Julia Robinson
Chef/Owner, The Blue Hen Restaurant
Julia was born and raised in Wilmington, DE. Many of her earliest memories centered around food, whether it was cooking with her grandmother, watching cooking shows after school, or reading cookbooks.
While earning a BA in criminal justice at the University of Delaware, Julia began working as a line cook at Restaurant 821 in Wilmington, DE where she truly fell in love with cooking. Shortly after graduating, Julia moved to Chicago where she then received an associate’s degree in Hospitality Management while working as sous chef at Vivere, an upscale regional Italian restaurant, for 6 years. In 2013 she moved to Philadelphia, working as chef de cuisine at another Italian restaurant, Brigantessa. She traveled to Italy with her employers to gain a better understanding of authentic southern Italian food.
In 2017, Julia moved back to Delaware, this time to Rehoboth Beach to help open The Blue Hen Restaurant. After 5 years, original owners Joe Baker and Chris Bisaha sold the restaurant to Julia and her wife, Heather Sharp. Over the years as the chef at The Blue Hen, Julia has incorporated many elements of her expertise while changing the menu seasonally and focusing on small farms.