For local lad Brian Robinson — a native of Bowie, Md. — pursuing a career in cooking was the furthest goal on his mind when he took a high school job as a dishwasher and later, a waiter, in various local restaurants. But when his boss at a Springfield pizzeria needed a kitchen helper one day, Robinson took a giant step forward toward his future.
Today, as executive chef at Arlington’s super-hip Restaurant 3, Robinson thanks not only his lucky stars and the pizzeria for his big break, but also his grandfather, a talented home cook who taught Robinson early on to respect fresh ingredients and good home cooking.
“My grandfather cooked a lot,” Robinson said. “He went to school in New Orleans, and he cooked Southern and soul food. He had a lot to do with what I am today,” he said, noting some of the dishes on the restaurant menu are variations of his grandfather’s recipes.
But Robinson also attributes many of his ideas both to his travels — to Philadelphia, San Francisco, Charleston, S.C., New York and Hawaii — and also from his days cooking at D.C.’s Georgia Brown’s restaurant. As a result, this self-taught chef defines his cooking style as clean and simple, letting the ingredients speak for themselves without artifice. As you read the menu, you know it’s also straightforward American/Southern with Robinson’s own twists. Think “solid, American comfort food” and you get the idea.
When asked about his signature dish, Robinson pauses, deliberating before answering: the pan-seared duck breast, he decides.
Served over a sweet potato hash and caramelized shallots, his final flourish comes as a pomegranate syrup. On the other hand, Robinson’s Sunday brunch Eggs Benedict with tasso ham served with cornbread, not a biscuit, might be a winner. Or possibly, it’s the Low Country breakfast, Southern to its core, featuring sausage from a local farmer and special grits from a Southern source.
“This is truly comfort food,” Robinson said. “At least, it’s comforting to think about it for me,” adding that his menu reflects all the dishes he himself loves. “Ninety-five percent are dishes that I want to eat. Steaks, lamb … maybe the most popular is the grouper with shrimp, scallops, an artichoke medley and grits.”
Robinson admits his parents were not particularly thrilled about his career choice at first, urging him to get a “real job.”
And today?
“They are now OK with it,” he said, adding with all his culinary bests, he really is not a dessert person. “That’s not my strong suit,” he said. “I keep desserts simple, such as bread pudding and my own ice cream with cookies.” And, he tosses out this nugget: Hawaiian-style fried doughnuts tossed with brown sugar and cinnamon and accompanied by a thick chocolate sauce for dipping … or drinking. That’s more than just comfort food … that’s manna from heaven.
Q&A with Chef Brian Robinson
What is your comfort food?
It’s mac and cheese, a recipe based on my grandparents’ linguine and egg dish. They used shredded cheddar and I use fontina, gruyere, cheddar and asiago cheese. I also eat hot dogs three to four times a week with mustard and onions. I like the Oscar Meyer label.
How do you characterize your cooking style?
It’s simple, comfortable. The kind of cooking I do is not trying to reinvent the wheel. I try to be as simple and delicious as possible.
What is your luckiest moment?
Landing the job at Georgia Brown’s, because I thought I knew how to cook. But they had no microwaves, and I learned a lot from chef Terrell Danley. ‘Wow,” I thought, “I know nothing about cooking.”
What are your pantry staples?
Onions, bacon and potatoes. That’s the mainstay, but really, it’s onions and bacon. And then I need solid fresh product, especially fish.
What’s in your fridge?
Hot dogs, lots of cheese, three different kinds of mustards, random vegetables, water, Gatorade, smoked gouda, brie, feta cheese, cream cheese, tater tots and Diet Coke.
From the Chef’s Kitchen
Scallops and Grits
Serves 1
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 large scallops, muscle removed
1 Tbsp. diced tasso ham
1 Tbsp. diced roma tomato
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 ⁄ 4 cup white wine
1/ 2 cup clam juice
1 Tbsp. butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup cooked grits, or more as desired (recipe follows)
2 Tbsp. thinly sliced scallions
Heat the oil over medium heat in a skillet, and sauté the scallops until brown on one side, about two minutes. Turn the scallops, add the ham, tomato and garlic and cook one more minute. Remove the scallops from the skillet, and set aside. Deglaze the skillet with white wine; add the clam juice, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the liquid has reduced by one-third; return the scallops to the skillet. Add the butter and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the grits into a bowl and top with the scallops, sauce and scallions.
Grits
This makes enough for 4 people. Reserve leftovers for another use.
3 cups milk
1 ⁄ 4 pound (1 stick) butter
1 cup stone-ground grits
Bring the milk and butter to the boil in a saucepan and slowly stir in the grits, whisking constantly until the grits start to thicken. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook and whisk until done, about 15 minutes.
If you go
Restaurant 3
2950 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington
703-524-4440
Hours: 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday, 5 to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday-Sunday; Sunday brunch — 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; bar is open late
