Professional Spotlight
Gregory Burns, Executive Chef Gio, The Prince George Hotel Nepalese, Jamaican and Indian descent, yet according to Burns, “there is always a French bottom note that grounds the dishes.” The menu continues to highlight unique ingredients, whether they be the once, but now less so, exotic octopus or celebrated local ingredients, such as locally-produced Ciro’s Burrata. A “Red Seal” Certified and graduate of Holland College, The Culinary Institute of Canada, Burns’ CV includes an initial stint at a resort in the Queen Charlotte Islands in British Columbia, time spent at the renowned Fogo Island Inn in Newfoundland and work under the tutelage of chef Michael Smith (Inn at Bay Fortune, Prince Edward Island) and chef Martin Ruiz Salvador, Maître Rôtisseur (Fleur de Sel, Lunenburg - and now at Beach Pea) respectively. A self-described classically French trained chef, Burns suggests the diversity of cultures seen on the GIO menu reflects the way he cooks at home.
Appointed Gio Restaurant Chef in November 2018, Greg Burns has put his own culinary stamp on the cuisine of Gio with his keen interest in fine dining and working with an engaged and friendly team of culinary professionals to provide fresh, locallysourced dishes. The only four Diamond hotel with a four Diamond restaurant on site in Atlantic Canada, Gio has long been a mainstay of the Halifax dining scene but is not immune to change and adaptation. Greg suggests the new GIO’s focus on smaller, more shareable plates “provides more of an experience. I think this will provide more flexibility for guests to come as small groups. The menu design allows for them to try more dishes and more variety of flavours.” The menu offers a range of ethnic influences, partially due to the diversity of GIO’s kitchen and wait staff, which includes members of Lebanese, Indian, In action as head chef at Fleur De Sel Luneburg.
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