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Thump In The Morning

Thump In The Morning

Thump In The Morning

Las Vegas Is Now Happy Cookin Wit Gas

Author DJ THUMP
If you want some seriously amazing Southern food, keep your eyes open for this food truck around Las Vegas.

Las Vegas is cooking with gas, and some of the best meals are prepared in local food trucks. I recently had the chance to speak with Chef Gastinel of Cookin Wit Gas Cajun Cuisine.

How Cookin Wit Gas Got Started In Las Vegas

Cookin Wit Gas started in 2020, when Covid shut down the country. Chef Gastinel started as a local DJ on the Las Vegas Strip before starting his new venture in the culinary world. He said he was continuing the family legacy of being in the food service industry, just like his mother and brother. Gastinel told me “I am a product of Southern hospitality” and he says his focus is “ensuring the highest quality of the product”.

Related: You Must Try This Black-Owned Las Vegas BBQ Restaurant

Not only is this local restaurant family-owned, and black-owned, but it’s also veteran-owned. Gastinel served in the United States Marine Corps for eight years. He was in Avionics Electronics, which means he handled all the electronic and communication systems in the airplanes.

Gastinel got his first turntable when he was in the Marine Corps in 1991. His DJ business picked up after he left the Corps. And he still incorporates his love of music into his food truck business. Gastinel actually built his food truck to incorporate his DJ equipment so he could spin and serve for his customers at the same time.

Cookin Wit Gas Serving In And Giving Back To The Local Community

Gastinel has done a lot of work in the local community. Including at the popular annual Renaissance Fair at Sunset Park. He was also one of the few chosen to serve at Media Week at the Superbowl, where he fed 6,000 media personnel. He has worked with the Urban Chamber of Commerce. And has been part of the annual Tacos and Tamales Festival for the last three years. Held at Desert Breeze Park, Gastinel introduced his Jambalaya Tacos this year, which were a huge hit.

A tall black man in a black apron stands next to an elderly couple at an outdoor event.
Cooking With Gas
Chef Gastinel shaking hands with members of the local Las Vegas community at one of his Cookin Wit Gas catering events.

When he can, Gastinel partners with local businesses for his products, instead of sending his money outside of the Las Vegas community. For example, his salad dressing is provided by Ken’s Food Warehouse, which is located just off of Blue Diamond Road and Jones.

What I love about Cookin Wit Gas, as much as how amazing their food is, is Gastinel’s dedication to the community. Even though he is retired from the military, he still shows his passion to serve others. At the end of every day, he donates food to the Las Vegas Rescue Mission to help the homeless.

You can find Cookin Wit Gas around town, and follow them on Instagram so you know where they are going to be. If you need help ordering, Gastinel says his specialties are Chicken Sausage Jambalaya and Seafood Gumbo.

Shrimp gumbo in a black bowl from the Cooking With Gas menu. The bowl is sitting on a white table.
Cooking With Gas
This is the Seafood Gumbo from Cookin Wit Gas. And man is it good!

And I personally agree with the Chef when he says his catfish is amazing. And if you have an event coming up, they are great to work with for catering. They catered for my aunt and uncle’s wedding and everybody was beyond happy.

Marlon "DJ Thump" Rice is a morning show host on Jammin’ 105.7 "Thump In The Morning!" He has been with the station for the past six years and has been inducted into the Nevada Broadcasters Hall of Fame class of 2019. DJ Thump has toured with R&B legend Al B. Sure! As his music director. As a content creator for Jammin’ 105.7, DJ Thump writes articles on sports, preferably the Las Vegas Raiders and the world champion Las Vegas Aces. DJ Thump writes about the local community (which he is heavily involved in) as well as local Black-owned businesses.

The Best Places For Cajun Food In Las Vegas

It’s Fat Tuesday, which means many people in America are craving Cajun cuisine. And we’ve got a list of the best places in Las Vegas to get your Cajun food on. Today or any day. But first, here’s a little background on why we even celebrate Fat Tuesday.

Why Some Celebrate Fat Tuesday With Cajun Food

Do you know how to say Fat Tuesday in French? Mardi Gras. And if you didn’t just think of New Orleans, you might have been living under a rock. Even though Fat Tuesday in no way originated in New Orleans, that’s what we associate Mardi Gras with. And New Orleans has been known for its Cajun food since the French brought it to Louisiana in the late 1700’s (neworleans.com).

The Origin Of Fat Tuesday

Historians believe Fat Tuesday has been around for thousands of years. Celebrated for a few different reasons, according to CNN Travel. For ancient Romans, it was a day celebrating harvest season. Which is where the bean baked into the King Cake came from. In Christianity, it was a day to mark the end of Carnival season. Which begins on January 6, also known as Epiphany or Twelfth Night.

Carnival season is almost six weeks long, and has pretty much become the season to get all the gluttony and debauchery out of one’s system before Lent. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (February 14th, this year) and Fat Tuesday is the day right before. In fact, the fat part of Fat Tuesday does not come from how much weight we all gain from the overeating during Carnival season. It refers to the custom of using up all the fat in your home before the fasting begins the next day.

Best Places In Las Vegas To Find Cajun Food

So, for those of us who have lived in the states most or all of our lives, Fat Tuesday means two things: The Mardi Gras partay! in New Orleans, and tasty Cajun food to celebrate. Here’s where you can find some really good Cajun in Las Vegas. – Wendy Rush

  • Cap't Loui

    Cap’t Loui is a must for great Cajun food. Oysters, crawfish and Po’Boys are just a few of the dishes on their menu. They even have live clam and oysters on the half shell.

    Located at 9430 West Sahara Ave near the Lakes in Las Vegas. Open Sunday – Thursday 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m. You can also order ahead and pick up. 702-410-9181

  • Rockin' Crab

    If you want some crawfish, this is not the place to be. But if you are craving some really amazing Cajun shrimp, mussels and snow crab, look no further. Rockin’ Crab has lunch specials every weekday noon to 2 p.m., and they have individual plates and shareables. They’re also doing a special on Tuesdays this month. Whole shrimp for $12 per pound.

    Located at 10140 West Tropicana Avenue in the Spring Valley area of Las Vegas. Open weekdays at 11 a.m. and noon on weekends. Open until 8 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday and until 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. (702) 982-3663​

  • The Lucky Crab

    Las Vegas locals can’t seem to get enough of this place. The Lucky Crab has a lot of dishes to satisfy your Cajun cravings. The Snow King Crabs legs is a favorite. Or try the boiled crawfish, mussels, shrimp. And the sauce so addictive that they call it the Lucky Crack sauce.

    The Lucky Crab is located at 333 West Saint Louis Avenue at Industrial Road. Open 5 – 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Closed Mondays. (702) 819-9768.

  • Captain's Seafood Boil

    Louisiana Crawfish Seafood Boil

    Southern dining at it’s finest.

    These guys just opened last month and they’re already getting great reviews. All of their seafood is made to order. They have lots of combos to feed more than one person. And they do saucy so well, you will definitely need a bib. They are spicy too so make sure you have your water ready!

    Captain’s Seafood Boil is located at 7960 South Rainbow Blvd near Windmill. Open Monday – Thursday 2 – 9 p.m. and Friday – Sunday 12 – 9 p.m. (725) 204-9186

  • Cajun Mouth

    I suppose you can’t really go wrong with a name like Cajun Mouth. And they’re not. They’re doing everything right when it comes to Cajun Cuisine. Seafood platters, Po’Boys and Cajun Pasta Bowls are just a few of the options on this menu. The Seafood Gumbo is a local favorite and do NOT leave without trying their beignets. Heavenly!

    Cajun Mouth is located at 3441 West Sahara Avenue on the corner of Sahara and Valley View. Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. And closed Sunday & Monday. (702) 202-4687

  • Cajun Crackin

    PERFECT FOR YOU AND A FRIEND! 👀🔥📍 5841 E Charleston Ave # 270🕒 Open Daily 11:30am-9:30pm🔥 Dine in | Take out | Pick...

    Posted by Cajun Crack’n on Monday, February 5, 2024

    The Northside of Vegas also has amazing options for Cajun cuisine. Cajun Crackin has a lot of dishes to choose from. Like Gumbo, Po’Boys and Hush Puppies. The Seafood Boil is amazing but you also can’t go wrong with the Cajun lobster tail. Whatever you choose, your tummy will leave happy.

    Cajun Crackin is located at 5960 North Losee Road near Tropical Parkway. Open Sunday – Thursday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. And Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. 702) 998-9926; They also have a location on the corner of East Charleston and Sloan.

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