Rain Eatery & Juice Bar
All photos by Curt Saunders for Black-Owned Brooklyn
Heavily influenced by Rastafari culture, Kevin Skinner cut meat from his diet decades ago. The owner of Rain Eatery & Juice Bar says opening his Flatbush restaurant, serving seafood and vegetarian fare infused with flavors from his native Trinidad, was partially driven by his own self-interest.
“I’m pescetarian, and I was vegan for a while, and it can be hard to find good-tasting food or food that’s consistent,” says Kevin, 42. “That’s why I opened it up.”
While Rain Eatery’s pared-down menu of grilled fish, veggie burgers, soups and tasty sides like roasted sweet potatoes, asparagus and mac and cheese isn’t exactly traditional Trini cooking, Kevin insists the food, spiced with seasonings imported from home, is still authentic. “When you taste it, if you know what Trinidad cooking is, you’re like, ‘Yeah — it represents.’”
“When you taste it, if you know what Trinidad cooking is, you’re like, ‘Yeah — it represents.”
In addition to Rain Eatery’s meat-free menu, the look and feel of the cozy restaurant are fueled by Rastaman vibrations. Tabletops are painted in a red, gold and green color wash; photos of roots reggae, dub and Calypso legends such as Peter Tosh, Lee “Scratch” Perry and Mighty Shadow are scattered across walls marked by a baby blue seashell pattern.
“I wanted to create a nostalgic feeling of being in someone’s home back in the Caribbean,” says Kevin, who was born and raised in Trinidad and, at age 17, moved to East Flatbush, where he’s lived ever since. Helping out in the kitchen, you might also spot the restaurant’s namesake — Kevin’s daughter, Rain.
Before opening Rain Eatery & Juice Bar in the summer of 2016, Kevin perfected recipes in his apartment for two years. His diligence shows, with dishes nailing that tricky intersection of clean, healthy, well-seasoned and lip-smackingly good.
Standouts include salmon, saucy with pineapple ginger; vegan corn soup made velvety with coconut cream, split peas and cream-style corn; crispy pan-fried coconut shrimp flavored with tamarind; pimento pepper-spiced corn on the cob; the toothsome and satisfying lentil burger; savory pepper shrimp served with tender chow mein; and a perfect, flavorful mac and cheese, baked and generously sliced the way it’s supposed to be done.
Don’t forget a selection from the juice bar — we recommend the Island Breeze blend of strawberries, mango, pineapple and orange juice; and the creamy Soldier Shake of peanut punch, bananas, chia and hemp seeds, almond milk, coconut and mineral-rich sea moss.
1166 Nostrand Avenue, 718-484-1443, Rain Eatery on Instagram
