Chef Mark Gray – Battery Park Beer Bar & Eatery in Halifax

The 2017 Canadian Culinary Championships will take place this weekend in Kelowna, BC February 3-4, 2017. The eleven competing chefs will be aiming for gold as they compete in three events over two days testing their skills, creativity and endurance. We caught up with Halifax’s Chef Mark Gray from Battery Park Beer Bar & Eatery for a few pre-competition questions.

Tell us a little bit about your restaurant and/or style of cooking.

Battery Park Beer Bar & Eatery is a casual eatery, with bar style seating and a playful, bar centric menu that changes 4-5 times per year.

Where do you eat in your city?

Field Guide would be my favourite spot in the city to eat.

What trend/s do you wish would be next?

Fermentation / Pickling / Preserving / Curing ( it is currently on its way back )

What ingredient do you always have on hand?

Sriracha

What’s your go-to recipe when you’re eating at home?

A simple white fish, with rice and green vegetables (my daughters favourite)

What equipment do you wish you had in your kitchen?

Rotary Evaporator

What cookbook would you suggest for a gift for your foodie friends this year?

Food & Beer by Daniel Burns

Any hints on what dish you will be preparing for Gold Medal Plates?

For the 3rd competition I will be recreating my dish from the Halifax competition.

What wine/beer/libation are you pairing with this year?

I have crafted my own beverage, Kombucha (or fermented green tea), which has a mixture of white, green and black fermented teas that had an additional fermentation over wild NS apples & french oak chips. It will then be “seasoned” with Ironworks Gin.

Who is coming with you?

My sous chef this year will be Chef Stephanie Ogilvie from The Brooklyn Warehouse (our sister restaurant).

I also surveyed my Facebook followers (many are chefs as well) as to what questions they would like answered by chefs when I interview them.

Karen Wipf Van Vloten If you could only have one small kitchen appliance what would it be? Vitamix Blender

Colleen McClean What country/city would you travel to just for the purpose of eating? Prague

Sean Haffey What’s your favourite dish, at home or out? Oysters or cured meats

Heather Watson What’s your “ketchup”? (I don’t mean literal ketchup, I just mean the one ingredient you use most often.) Sriracha

Nigel Clarke Do you follow Bourdain….. Yes or No. Yes