Yes, why yes I did and I went on a serious mission to locate the BEST we have to offer in the North Texas area.
Trey with Celebrity Chef Keith B. Hicks
If you’re one of the 5 million-plus people we reach every month through social media, event happenings, my radio and television podcast show then you’re aware of this fact. BUT I always like to state the obvious.
I’ve tried each one of these BLOODYS! Trust me, I have tried literally hundreds of Bloodys in the last decade. It was all tasted & tested and approved by Trey’s Chow Down and Drink With Trey
If you love brunch then chances are you love a great Bloody Mary.
I drank Bloody Mary’s between Texas, Florida, California, Washington, New York, even in Jamaica and Mexico. I drink them quite often and have been asked at least 100 times this year or more, “Trey, who has the best Bloody Mary in North Texas?”
Bloody Mary’s are a staple in the national and the Texas brunch scene. It’s a favorite among the cocktail lovers of all ages the young drinkers and the old.
But first, I want to discuss the history of the Bloody Mary because it still blows my mind how it was conceived and created. Just as simple as someone mixing a drink and giving it a name after one long night of drinking. I still laugh at this because so many awesome deals can transpire over cocktails.
The history of the Bloody Mary is simple. It’s only 100 years old.
In FACT, next year is the 100th anniversaryof the creation of the Bloody Mary.
If you follow me on social media, or you’re one of the millions of foodies we reach each year then you’re aware I’m always on the hunt for the next new and creative concept. In the last three months of the pandemic crisis, it’s made it impossible for new restaurants to open. We’ve had a large number of them close, and sadly, more will follow.
When I got an email about a new restaurant opening its doors during the COVID-19 crisis my immediate thought response was, NO WAY... This has to be wrong? A new restaurant with an opening date?
Nope, I stand corrected!
When I found out it was a Phil Romano concept I was truly excited that a restaurant wanted to open and share a new concept with North Texans during a crisis.
Phil Romano is passionate about the restaurant business. If he decides to open a new concept, then you better believe it’s going to be fun and exciting.
It was opening in one of my favorite destination spots in North Texas for dining, drinking, socializing, and sweet treats. Yep, Trinity Groves in Dallas, Texas!
If you are one of the three million folks we reach every month then you know about what we’ve accomplished at Trey’s Chow Down Brands. The last seven years has been a wild ride and we are gaining ground every day.
One of my favorite things to do is grab a glass of whiskey, vodka, or any craft spirit, while I sip and socialize with friends. Five years ago one of my followers suggested I create a drinking side to Trey’s Chow Down because they loved following my travels and or nightly debauchery.
Three years ago we introduced the“Drink With Trey”side of our business and it’s been so rewarding. It’s a bit more raw, edgy, and crazy at times but a lot of fun!
We visit restaurants, distilleries, dinner clubs, bars, night clubs, event centers, and socializing events to locate some of the best spirits, food, and fun for all to enjoy.
The distillery business has changed so much that I decided a year ago to evaluate and locate some of the best spirits and distilleries in North Texas.
Back in the day when someone heard the word distillery what you thought of was a big place that produced spirits. A place where liquor is manufactured. It was generally known as a big factory where they created, produced, bottled, and shipped out tasty spirits. We’re talking vodka, whiskey, gin, bourbon, and any other spirit that one might enjoy. The distilleries used to be off the beaten path kind of hidden. Most of them were extremely large and not only needed lots of room but couldn’t be in the middle of the city or didn’t want to be. They were all about business, production, and shipping.
As most of you know those days are long gone in Texas. If you didn’t know this, then you’re either living under a rock, locked in prison, or live so far out in the country that this doesn’t matter to you anyway.
Craft distilleries have become a large part of the overall drinking experience. They have evolved into a perfect destination of exciting entertainment.
They offer educational tours, live entertainment, cocktail parties, gift shops, food, and plenty of craft cocktails to be enjoyed by everyone. The *NEW* generation craft distilleries work diligently at creating the perfect atmosphere for enjoying a cocktail and socializing with folks.
Drinking has become much more than just ripping a top off a bottle, taking a shot of something, or using a mixer to wash it down. People desire better experiences nowadays and long for the perfect destination to make that special occasion happen.
TX Whiskey Ranch With Trey
That’s why so many craft distilleries have popped up all over Texas. People basically have been asking for it and their prayers have been answered.
I’ve spent a couple of years visiting distilleries all of North Texas and I wanted to share my findings with my fellow drinkers, socialites, and entertainment seekers.
I want everyone to enjoy some great food, tasty cocktails, creative chefs, and mixologists all while laughing and having a fantastic Texas-sized time.
Life is about having fun, enjoying your family and friends, and locating the best experiences as possible to enjoy. I would suggest that you share these findings with your friends and visit all of these distilleries to have some fun.
Leonard Firestone and Troy Robertson founded the Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co., the first craft bourbon and whiskey distillery in North Texas. I’m in LOVE with TX Whiskey. I can’t possibly calculate how much of this whiskey I’ve drank at both the old facility and the new one. TX Whiskey Ranch is an unbelievable place. It is the largest distillery in DFW by size and the entertainment area, which even includes its own golf course. The place is unbelievably beautiful and has everything one desires for a drinking and socializing destination in the DFW area. If you are looking for the experience of the perfect spirit then head over to TX Whiskey Ranch.
Deep Ellum Distillery was founded by John Reardon, who also founded Deep Ellum Brewery. They have some amazing vodka that I’ve had plenty of. The master distiller Reade Huddleston spent over a year in Europe learning how to master the distilling process. He has created some amazing vodka flavors at Deep Ellum. They have several different flavors of vodka they create. You can also enjoy some of Aaron Wangs incredibly tasty craft cocktails. The distillery offers a large entertainment area, games, a stage for live entertainment, a merch area, and plenty of fun. If you enjoy vodka and are looking for fun times then head over to Deep Ellum! I had fun with the DEEP Ellum team on our Podcast TV show. Check it out when you get a chance you will enjoy it.
Born in Muleshoe, Texas and raised in Fort Worth, BlackEyed has an incredible story. It is the only vodka born and bred from black eye peas. Owners, distillers, and distributors, Todd Gregory and Scott Billings, have created magic with their brand of vodka. They have one of the most unique vodka products on the market today. It has its own flavor profile and makes the most incredible bloody Mary. The distillery is extremely beautiful and was built in a 100-year-old firehouse. It’s a two-story distillery with a big old school bar and entertainment area on the second floor. They offer tours, live entertainment, and lots of fun. Head over and experience the enjoyment!
Blackland Distillery owner, Markus Kypreos, and head distiller, Ezra Cox, have done an amazing job at creating a sophisticated upscale environment at the Blackland taproom. I’ve visited the taproom twice and I really have to say how much I enjoy the atmosphere and cocktails. The staff is super friendly and knowledgeable when you’re wanting to discover what Blackland is all about. They offer vodka, gin, bourbon, and a vast array of craft cocktails. The taproom is a classy low-key place where you can sit at the horseshoe-shaped bar, or in one of the booths, or the big comfortable chairs. I really enjoy this place and spirits. When you get a chance, put them on your list for a visit!
The Duckworth brand vodka is a flavorful vodka and fairly new to the DFW vodka scene. Owner, Lee Fugua, will happily tell his vodka is an artisanal sipping vodka in unique flavors. He would be correct! It is some, dare I say it, delicious vodka made from 100% sugarcane with flavors like Duckworth original, French Oak Barrel, and Truffle. It is truly a sipping vodka. You can create a craft cocktail or martini that tastes like MORE because you’ll definitely be saying, “Thanks can I have one more please”? The distillery is a cozy little place just off Lemon Ave in Dallas where you can find Lee discussing his vodka and telling stories from his wine days. It’s always fun with a vibrant atmosphere. When you have time check out Duckworth and have some joy. Just be sure and check their hours before heading over to visit them.
The Witherspoon branded whiskey to me is very smooth and easy to drink. It’s a craft branded whiskey prepared in small batches. It was created in 2011 by Quentin Witherspoon with his co-founders Natasha and Ryan DeHart. The distillery is beautiful and has tasting areas for craft cocktails, a gorgeous outdoor area that is kid-friendly, and they offer live entertainment. Like most distilleries, they offer tours and will happily discuss anything about the smooth craft spirits. I’ve only visited this place once but I fell in love with the Weatherspoon brand. This is a must-visit place on your DFW distillery tour.
They DO NOT have a distillery in the DFW area, but they are working on having one soon. Noble Wolf Vodka is a very flavorful vodka and fairly new to the DFW vodka scene. Owner, Bryce Cottrell, developed Noble Wolf Vodka while attending the University Of Texas. He will tell you, ” The Noble Wolf brand is the first premium grade alcoholic spirit to be uniquely and attentively produced from 100% pure and natural Florida grapefruits resulting in a refreshing and gluten-free vodka. ” I LOVE the taste of this vodka! To me it’s very smooth and oh so refreshing with a hint of grapefruit. The best thing about this vodka is there is no after taste, it’s just SMOOTH! I had a chance to spend some time interviewing Bryce for my national T.V. and radio podcast on Trey’s Chow Down LIVE. You can watch this episode below.
I hope you go enjoy some of these awesome craft spirits and have some fun, maybe get into some debauchery like Drink With Trey.If you check one of these places out, make sure to share your experience with us! Until next time, Live, Eat, Drink, Laugh, & Love!
Trey’s Chow Down BEST Burgers 2019 Party on ABC in Dallas with Kara Swell from WFAA Victor Plaza.
Wow. I’m in disbelief that 2019 has already come and gone? Where did it go? It seems like it was just yesterday we completed and introduced our BEST Burgers in North Texas for 2018.
2019 was a BIG burger year in North Texas. We had some old restaurants close and a bunch of new ones open. Almost all of them sell some sort of burger.
The burger business is crazy in the U.S.A.
A national research company states that we sell 6.48 million burgers a day around 75 burgers a second! What? Yes, 75 burgers a second! The burger date roughly breaks down as 4,500 burgers every minute, 270,000 every hour, 6.48 million a day, and 2.36 billion burgers a year. Another research study states we sell 50 billion a year worldwide.
I truly don’t care what the accurate numbers are. I just know that almost everyone loves to bite into a succulent, savory and delicious burger.
Even though another year has come and gone, we spent twelve months locating and chowing down on some of the most amazingly creative burger combinations in North Texas.
In 2018, we visited a hundred and twenty restaurants to locate the best burgers. I’m thrilled to say we topped ourselves again for 2019. We didn’t plan it that way… It just happened!
We were running the roads and adding mileage to our vehicles. We visited over 135 locations and chowed down on 200 different burger combinations.
Every time I ate a burger I would say, “On to the next”!
I bet everyone is tired of turkey and ham at this point right after the holidays.
After we spoke with the producer at ABC DAYBREAK about a new BEST food segment we decided to locate and try some of the most savory and delicious chicken dishes in the North Texas area. I’ve eaten chicken from East Texas Sulphur Springs area all the way west to Weatherford trying to locate the most unique savory dishes that everyone can enjoy.
Although this is Texas, and Texans love beef, these days creative chicken dishes grace almost every menu in Texas.
Beef still rings king in Texas but chicken has to be number two without question.
I love telling food stories and I truly believe food always tastes better with a story and a little food history never hurts either.
Ever since I was a little boy I’ve been passionate about food, but I’ve LOVED me some chicken. I like it fried, roasted, baked, grilled, dry roasted, rotisserie-cooked, and even cooked on a trash can lid. Yes, you read that correctly, cooked on a trash can lid. Let me explain!
Rapscallion Dallas Massive Rotisserie
I was traveling through Jamaica just chowing down on everything I could find (like I’ve done many times before). I was riding in a van and we passed this guy cooking right off the other side of the road. I couldn’t see what he was cooking, but I could smell it. Man… did it smell delicious. Now you have to understand he was cooking roadside in a hut style that was anything but normal looking. It was basically falling down! The food was on top of two trash cans cooking. I could smell and see the smoke. I yelled at the driver, “Hey man what’s that dude cooking and why is he roadside?” The driver yelled back, “Man, that’s authentic Jamaican jerk chicken he’s cooking and he’s selling it”! I told the driver I want to stop when we come back and everyone looked at me like I was crazy. The driver yelled back, “Yea man, gotcha!” We did make our stop and I’ll never forget how incredibly delicious that authentic Jamaican Jerk Chicken tasted coming off that trash can lid. I’ve never tasted that flavor profile again. I purchased three more of those farm-fresh trash can chicken dishes for the road, and off we went.
I don’t care what it’s called I love me some cluck cluck. You just can’t go wrong with a savory delicious chicken dish. Especially when it’s prepared fresh by a creative chef even on a trash can lid.
Here is a little chicken history for everyone;
The History of the Chicken is simple. Domestication of the chicken dates back to at least 2000 B.C. and their ancestry can be traced back to four species of wild jungle fowl from Southeast Asia. … The chicken belongs to the genus Gallus of the family Phasianidae. Domestic chickens are simply classified as Gallus Domesticus. I bet you weren’t aware of that. That where all eating Gallus Domesticus! To tell you the truth I didn’t either until I did a little food research.
I truly don’t care what we call it but I know is delicious!
A talented chef can create so many options for a savory chicken dish using any part of the chicken. There truly are no limits to the deliciousness of chicken. Please enjoy our best chicken dishes choices.
Last Saturday evening August 17, at 7:00 pm we attended the 10th-Anniversary Dinnerfor the Dallas Chocolate Festival at the wonderful FAIRMOUNT Hotel in Dallas, Texas. It was a fun and vibrant night, surely one not to be forgotten. We were able to meet two amazing chefs and dine on some fantastic from scratch menu items, all from a five-course dinner menu. All the dishes had a touch of chocolate in them and were extremely creative dishes. At the event, they had various speakers after each course to help explain the ever changing wide world of craft chocolate.
It was an amazing evening.
Fairmont Chef James Phillips
Here’s a little backstory for you folks about the Dallas Chocolate Festival.
“In 2009, DallasChocolate.org’s founder hosted a chocolate-themed dinner celebrating the bean-to-bar makers who had just started bringing craft chocolate to life in the United States. – See more on DallasChocolate.org. From that night of education and deliciousness, the idea for the Dallas Chocolate Festival was born. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of that fateful dinner, and kick-off our the 2019 Dallas Chocolate Festival season, they hosted an exclusive multi-course chocolate dinner in the beautifully restored Venetian ballroom at the Fairmont Hotel. Executive Chef Jared Harms has crafted a five-course meal featuring chocolate flavors in each course from some of today’s leading craft chocolate brands: Dandelion Chocolate from San Francisco, CA; Amano Chocolate from Provo, Utah; French Broad Chocolate from Asheville, NC; and Dallas’s own 5 Mile Chocolate from Oak Cliff will all have their makers on hand to tell the stories of how this chocolate made it from bean to bar to dish. And of course, Fairmont’s amazing Pastry Chef, Cristal Gonzalez, will cap the meal with an array of chocolate desserts. – See more on dallaschocolate.org and we will see you at the 2019 Dallas Chocolate Festival.
Please see the 1oth Anniversary Dinner Menu and photos below.
This isn’t about barbecue I found on the internet or on television… I spent twelve months traveling to various restaurants, barbecues, festivals, and events. I visited 119 barbecue joints and tasted some 280 different items. Of course, I visited some fantastic dedicated barbecue and food festivals like Smoked Dallas, Smoked Fort Worth, Red Dirt Barbecue & Music Festival, Chef For Farmers,Austin Food and Wine Festival, and many others seeking out my mission to find the VERY BEST barbecue for our followers to enjoy in 2019
If this is your first time visiting Trey’s Chow Down; HELLO! Welcome, and thank you for stopping by! I highly encourage you to watch one of our television broadcasts, social media episodes and give us a follow on social media.
We’ve had a large number of them close, and sadly, more will follow.
one not to be forgotten. We were able to meet two amazing chefs and dine on some fantastic from scratch menu items, all from a five-course dinner menu. All the dishes had a touch of chocolate in them and were extremely creative dishes. At the event, they had various speakers after each course to help explain the ever changing wide world of craft chocolate.
