MISSOULA – It must be getting closer to summer because Missoula’s food truck scene is heating up.
This year you may see a new lady scooting her — not Mount Jumbo, but ‘Mount Gumbo” — cart around town.
MTN News recently caught up with Sasha Underwood, who’s bringing a taste of the South to the mountains.
Although right now just a small cart, this new Missoula food option has a large personality — and just the right amount of spice.
Underwood has an impressive food industry background and is ready to take her experience, love for New Orleans and mix it with Missoula — to bring you Mount Gumbo.
“I’ve been working in the food industry for so long that I really wanted to take what I’ve learned and implement it into my own kind of skill and talent and love for food,” Underwood said.
“And I decided Missoula really needs some good Cajun food and I thought I could be the perfect person to do it,” she added.
While living in Louisiana, Underwood fell in love with the culture, the food — and ultimately a man, who she met on Mardis Gras Day.
She followed that love to Montana, where she is now slinging southern dishes.
Underwood’s recipe offers the staples of an original gumbo – like sausage, shrimp and rice. However, there are some ingredients she’s going to keep to herself.
“Gumbo is meant to feed a family, it is meant to feed multiple families – it’s meant to feed a neighborhood,” Underwood told MTN News.
“It is also very cheap, affordable ingredients that you can find at your local corner store and it’s just meant to be warm and filling and loving.”
So far, Mount Gumbo has been just that – loved! As for the creative name, Underwood was inspired by the mountainous views, along with another familiar Missoula food truck.
“I live up the Rattlesnake and we pass by Jumbo every day. And we were actually inspired by Big Thai Country, I was like that’s so cute! I would love to incorporate Missoula and my love for New Orleans all into one – and Mount Gumbo came fruition,” she explained.
Underwood said the end goal is to expand into a brick-and-mortar – however, she’s currently enjoying her cart and getting to know her new customers.
She is currently set up every Wednesday for the Mountain Bike Race league at Marshall Mountain but hopes to expand into other summer events like ultimate frisbee, Out to Lunch and Downtown Tonight.
You can also find Underwood on Facebook by clicking here.
