my dad, who may very well be its biggest fan. When my parents were dating, he’d have my mom bring him a Mambo Taxi in the car after picking him up from the airport. Thirty-five years of Mi Cocina means thirty-five years of bringing people together, through generations, celebrations, laughter, and even loss. I truly can’t imagine my life, or my family’s story, without it.