Even though Inn at the Park chef Rodney J. Robinson has traveled all over the world, spent a summer in France and has cooked for thousands of people at once while in the Marine Corps, he insists he learned most of what he knows from his grandmother, growing up back in Detroit.

“Ever since I was a kid I always helped my grandmother cook,” says Robinson. “We’re from Detroit, and it was southern food mostly – soul food. She loved to bake and she did everything from scratch. That was my first love of cooking, was baking, then catfish, chicken, pies and soups and everything.”

Robinson stands out from other San Diego chefs in several ways. At age 30, he’s one of the youngest chefs around; he’s also one of a handful of gay chefs in San Diego, and is one of only a couple of black chefs in the city. Recently, Robinson, who lives in University Heights, began a series of lectures for the University of California, San Diego, on healthy living and dining for minority students.

Robinson knew when he signed up for the Marine Corps back in 1992 that he wanted to cook. But the Marines had other plans – “my test scores weren’t low enough,” he says – and so Robinson spent five years on air traffic control in Japan before finally convincing the Corps to let him pick up a spatula. He attended the Marine Corps’ gourmet training schools where he learned about presentation and “mixing the flavors.”

After traveling the world over and sampling the food in exotic places like Thailand, Bali, Hong Kong and Australia, Robinson left the Marines and struck out for San Diego with one thing on his mind: food.

With all the Asian influence, did Robinson consider joining the fusion extravaganza So Cal is so good at?

“Not at all!” says Robinson. “I spent a lot of time [in Asia] but once I saw that this town had a lot of that going on I shied away from it. I don’t think there was a market for another place.”

After doing stints at TGI Friday’s and later Legoland, in Carlsbad, Robinson landed a place at California Cuisine where he says he learned a lot, not only about food but about San Diego clientele.

“They’re meat eaters,” Robinson says of us San Diegans. “They like casual, and good food, but not too stuffy.”

That description, in fact, seems to fit Robinson himself – whose main ingredient seems to be a real love of food of all kinds. His ideal restaurant, he explains, would include “a little bit of everything” from sushi to Italian and Grandma’s catfish. Appropriately, the Inn at the Park Restaurant, located at the Park Manor Suites hotel, is known for a good selection of American favorites like prime rib and sea food, with a selection of Italian favorites like eggplant parmesan and other classics thrown in.

However, a change is underfoot for the buttoned up Park: Next month, for fourth of July weekend, Robinson debuts not only his fifth Inn at the Park menu, but also an entirely new look, feel and atmosphere at the eatery. The business has done an interior revamp that includes putting in windows and taking out dress codes. While currently diners enjoy Robinson’s plates in a dark, cozy environment, that’s all going to change to light, airy, arty and fun.

“The Park’s in the midst of a huge change,” says Robinson. “We’re going to take ourselves from fine dining to casual dining. We’re still going to have the same quality of food and service, but we’re going to try to appeal to a much larger crowd. There’ll be a burger on the menu, but you’ll still see the prime rib and Beef Wellington.”

Robinson’s forte seems to be versatility. His ideal menu, the chef says, would include sushi, catfish, beef and his fantastic lasagna – “a little bit of everything,” he says. And, we get the feeling, all good.