Gladys represents the travel and identity of food because it brought West Indian culture into New York City. The two owners truly made an effort to make the recipes of their food as accurately as possible. In an interview, one of the owners told the story of how they discovered the recipes, sharing both the identity of the cuisine and how it traveled across continents. The food went from the remote locations of beachside sheds to the well dined seats of a Brooklyn Restaurant.

When the question becomes one of whether or not Gladys restaurant is authentic, a clear distinction should be made between the word ‘authentic’ and ‘accurate’. While the dishes being served at Gladys’s are from true natives to West India, it is not authentic West Indian food. For food to be authentic, it is more about the history of the culture than the origins of the ingredients used. Food is categorized by regions due to the history of the culture that comes with it. There is a distinct reason who the people of West India chose to made jerk chicken that way, entangled with the hardships of the people and the strife they had to live through. Thus, for two white boys to use that history for their own profits is an act of cultural appropriation.

Their interview also did not have an authentic, well intentioned story to their business. Although masked in anecdotal banter, the owner made it clear that previous to being a jerk chicken restaurant, it was a grilled cheese shop. He did not come upon the idea because he was overtaken by the culture of where he was, but rather he was motivated by the possible profits the new cuisine could bring. He explained how he had planned a trip to Jamaica in an effort to find accurate recipes. Although I respect his commitment by importing the correct wood into the country for his restaurant, it feels more of a business investment than a tribute to Jamaican culture.

Being located in the part of New York City that it is, I feel as if the owners of Gladys should not have been the ones to being West Indian culture into the community. Being surrounded by actual West Indian natives, it makes their story even less authentic and more exploitative in nature. I’m sure their intentions were pure when starting the restaurant, and in general they are good and kind hearted men. I also probably wouldn’t go as far as to call for action due to the restaurant’s history, but at the basic level- Gladys is not authentic food.