Meet the Boogie Down's Hood Chefs: Ghetto Gastro
Four chefs from the Bronx have decided to cook up their own flavor to add to the BX's melting pot of gastronomy fares. Jon Gray, Chef Malcolm Livingston II, Chef Marq Hayes, Chef Lester Walker and Chef Daniel Levin make up the collective, better known as Ghetto Gastro.
VIBE caught up with these hood chefs to talk about dinner dates, giving back to the community and their famous chicken and waffles. Click through the gallery to check out the full interview from Uptown baby, Uptown baby...
VIBE: What's the craziest entree you guys have ever made and served?
Jon Gray: I'm skinny on the cooking but I have created a intermezzo before which consists of Pear with Maple cream, Speziato al Tartufo, and Candied Meyer Lemon Zest.
Chef Malcolm Livingston II: The GG Mofongo, in other words Plantain Pasta that was pretty ingenious!
Chef Marq Hayes: Mission Fig Waffle x Clementine Chili Fried Chicken with Fois Gras Butter
Chef Lester Walker: Fried Blowfish with Roasted Red Pepper Paint, Chickpea Puree, Purple Potato Chips, and Meyer Lemon Gelee. It was wavy and nobody died.
Chef Daniel Levin: Mission Fig Waffle x Clementine Chili Fried Chicken with Fois Gras Butter.
VIBE: If you had to have a soundtrack to your perfect meal, what would be the app, entrée and dessert music. (pick a track for each course)
Jon Gray: App Young Jeezy/Thug Motivation 101, Entrée Ghostface/Mighty Healthy Dessert Outkast/Spottieottiedopaliscious
Chef Malcolm Livingston II: For the App- Jayz PSA/Public Service Announcement, Entree – Outkast/So Fresh and So Clean, and for the Dessert Raekwon with Ice Cream.
Chef Marq Hayes: App: Kendrick Lamar/Money Trees, Entree: Joby Talbot/ Dying Swan, and Dessert: Lee Morgan/Rigamortis
Chef Lester Walker: App - This or That/Black Sheep, Entrée - The Champ Is Here/Jada Kiss, and Dessert - I Did It My Way/ Jay Hova
VIBE: How long until you guys get a food truck?
Jon Gray: I'd rather stay mobile by doing dope pop-ups around the globe. Variety is the spice of life.
Chef Malcolm Livingston II: Soon as I price the rims weoutchea!
Chef Marq Hayes: Some of us feel the food truck era in NYC has expired, but we'd partner with a dope brand to do a one off.
Chef Lester Walker: We are a food truck! The wave is a movement and we are paving these streets.
Chef Daniel Levin: No clue, but could be in the works
Photo Credit: Joshua Woods
VIBE caught up with these hood chefs to talk about dinner dates, giving back to the community and their famous chicken and waffles. Click through the gallery to check out the full interview from Uptown baby, Uptown baby...
VIBE: What's the craziest entree you guys have ever made and served?
Jon Gray: I'm skinny on the cooking but I have created a intermezzo before which consists of Pear with Maple cream, Speziato al Tartufo, and Candied Meyer Lemon Zest.
Chef Malcolm Livingston II: The GG Mofongo, in other words Plantain Pasta that was pretty ingenious!
Chef Marq Hayes: Mission Fig Waffle x Clementine Chili Fried Chicken with Fois Gras Butter
Chef Lester Walker: Fried Blowfish with Roasted Red Pepper Paint, Chickpea Puree, Purple Potato Chips, and Meyer Lemon Gelee. It was wavy and nobody died.
Chef Daniel Levin: Mission Fig Waffle x Clementine Chili Fried Chicken with Fois Gras Butter.
VIBE: If you had to have a soundtrack to your perfect meal, what would be the app, entrée and dessert music. (pick a track for each course)
Jon Gray: App Young Jeezy/Thug Motivation 101, Entrée Ghostface/Mighty Healthy Dessert Outkast/Spottieottiedopaliscious
Chef Malcolm Livingston II: For the App- Jayz PSA/Public Service Announcement, Entree – Outkast/So Fresh and So Clean, and for the Dessert Raekwon with Ice Cream.
Chef Marq Hayes: App: Kendrick Lamar/Money Trees, Entree: Joby Talbot/ Dying Swan, and Dessert: Lee Morgan/Rigamortis
Chef Lester Walker: App - This or That/Black Sheep, Entrée - The Champ Is Here/Jada Kiss, and Dessert - I Did It My Way/ Jay Hova
VIBE: How long until you guys get a food truck?
Jon Gray: I'd rather stay mobile by doing dope pop-ups around the globe. Variety is the spice of life.
Chef Malcolm Livingston II: Soon as I price the rims weoutchea!
Chef Marq Hayes: Some of us feel the food truck era in NYC has expired, but we'd partner with a dope brand to do a one off.
Chef Lester Walker: We are a food truck! The wave is a movement and we are paving these streets.
Chef Daniel Levin: No clue, but could be in the works
Photo Credit: Joshua Woods
VIBE: Jon once said in an interview that food brings ANYONE together, like music. Who's the craziest person you've went out to dinner with?
Jon Gray: Anytime I eat out with the GG squad things get interesting to say the least.
Chef Malcolm Livingston II: My family, we just have a ball clowning and telling stories. Food definitely brings anyone and everyone together.
Chef Marq Hayes: Da Wolf Pack we had to air out Employees Only one time when the drunk bartender got out of pocket.
Chef Lester Walker: Hard to say but I would love to take Lindsay Lohan out on the town.
VIBE: Do you guys let your wives/girlfriends cook ever? Or are the men the kitchen kings?
Jon Gray: I find that some women are intimated by the GG wave and don't want to get in the kitchen around me because they see pics of uni and arctic char on my Instagram, but I appreciate a lady that can cook. I’ll just give creative direction if necessary.
Chef Malcolm Livingston II: I love for my wife to cook. But occasionally I get kind of militant and have to check in on my sous chef to find out what she doing :)
Chef Marq Hayes: Only skilled lunch meats get to cook wit da Hero otherwise they do the prepping!
Chef Lester Walker: Cooking is my passion x I love interacting with my girlfriend while in the kitchen and in my element x I call her my sous chef and we role play x swerve.
Chef Daniel Levin: Girls are always very intimidated to cook for me, but I really love when they do.
VIBE: When did it occur to you that you wanted to perfect the dish - chicken and waffles and turn it into a sandwich?
Jon Gray: For me it started with the name. Waffles and Models then we brainstormed on how we could serve a waffle in a non traditional setting that was up to par with the GG standard.
Chef Malcolm Livingston II: The idea started as a serving item for our Waffles x Models party. We wanted to figure out the best format to deliver the waffles and chicken without sacrificing flavor and texture in a party setting . So we toasted the waffle, sliced it in half, and from there the chic x waffle slider was born.
Chef Marq Hayes: It was definitely time to create an elevated version of this southern delicacy and the elements we used changed the perception of this dish.
Chef Lester Walker: We wanted to be cutting edge with it it's like bringing 2 worlds together. So why not goons x supermodels? Opposites will always attract. You have southern fried chicken with Belgian waffles, the perfect combination of savory and sweet. However, the dish is still not perfected and we have a long way to go. We are never satisfied; we're always chasing that next big wave.
Chef Daniel Levin: It was a collaboration of all the chef’s ideas to turn the classic chicken and waffles into what we made.
Photo Credit: Joshua Woods
Jon Gray: Anytime I eat out with the GG squad things get interesting to say the least.
Chef Malcolm Livingston II: My family, we just have a ball clowning and telling stories. Food definitely brings anyone and everyone together.
Chef Marq Hayes: Da Wolf Pack we had to air out Employees Only one time when the drunk bartender got out of pocket.
Chef Lester Walker: Hard to say but I would love to take Lindsay Lohan out on the town.
VIBE: Do you guys let your wives/girlfriends cook ever? Or are the men the kitchen kings?
Jon Gray: I find that some women are intimated by the GG wave and don't want to get in the kitchen around me because they see pics of uni and arctic char on my Instagram, but I appreciate a lady that can cook. I’ll just give creative direction if necessary.
Chef Malcolm Livingston II: I love for my wife to cook. But occasionally I get kind of militant and have to check in on my sous chef to find out what she doing :)
Chef Marq Hayes: Only skilled lunch meats get to cook wit da Hero otherwise they do the prepping!
Chef Lester Walker: Cooking is my passion x I love interacting with my girlfriend while in the kitchen and in my element x I call her my sous chef and we role play x swerve.
Chef Daniel Levin: Girls are always very intimidated to cook for me, but I really love when they do.
VIBE: When did it occur to you that you wanted to perfect the dish - chicken and waffles and turn it into a sandwich?
Jon Gray: For me it started with the name. Waffles and Models then we brainstormed on how we could serve a waffle in a non traditional setting that was up to par with the GG standard.
Chef Malcolm Livingston II: The idea started as a serving item for our Waffles x Models party. We wanted to figure out the best format to deliver the waffles and chicken without sacrificing flavor and texture in a party setting . So we toasted the waffle, sliced it in half, and from there the chic x waffle slider was born.
Chef Marq Hayes: It was definitely time to create an elevated version of this southern delicacy and the elements we used changed the perception of this dish.
Chef Lester Walker: We wanted to be cutting edge with it it's like bringing 2 worlds together. So why not goons x supermodels? Opposites will always attract. You have southern fried chicken with Belgian waffles, the perfect combination of savory and sweet. However, the dish is still not perfected and we have a long way to go. We are never satisfied; we're always chasing that next big wave.
Chef Daniel Levin: It was a collaboration of all the chef’s ideas to turn the classic chicken and waffles into what we made.
Photo Credit: Joshua Woods
VIBE: Are you guys healthy conscious with your dishes?
Jon Gray: We use the best ingredients, the farm-to-table approach but there is also room for improvement. We are currently seeking the knowledge to add to our arsenal so we can deliver the best tasting food in a healthy way.
Chef Malcolm Livingston II: Not at the moment but that's definitely a goal I'd like to reach. Especially with Raw and Vegan Diet items.
Chef Marq Hayes: As trend setters we believe that flavor, presentation and the use of fresh healthy ingredients will allow us to attain and maintain longevity with this wave we're creating.
Chef Lester Walker: Ghetto Gastro strives to deliver the best tasting food in a healthy way. We use duck fat but we also use extra virgin olive oils so it depends on the environment and always what the guests want.
VIBE: What ten items of food would be in your personal buffet?
Jon Gray: Russ x Daughters Smoked Salmon on a Croissant with garlic artichoke cream , Shrimp Roti from Feroza's in the BX, any pasta from Maialino, Garlic Bread from Crab Shanty in City Island, Oxtails from Dee x Ricky's,
Chef Marq Hayes: Duck Confit, Lavender Au Gratin, truffle Mac and Cheese, King Crab Ceviche, Shrimp Soul Pockets, Sautéed Brocolini, Rack of Lamb, Fried Chicken, Beef Duo Short Ribs and Filet Mignon
Chef Lester Walker: Pickled watermelon rind x crispy duck salad, Fried Blowfish x truffle grits, Chicken x waffles, and Truffle Mac with the cheese.
Chef Daniel Levin: Bagels with lox, Fois gras torchon, Fried oyster po boy, Crayfish étouffée, Prime dry aged rib eye with horseradish, and Duck confit cassoulet.
VIBE: Have you guys ever thought about coming up with your own drink concoctions?
Jon Gray: I’m really into specialty cocktails especially mixing bourbons and rye spirits with tropical elements. As far as putting something in a bottle I'd rather do some ill juices and pay homage to the Rastas I came up with.
Chef Malcolm Livingston II: Jon definitely is always thinking about drinks and reinventing the St. Ides Special Brew 40 oz. he even used it as a water vessel for serving guests at a private dinner party.
Chef Marq Hayes: Yes
Chef Lester Walker: I'm into infused gin mixes x bourbon bliss.
Chef Daniel Levin: I plan on getting certified as a sommelier and using my knowledge of flavors to create an amazing drink program with our incredible food.
VIBE: You guys have a community service aspect to your cooking - are you still planning on facilitating educational opportunities for single parents, former felons, students and others who would like to learn the art of cooking?
Jon Gray: We all have ideas about how we'd like to give back in a big way. we've done some demos at schools and we are working to find more ways to make an impact on the community in a positive way.
Chef Malcolm Livingston II: All of the above is definitely a way to give back and we are building the blocks to move forward with these incentives as it extremely important in our foundation of cooking.
Chef Marq Hayes: We're going to start with the single parents and the youth so we can try and prevent them from becoming felons. Down the line our goal is to start to hire people.
Chef Lester Walker: This summer I plan on doing a tour of the homeless shelters and foster homes all over the Bronx and giving cooking demos along with speeches of encouragement.
Chef Daniel Levin: Yes, I think it's incredibly important and an element to Ghetto Gastro we all want to come to fruition.
VIBE: Have you guys ever heard of Hood Chef? He serves food at different functions for free - what do you think about that?
Jon Gray: My homie Puma from Black Ink hipped me to son. I respect the movement.
Chef Malcolm Livingston II: I've never heard of him. But that sounds like a terrific idea.
Chef Marq Hayes: Nah he's not a wolf I googled him he's type thinny.
Chef Lester Walker: I respect his hustle and passion. Hopefully we cross paths one day . The mission is to feed minds x bodies x souls. Ghetto gastro is about giving back and erasing the stigma of negativity. Fortunately I was blessed with a talent and it's Gods will for me to spread the knowledge and gift. If this is what hood chef is about I wanna CHOP it up with the god. Peace
Chef Daniel Levin: Never heard of him but sounds very charitable.
Photo Credit: Barron Claiborne
Jon Gray: We use the best ingredients, the farm-to-table approach but there is also room for improvement. We are currently seeking the knowledge to add to our arsenal so we can deliver the best tasting food in a healthy way.
Chef Malcolm Livingston II: Not at the moment but that's definitely a goal I'd like to reach. Especially with Raw and Vegan Diet items.
Chef Marq Hayes: As trend setters we believe that flavor, presentation and the use of fresh healthy ingredients will allow us to attain and maintain longevity with this wave we're creating.
Chef Lester Walker: Ghetto Gastro strives to deliver the best tasting food in a healthy way. We use duck fat but we also use extra virgin olive oils so it depends on the environment and always what the guests want.
VIBE: What ten items of food would be in your personal buffet?
Jon Gray: Russ x Daughters Smoked Salmon on a Croissant with garlic artichoke cream , Shrimp Roti from Feroza's in the BX, any pasta from Maialino, Garlic Bread from Crab Shanty in City Island, Oxtails from Dee x Ricky's,
Chef Marq Hayes: Duck Confit, Lavender Au Gratin, truffle Mac and Cheese, King Crab Ceviche, Shrimp Soul Pockets, Sautéed Brocolini, Rack of Lamb, Fried Chicken, Beef Duo Short Ribs and Filet Mignon
Chef Lester Walker: Pickled watermelon rind x crispy duck salad, Fried Blowfish x truffle grits, Chicken x waffles, and Truffle Mac with the cheese.
Chef Daniel Levin: Bagels with lox, Fois gras torchon, Fried oyster po boy, Crayfish étouffée, Prime dry aged rib eye with horseradish, and Duck confit cassoulet.
VIBE: Have you guys ever thought about coming up with your own drink concoctions?
Jon Gray: I’m really into specialty cocktails especially mixing bourbons and rye spirits with tropical elements. As far as putting something in a bottle I'd rather do some ill juices and pay homage to the Rastas I came up with.
Chef Malcolm Livingston II: Jon definitely is always thinking about drinks and reinventing the St. Ides Special Brew 40 oz. he even used it as a water vessel for serving guests at a private dinner party.
Chef Marq Hayes: Yes
Chef Lester Walker: I'm into infused gin mixes x bourbon bliss.
Chef Daniel Levin: I plan on getting certified as a sommelier and using my knowledge of flavors to create an amazing drink program with our incredible food.
VIBE: You guys have a community service aspect to your cooking - are you still planning on facilitating educational opportunities for single parents, former felons, students and others who would like to learn the art of cooking?
Jon Gray: We all have ideas about how we'd like to give back in a big way. we've done some demos at schools and we are working to find more ways to make an impact on the community in a positive way.
Chef Malcolm Livingston II: All of the above is definitely a way to give back and we are building the blocks to move forward with these incentives as it extremely important in our foundation of cooking.
Chef Marq Hayes: We're going to start with the single parents and the youth so we can try and prevent them from becoming felons. Down the line our goal is to start to hire people.
Chef Lester Walker: This summer I plan on doing a tour of the homeless shelters and foster homes all over the Bronx and giving cooking demos along with speeches of encouragement.
Chef Daniel Levin: Yes, I think it's incredibly important and an element to Ghetto Gastro we all want to come to fruition.
VIBE: Have you guys ever heard of Hood Chef? He serves food at different functions for free - what do you think about that?
Jon Gray: My homie Puma from Black Ink hipped me to son. I respect the movement.
Chef Malcolm Livingston II: I've never heard of him. But that sounds like a terrific idea.
Chef Marq Hayes: Nah he's not a wolf I googled him he's type thinny.
Chef Lester Walker: I respect his hustle and passion. Hopefully we cross paths one day . The mission is to feed minds x bodies x souls. Ghetto gastro is about giving back and erasing the stigma of negativity. Fortunately I was blessed with a talent and it's Gods will for me to spread the knowledge and gift. If this is what hood chef is about I wanna CHOP it up with the god. Peace
Chef Daniel Levin: Never heard of him but sounds very charitable.
Photo Credit: Barron Claiborne
