Good Day,
Some years back Top Chef Stefon Rishel said to me one night, “Trey, have you eaten at Clay Pigeon and have you met Marcus Paslay yet?” The answer to both questions was no and no. I ask Stefon, “What in the world is a Paslay anyway? Sounds like a flower child!” Stefon went on to say how incredible Clay Pigeon and Chef Marcus Paslay were! Sometimes when people rave about a particular Chef or place, they tend to over exaggerate. But, knowing Stefon- he wouldn’t just give credit away to any ol’ chef, cook, or kitchen unless they are truly incredible. After Stefon’s great praising session, I got all excited. I couldn’t wait to meet this Chef Marcus Paslay, the flower child- or so I thought!
It didn’t take me long to get to Clay Pigeon on White Settlement Road. When I pulled up, and I saw the little building and it had so much charm- I loved it.
I threw the door open and went inside as I always do. Everyone was so nice and greeted me with such grace and friendliness. Nobody knew me at Clay, so the display of kindness, smiles, and hellos was refreshing. It makes one feel special and at home which always helps in feeling comfortable. A true sign of a fantastic restaurant is a caring, helpful staff that can make one feel comfortable before you even sit down to dine. When I sat down they brought some food out, and from my very first bite at Clay Pigeon, all I could ever say is “WOW, WOW, WOW!”
Every single dish I tried left me on the border of perfection and dreamland. Clay Pigeon has the kind of food with undescribable flavor and texture, just pure deliciousness. I can’t even begin to explain how the chef created such fantastic dishes.
Marcus and I became fast friends and I’ve eaten and chowed down on almost everything that has come out of the Clay Kitchen and even some things that Marcus had created just that evening. Since then, Marcus and I filmed a Trey’s Chow Down T.V. episode early last year that was viewed close to 100,000 times, and we did a “Share- To- Win” contest with Autobahn Jaguar Motor Cars which was a big success.
Chef Marcus also has Chef Dan who creates some incredible dishes and runs the kitchen while Marcus is busy running back and forth between Clay Pigeon and his newest concept, “Pieatto Italian Kitchen.”
People ask me all the time about the Clay Pigeon,
What is it?
What kind of food?
Is it good?
I tell them all in the simplest of terms that in my opinion, Clay Pigeon is truly one of the world’s most incredible restaurants. I’ve dined all over the world, eaten at places some can only dream of and Clay Pigeon is at the top- period. The flavor profiles, the incredible service, the craft cocktails, the amazingly creative from scratch cuisine and atmosphere, make Clay Pigeon one of the world’s most elite places to dine, socialize and drink. Simply put, It’s like a food DREAM LAND!
I’ll never forget the words of Marcus Paslay, “Trey, we don’t care if you’re wearing jeans, boots, and t-shirt or a 5,000 dollar suit. In my restaurant, it’s all the same, and everyone’s treated equally.” Being in the restaurant business all my life that’s the true meaning of service- wanting every person to have an incredible dining experience.
If you haven’t tried Clay Pigeon get there today and tell’em, Trey Chapman sent you!
Love Y’all!
Special thanks to American Hat Company, Autobahn Motor Cars, Varghese Summersett pllc
