TERRI EVANSON Photo: Suzi Nash

Always ready with a warm smile and a hearty hello, Terri Evanson exudes the Midwestern hospitality she grew up around. Born in Chicago, she lived in both The Windy City, where her parents met, and southwest Tennessee, her mother’s home base. Although Evanson has been in Philadelphia for a number of years, she still has a hint of that Southern drawl. Cooking has always been a big part of her life, and she shares her talents with us as the chef at Sisters nightclub.

PGN: So, what was your childhood like?

TE: My father, Gene, worked in a box factory and my mother, Daisy, was an executive secretary. I have two brothers, Gerry and Gene Donovan “Van.” I am the oldest, but we all got along really well. I used to beat up on my brothers and then when they got bigger than me, they couldn’t retaliate because my mother told them they weren’t allowed to hit girls. We moved around a lot, so we basically grew up in a circle around Chicago. I played with my brothers and friends, roller-skating and playing games, but my favorite thing to do was to play football!

PGN: How did you end up in Philadelphia?

TE: I was in the military stationed in Boston. I was young and dumb and in love. I’d met a girl from Philly and moved here to be close to her. We broke up but I met my current partner Aletha here and we’ve been together for 13 years. I was with the ex for 10 years, so I’ve been in Philly for quite some time.

PGN: How did you get into the military?

TE: My brother had joined and called to tell me it wasn’t so bad, so I signed up. In two years, I surpassed his ranking, so that was fun. I was a Specialist Four, which you don’t normally achieve that fast. I was responsible for driving 22-wheel tractor-trailers.

PGN: Were you out in the service?

TE: To an extent. With my close friends I was open, which came in handy. In the military, you hang out with a bunch of guys. A lot of the military wives get jealous of their husbands hanging out with other personnel, but with me they were OK with it ’cause they knew I wasn’t interested in their men! And the guys were cool about it.

PGN: How was coming out?

TE: My mother was always the type who wanted her children to be happy, so I thought she’d be the easiest to tackle, but she ended up being the hardest to deal with. My father, who I thought would be the hardest, has been the best about it. To this day, he’ll come visit and stay with me and my partner. Both of my grandmothers and my brothers were fine.

PGN: Tell me something funny that happened to you in the military.

TE: We were supposed to do drills to prepare us for emergencies. My commander had a great sense of humor, so he choose me to play a guy who had his private parts blown off. So they made me a model out of clay of the private parts and laid them beside me on a gurney. It was really funny! I also used to get in trouble with my truck master because I had this little stuffed animal that I used to tuck into my shirt with the head peaking out. It was a little puppy named Belvedere. He used to yell, “Get that dog out of there! Animals don’t belong in your uniform!” He now sits on the TV in my bedroom — the puppy, not the truck master.

PGN: How did you get into cooking?

TE: My mom cooked and growing up, I always had nannies. I was around grownups more than other kids. They taught me a lot about manners, life and how to cook, among other things. I love to make people happy which is why I love to cook. It brings a smile to people’s faces.

PGN: Something people would be surprised to know about you?

TE: I’m obsessed with SpongeBob SquarePants. I have a SpongeBob bathroom, I’m doing the middle room in my house (which is my altar room) in all SpongeBob. I guess I relate to him because he’s a fry cook and a little crazy.

PGN: Are you a packrat?

TE: Not really. I collect lions and of course SpongeBob stuff, but other than that, I don’t keep things.

PGN: Are you a Leo?

TE: No, I just like lions. They’re my favorite animals. I’m a true Cancer, the nurturer. All the girls I work with are my daughters; I love them.

PGN: How did you meet your girlfriend?

TE: (Laughing.) She stalked me when I worked at Hepburns [the now-defunct lesbian bar]. She’s really a beautiful person, inside and out. She’s always ready to lend a helping hand to someone whether she knows them or not. And she’s always there for me.

PGN: Something that made you laugh recently?

TE: My father has 3 acres of land. He had a tire that he needed at the bottom of a hill, so he drove the tractor down to get it. When he brought it back, he kicked it off the rim and it rolled back down the hill. He started chasing after it and ended up running all the way back down the hill. The image of my father, who looks exactly like me but 12 months pregnant, had me in stitches! I still laugh every time I picture it.

PGN: Any phobias?

TE: I’m afraid of heights and the dark. When I was young, I used to climb trees and stuff and it didn’t bother me and then I got stuck at the top of a rollercoaster and it was terrifying. Ever since then I’ve been wary of heights.

PGN: Your favorite TV show growing up?

TE: I didn’t like “The Brady Bunch,” I’ll tell you that much (not even Alice), but I loved “All in the Family” and “M*A*S*H.”

PGN: I can’t wait until ...

TE: I’m 50 so I can join AARP!