JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It's out with the old and in with new!
After opening up his first restaurant almost two years ago, Executive Chef and Owner of Pink Salt, Richard Robinson, is celebrating the new year, with a new location. It includes a cozy atmosphere, more seating and a wine bar.
Pink Salt Restaurant and Wine Bar is located at 5111 Baymeadows Road, Suite 19, in Jacksonville. The restaurant specializes in Carribean and soul food cuisines.
Robinson said the new location provides him with an opportunity to serve more customers and its perfect for hosting catering events.
“Now I can still operate and have big catering events with the space that I have, so it’s a good move," Robinson said. "I kinda miss my old location, but, I’m excited I’m here.”
Robinson has spent decades in the restaurant and hospitality industry, starting his culinary career by catering for friends and family. His inspiration comes from his mother, who once owned a restaurant in Jamaica.
“My mother is always in the kitchen, we are always cooking something," he says. "Growing up, she was always baking and my brother and I would always try to figure out who is going to lick the baking pan first because we liked licking the baking pan.”
Robinson has added several new items to his menu. A popular dish is the Coconut Curry Shrimp, made with Mayport Shrimp.
“We start off with some fresh shrimp, we add some tomatoes, some peppers, and carrots,” Robinson said. “We use all-natural coconut. Coconut gives it a nice, sweet flavor to it. So, once that’s all combined together, we leave it to simmer for about three to five minutes, so the shrimp doesn’t get overcooked, nor undercooked. Once it’s done, it’s served over rice, or we serve it over grits, whatever you like. You can also have it by itself.”
A new dish that Robinson said you won’t find anywhere else, is the collard greens appetizer.
“We use fresh collard greens, we boil our collard greens and we season them with fresh herbs, spices, jerk spices, and cream," he explains. " There are also three different kinds of cheese in it: smoked gouda, mozzarella cheese and parmesan."
The slow-cooked, island-style short ribs are also a fan favorite. Each rib is seasoned to perfection.
“Our thyme, garlic, and scallions are really good flavors for it, and also in our house-made sauce that goes over our ribs," Robinson says. "The sauce is our guava based sauce, and once we are done with our ribs and it’s cooked to falling off the bone in the oven, we generously base the ribs with our guava based sauce."
Click Here for a look at the menu.
Website: pinksaltrestaurant.com
Phone: (904) 513-4548
Catering: (904) 666-5155