Chef Claude Lewis

Born and raised in Jersey City to Antiguan parents, Claude Lewis is today the chef and owner of Freetown Road Project Restaurant in New Jersey. After winning the prestigious Food Network competition Chopped in 2018, Claude opened his authentic Antiguan/West Indian restaurant. Named after the Antiguan village where his parents grew up, Claude is on a mission to elevate Caribbean cuisine and introduce it to the American public. The Citizen caught up with Claude during his busy pre-Christmas period to learn about his food journey.

What started your passion for food?

I grew up in a ‘food family’ as both my parents can cook. My mother generally cooked Antiguan food, and as my father had moved here a couple of years before the rest of us, he had experience with American food. I therefore have had a lot of influence from both Antiguan and American cuisine. It’s difficult to get that authentic taste of home living here, so I had to learn how to make the food myself because I couldn’t always go back to Antigua to eat it!

What made you apply for Chopped?

I had just got a job at an Italian restaurant, Porta. Hospitality is very competitive, and as a person of colour in America and with immigrant parents, you feel like you’re behind. I wanted to prove that I belonged in this field. I did some other culinary competitions while I applied for Chopped. They answered me back, and the interview process took about three and a half years. They called me at the end of the third year to film the show. It then didn’t air for another two years. So the whole process took five years! It was a great experience, and I represented my culture, my city and my island in a good way.

How did the concept of Freetown Road Project come about?

When I went on Chopped, I didn’t plan to cook Caribbean food. I was head chef of an Italian restaurant, so I thought of doing Italian dishes. However, when they gave me the gefilte fish as an ingredient to work with, I decided to make something I was comfortable with. The way the episode went and how proud everyone was of me, provided me with the vision to create a Caribbean restaurant. I knew I wanted to open a place, but I didn’t know what it would represent. So Chopped really cleared it up for me, and we started working on the restaurant very soon afterwards.

Chef Claude Lewis

How do you want to put West Indian food on the map?

I don’t want to disrespect any Caribbean chefs; they represent their islands exceptionally well. However, being American born gives me a different perspective on the culinary scene. Cooking is taken so seriously here that Caribbean cuisine wouldn’t be respected if it isn’t taken to the highest levels. People in the islands live so long because the food is good, wholesome and has no additives. I am using the French technique that I’ve learned and my experience from cooking food from all over the world to ensure that Caribbean cuisine is something that can be eaten in fine dining restaurants. I really want to elevate it.

I WOULD LOVE TO OPEN A FREETOWN RESTAURANT IN FREETOWN ITSELF TO BRING SOME ATTENTION TO THE VILLAGE AND THAT SIDE OF THE ISLAND, PROVIDING JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM. I FEEL IT WOULD BE GOOD TO GIVE BACK IN THAT WAY AT THE SAME TIME AS EXPANDING THE BRAND.

How would you describe West Indian food to the uninitiated?

I always say it’s Caribbean soul food. It uses the same ingredients as American soul food: okra, potatoes, cornmeal and meats like chicken and goat and it’s certainly big hearty food that makes you want to sit back and relax. Most cultures have soul food; the first bite should make you feel at home.

What is the star dish on your menu?

Our oxtail and curry chicken are two of the most popular dishes. My mom’s curry chicken is the dish I would choose as my last meal on Earth!

For our brunch, we serve Wadadli chicken and waffles. We grill the pepper chicken and serve with waffles made from plantains and sweetcorn with some English Harbour rum on the side. The food is fun and delicious but it’s also approachable for the public.

What is your favourite food to eat when you’re not working?

I absolutely love all food, but sushi and pasta are my favourites. I love Italian cooking. In fact, I am a certified Neapolitan pizza maker. I competed in the Caputo Cup [Italy’s most renowned pizza contest] against 100 other pizza makers and I came 25th.

Your restaurant is involved in charity work. Why is it important for you to give back?

My sister opened her non-profit, The Salt Foundation, during the pandemic. She was working out of her car, picking up food and dropping it off to people in need together with my brother and father. At that time, no one was allowed in the restaurant, so we used the space to cook and store food for the foundation. We worked with three or four different non-profits, which made us an epicentre of food and community. We continue the work as unfortunately, there are still people in need. As a family, we feel blessed, so we like to give back any way we can.

Where is your favourite place in Antigua?

Shirley Heights gives you an excellent taste of Antigua. Every Thursday there’s drinks, dancing and you can eat grilled jerk chicken and ribs. I also love visiting St John’s – walking around, you smell the food, and you see the people. And the beaches, of course. Old Road Beach is where many of my family are from, and it’s so beautiful. I have great memories of being a kid and getting up before sunrise to jump in the water before it got too hot and then going to get breakfast. Just being in Antigua is wonderful. The air is different, and the sun is different; I can’t explain it.

So, do you plan to become the first Michelin-starred West Indian chef?

That is definitely my goal! I’m fighting for my brand to become a household name so that when people see it, they know what it is. My father owns land in Antigua, and I plan to open something there. I would love to open a Freetown Road Project restaurant in Freetown itself to bring some attention to the village and that side of the island, providing jobs and opportunities for them. I feel it would be good to give back in that way at the same time as expanding the brand. Perhaps that restaurant could become the Michelin-Starred restaurant!