MEET THE CHEF: Gus Silivos of Skopelos at New World in Pensacola, Florida
BY TRIPVEEL EDITORIAL STAFF | March 2020
Tripveel sat down with Executive Chef Gus Silivos of Skopelos at New World in Pensacola, Florida.
Executive Chef Gus Silivos of Skopelos at New World in Pensacola, Florida
Where did you grow up and where have you traveled to that has helped inspire and shape your cooking philosophy?
I was born on the Island of Skopelos, Greece, and lived there during my early years. Most of my cooking philosophy was inspired by my grandmother and the Mediterranean cuisine that surrounded me. My grandmother wasn't classically trained, but she had the legendary Larousse Gastronomique cookbook, and my grandfather had a restaurant, so she was able to watch, read and teach herself while cooking for us. She believed in the simplicity of cooking with fresh, seasonal ingredients and that's what I grew up with—so that's something I really believe in and utilize. The simplicity of the dish should be complimented by the flavors of the ingredients to really enhance and make a statement, rather than using a lot of sauces, etc.
Skopelos at New World in Pensacola, Florida
Tell our readers an interesting fact or two about yourself.
Living in Skopelos, the water was 50 yards away, so the beach was my playground. There were octopus throughout that area and I would go and catch them with my bare hands. It actually wasn't that difficult! You'd have to walk in the water, which by the way was laced with sea urchins so you'd have to be careful, but you would notice the sand would have a black marking from their ink. They would hide underneath rocks so you'd pick the rock up with one hand and grab the octopus with the other.
Tell us about your absolute favorite food and why readers should try it if they haven’t already.
My favorite food is sautéed scamp. It's in the grouper family, but very flaky and mild; a fish that we're able to source locally here in the Gulf Coast. In fact, one of our signature dishes at Skopelos at New World is sautéed scamp topped with creamy, lump crab meat. When President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara dined at our restaurant back in the 90s, that was a dish that the President really enjoyed. It's been our most popular dish ever since! Although, there was one point in time where scamp was pretty scarce so we took it off the menu. That dish was so highly requested that we had a list of people who wanted to be contacted whenever we were able to get some in. Thanks to technology and sourcing though, it’s permanently back on the menu.
Skopelos at New World in Pensacola, Florida
What are three ingredients that you simply couldn’t live without?
Lemon, oregano and garlic.
We love the art behind plating. What do you love about designing the perfect dish?
To me, a perfect dish consists of a balance between flavors, color and height.
Skopelos at New World in Pensacola, Florida
Tell us about one of the most creative dishes you’ve created?
Braised rabbit with prunes definitely stands out. One of the neat industries of Skopelos Island, besides olives, comes from the plum trees. During the months of July and August, people historically would go to their country homes and spend a month or two picking plums and laying them on these bamboo type racks. They would have an oven on the property, cook them to dry out, and it became such an important industry that the prunes from Skopelos are a delicacy. Because of that, they use these prunes during the winter months to do a lot of braising. They also raise a lot of rabbits on Skopelos Island, so the braised rabbit dish was one that used the local prunes, honey, herbs from the land, etc. It's a dish that truly identifies with Skopelos Island.
Skopelos at New World in Pensacola, Florida
