  photo: Denise Grant Photography |
“What would you like me to prepare for dinner?” is a question Rob Rainford asks often. You see, the guru of the grill does all of the cooking in his house – and he’s fine with that.
Born in Saint Andrew’s Parish, Jamaica, the young Rainford was was a fan of cooking shows on television. “I was mesmerized by Graham Kerr (The Galloping Gourmet) and Julia Child,” he says. “I made it my goal to one day host a Food Network show.”
And he did. Licence to Grill ran for four seasons and still airs in worldwide syndication.
View the gallery of Rob Rainford's home.
He has another TV show in the works and is writing a cookbook. He recently his show on the road, hosting a tour to South Africa featuring Canadian- and North American-style grilling for all of the guests.
As a chef instructor, he is sharing his passion for food with his students at his alma mater, George Brown College.
Rainford invited Star Spaces into his home.
Q: How would you describe your home in a few words?
A: Home, sweet home, where smiling is mandatory.
Q: Tell us about your home.
A: It is a 2,000-square-foot, three-bedroom bungalow. It is 50 years old and we moved in November 2007.
We took down the wall between dining room and the kitchen to add flow. We added an island in the kitchen for me to prepare dishes.
This house has potential. It can be knocked down and a structure put up that my wife and I truly desire. The land around the house with the sugar maple and birch trees makes it feel like we have a country space for our kids to run around outside.
Q: Who shares your home?
A: My wife and our two daughters.
Q: What attracted you to this space?
A: The trees in the backyard. The house is close to my wife’s workplace.
Q: What is your favourite room and why?
A: The kitchen is my domain. A close second is my small deck, where one of my barbecues resides.
Q: How would you describe your decorating style?
A: I’d describe the style as modern. I’m not a fussy man, and my family seems to be in line with the philosophy. The colour of the walls in our house is dark beige. The artwork is the beautiful drawings the girls display on the refrigerator. Their rooms are shrines to their basketball endeavors, and filled with stuffed animals and books. My office is a desk in the corner of what we call “the kids’ area.” It is filled with shelves of books. They inspire me as well as provide needed resource material.
Q: What is your fondest memory in this home?
A: I’d have to say the day we moved in. My wife and girls said out loud, “This feels like home.” We’ve had other houses, but this one felt right the first time we saw it.
Q: What’s the one item in this house you can’t live without?
A: It’s a tie between my stove and barbecue.
Q: Weekends at home, what are we most likely to find you doing?
A: Grilling or smoking something on the barbecue or smoker.
Q: If your walls could talk, what would they say?
A: “Smells wonderful … what are you cooking?”
View the gallery of Rob Rainford's home.
