There’s one word Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson returns to again and again: abundance.
It shapes the menu at Published on Main. It defines his relationships with B.C.’s farmers. It fills a pantry with months of ferments and preserves, and inspires a kitchen where the changing seasons dictate almost every decision.
At 40 years old, the Winnipeg born chef-partner of Published (3539 Main St.) has helped build one of Canada’s defining restaurants. Along the way, the restaurant has earned a Michelin star, been named Canada’s Best Restaurant and this year climbed to No. 17 on North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
Over the past decade, Stieffenhofer-Brandson has helped shape a style of cooking that is unmistakably British Columbian, one rooted in seasonality, relationships with farmers and an unwavering respect for product.
His newest tasting menu, launching this week, is perhaps the clearest expression of that philosophy.
Following a spring menu celebrating every shade of green, his summer menu, entitled “Flourish,” arrives with a sense of play.
“We’re moving into the summer … kind of backyard barbecue vibes, a little bit more cheeky, some more fun,” says Stieffenhofer-Brandson.
There is a miniature lamb Cumberland sausage hot dog, a playful nacho-inspired beef tartare and even ants on a log. Nostalgic and whimsical on the surface, the dishes remain deeply rooted in the ingredients that inspired them.
The menu’s centrepiece, Summer Bounty, begins with a wild rice miso that quietly ferments for nearly four months. Around it is as many as 20 vegetables, roasted, grilled, glazed, pickled and raw, finished with herbs and flowers sourced from local farms.
“It’s a celebration of what’s in season,” he says.
Respect for product underlies everything at Published on Main
That respect for product is the foundation of everything at Published.
Throughout the summer, deliveries arrive from farms across B.C., each bringing another snapshot of the province’s growing season. Stieffenhofer-Brandson speaks enthusiastically about longtime relationships with growers such as Glorious Organics, Cropthorne Farm and Solstedt Organics. They aren’t simply suppliers. They’re collaborators, shaping the menu one harvest at a time.
Maintaining that abundance isn’t always easy.
One ingredient can completely change a dish. Stieffenhofer-Brandson recalls a favourite plate built around preserved melon and habanada peppers that lost part of its magic when those peppers were no longer available. The replacement worked, but it wasn’t the same.
Those details matter.
At Published, the menu isn’t written in spite of the seasons. It is written because of them. Every delivery has the potential to change a dish, spark a new idea or send the kitchen in an entirely different direction.
The seasons don’t end when the harvest does.
Each winter, Published turns to a tasting menu centred on preservation. Ingredients fermented, pickled and carefully stored months earlier become the backbone of the experience, allowing one season to support the next. The pantry becomes an extension of the farms, ensuring the flavours of summer can still tell their story in the middle of winter.
That same mindset has shaped Stieffenhofer-Brandson as a leader.
After being diagnosed with Lyme disease, the relentless 80-hour work weeks that defined his earlier years became impossible to sustain. Instead, he focused on building a team capable of maintaining the restaurant’s standards whether he was standing on the line or not.
“Knowing how and when to ask questions is the most important skill,” he says. “It’s a sign of strength, not weakness.”
Today, more than 60 people rely on Published.
Chef’s standards remain uncompromising
His standards remain uncompromising. Respect the ingredients. Respect the product. Respect the work that went into growing it. A miso that takes months to ferment or a harvest that comes only once each year deserves nothing less.
One day, Stieffenhofer-Brandson hopes to create a more intimate tasting-menu restaurant devoted entirely to hyper-regional Canadian cuisine. He imagines a place where cooks present the food, where guests feel connected to the kitchen and where every course tells the story of Canada through its ingredients and seasons.
For now, Published remains his focus, continuing to evolve one menu, one season and one service at a time.
As our conversation comes to a close, I ask Stieffenhofer-Brandson what still drives him.
“What’s important now? What do I need to do now to be where I want to be one year from now? Two years from now? Five years from now?”
For him, the answer isn’t found in a ranking, a star or even the next great dish. It’s found in the quiet work that happens long before a plate reaches the dining room: in the relationships with farmers, in the patience required to ferment a miso for months, in the trust placed in a young cook and in the belief that every season offers another opportunity to learn.
Perhaps that’s what abundance really means. Not having more. Seeing more.
More possibility in every harvest. More purpose in every service. More reason to keep asking what comes next.
Christian Alvarez is the founder of Vancouver Chefs and the ICON Dinner Series, platforms that bring together celebrated chefs for immersive, culture driven dining experiences. A graduate of the Northwest Culinary Academy in Vancouver, he blends culinary training with a passion for storytelling, photography and community building. Through curated collaborations, he explores the intersection of food, film, music and art, creating intimate events that celebrate both craft and creativity. When he is not curating dinners, he runs the Vancouver seawall, spends long hours on the road as an avid cyclist, and explores the world through its food and culture.