Photo by Chris Lassiter
Eric Vasson just wants to be the second-best cook in his family. The number one position isn’t up for debate. The owner of the Island Wheels food truck knows that spot will always belong to his grandmother.
“I was 7-years-old when I my grandmother got me into cooking,” Vasson said. “This was in St. Lucia. My grandmother was the best cook. People like my food, but there’s no competition. I don’t come close to what my grandmother used to do. She definitely was the reason I do what I do now, and why I love cooking for so much.”
Vasson went to culinary school and then later to Spain to get his master’s degree, working to perfect the passion that his grandmother instilled in him for cooking. That passion led him to MetLife Stadium to cook for the New York Giants and New York Jets, and five-star restaurants throughout the Caribbean. It all changed during the pandemic. “The reason I’m actually in Lexington – in Virginia – is because I got stuck here,” Vasson said. “I actually came (home from the Caribbean) to visit family and friends in New Jersey and a family that lived in Covington in the middle of nowhere. They met me when I was a chef in St. Lucia. I used to go back and forth. They closed the border to New Jersey, and I couldn’t travel.”
The inspiration for Island Wheels actually came from watching the movie Chef while in Covington. “There was a food truck, and they were like, ‘It’s a great idea. We should do this one day.’ I’m like, ‘yeah, sure, whatever,’” Vasson said. “The next day, they have a printout online and say, ‘We’re doing this truck, right?’ I’m like, ‘Are we serious about this?’” It turns out they were serious.
Photo by Chris Lassiter
Now his unique take on oxtails, curried goat, jerk chicken, and other Caribbean-inspired dishes can be experienced all through the Shenandoah Valley. “This is my first business I’ve owned,” Vasson said. “I knew the culinary aspect of it. I’ve cooked my whole life. I’ve done management stuff, but to be a business owner, this is my first experience of it. The thing about it is that being authentic and true to the Caribbean is what made people gravitate to me so much. That’s why I love it. It’s a blessing. It’s working out pretty well.”
Photos by Chris Lassiter
Follow Island Wheels on Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date with when and where they'll be in the Shenandoah Valley!
Story and photos by Chris Lassiter. Chris Lassiter is the director of engagement and inclusion at the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge. He highlights businesses for the Staunton Black Business Collective.
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