The Pimento Jamaican Kitchen was the winner of the Food Network’s “Food Court Wars” in 2013 and made its mark on Eat Street in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with its signature jerk chicken. Now the eatery has expanded to the popular Keg & Case food/drink destination in St. Paul. Pimento’s satellite location in St. Paul brings its menu of jerk and curried meat, fried plantain, and excellent sauces made in-house for the benefit of lunch and dinner customers in what has been called the best new food hall in the United States.
Originally from Kingston, Jamaica, Tomme Beevas, Pimento’s owner, moved to Minneapolis to work as an executive at Cargill. His partner Yoni Reinharz is a Jewish rapper who produced the artists Dessa and Matisyahu. When Beevas came to Minneapolis, he moved into a house next door to Reinharz, and they bonded over their love of music and food. Each of them had had a long-time desire to open a restaurant. Reinharz had once operated a food truck, and Beevas wanted to introduce his grandmother’s recipes to the US market. So they went into business together.
They appeared on the Food Network’s “Food Court Wars,” winning a rent-free year lease at Burnsville Center. Later on, they expanded their successful restaurant endeavor to Eat Street, which put them on the culinary map.
In an interview three years ago with Jamaicans.com, Beevas said he got the idea for Pimento while living in Washington DC. “I noticed Jamaican food was not as readily accessible as Mexican, Italian, Indian or Thai, and yet our food is just as tasty. So, Pimento Jamaican Kitchen is essentially filling the gap for those who are seeking a great, Jamaican food experience in a warm and welcoming setting.”
When they first opened Pimento, Beevas and Reinharz made some concessions to what they thought would be customers’ tastes in Minnesota, but they have been surprised at how well their traditional Jamaican dishes like curry goat and callaloo have gone over with local residents. The restaurant’s signature dishes display the full complement of Jamaican food with spices like cloves, cinnamon, thyme, and allspice, and are served with sauces flavored with chile and citrus.
The cuisine is simple but flavorful and has garnered a major following among locals and visitors to the are alike. In fact, one of Pimento’s many fans includes comedian Dave Chappelle, the legendary Marleys and any Caribbean musician traveling through town. The eatery’s vibe is what draws them in as much as the food.
