We sat down with Executive Chef Jason Townes of CUT Steakhouse in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Since opening in 2006, CUT has received the 4-Diamond AAA/CAA Award and Wine Spectator Award of Excellence each year. Every cut of steak, every cocktail, and every table setting meets their exacting standards.

cut steakhouse halifax reviews — Image: CUT Steakhouse in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Come see what makes CUT Steakhouse one of Halifax’s top fine dining destinations and elevate your experience from everyday to extraordinary.

1. Tell us about what your morning routine looks like, and how you like to end your day?

A usual day starts with coffee, preferably iced. Some yoga, maybe hit the weights or go for a jog. Something active as often as possible to clear the mind, get the heart and lungs pumping, and start fresh for the day.

I enjoy ending the day with a good meal, watch some basketball or a good comedy for a laugh. Video games with my son is a nice way to end a day too.

2. Do you have a favorite chef that you look up to and what advice would you give to aspiring chefs?

Rick Bayless was always one of my favorites, a master of modern Mexican cuisine. Anthony Bourdain of course, as a chef, Kitchen confidential is a must read and a life affirming book for our industry. My personal mentor was Chris Velden, a master chef from Germany and an amazing teacher.

My advice for aspiring chefs would be to love the food. We become chefs to create beautiful, delicious, art on a plate. It's important to never forget that and always continue to learn and respect our ingredients.

3. What do you typically cook at home?

A little bit of everything honestly. My son loves the usual suspects, pizza, burgers, and tacos. I enjoy making a nice slow cooked batch of chili on a day off or braising some ribs. Ramen is great for something quick and delicious.

4. What’s a food trend that you’re loving right now and why?

Global fusion I would say. There are so many amazing cuisines all over the world, being able to meld different flavors and styles together to make something new and exciting for diners to experience.

5. What’s the strangest food combination you’ve ever tried? And, did you like it?

Being a chef, you have to be an adventurous eater! Exploring food is part of the job. Chocolate and Habanero was a surprising one. In ice-cream form you get that cold milk chocolate sweetness, followed by that habanero heat. Kind of a fun ride for the taste buds.

6. Have you ever cooked for a celebrity? Do you have a story to tell?

I think the first celebrity I ever cooked for was Michelle Pfeiffer. Pierce Brosnan, Tom Selleck, Rush, and Lil John would be some notable names over the years. During the height of Lil John quotes from Chappelle's Show being a thing I did have a funny interaction. I had assumed Lil John’s dinner party had left for the night. I happened to pop out front to chat with a few of our servers. I asked the server “Did he say YEAAHH, or WHHATT?” Lil John himself pops his head around the corner with a raised eyebrow and smirk on his face. We had a nice little laugh together about it.

7. What’s your Instagram so readers can follow you?

You can check out @cutsteakhalifax.

8. What cocktail or beverage do you enjoy most?

A light, refreshing beer after a long shift tastes pretty good! Also, not much could top a piña colada on a beach.

9. Tell our readers why they should visit CUT Steakhouse?

You should visit Halifax and CUT Steakhouse for so many reasons. The food scene is amazing and growing constantly, with so many different types of cuisine to experience. Maritime Hospitality is for real as well, some of the friendliest most inviting people can be found here. Also of course for our seafood, we’re known to have some of the best in the world.

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