Tag: Texas

Nightlight Donut Perfection #Worthit

Trey Chapman Chow

Small Business Wednesday – Spotlighting Locally Owned Small Businesses We Discover!

Nightlight Donuts 

Jackson & Eric Wren  

Located in WACO, Texas, they switched from food truck to storefront during the pandemic and the rest is history. The twin brothers Jackson and Eric Wren are the owners of Nightlight Donuts and Coffee and they’ve been slinging donut deliciousness since 2018 and have never looked back.

Trey’s Chow Down has been Road Trip’in the USA in search of the BEST DONUTS the USA has to offer. Today we’re in Waco, Texas at Nightlight Donuts & Coffee where they believe kindness – not sugar, flour, or a special spice – is the secret ingredient. Kindness is the thing that they believe so strongly in and I think it’s awesome, especially in today’s crazy world where KINDNESS and LOVE is needed the most!

We received a tip of deliciousness about Nightlight so we made the trip to chow down. They offer some very unique, fluffy, savory, and sweet donuts that are filled with deliciousness. Each bite I took was better than the last – so flavorful and memorable I had a hard time putting these donuts down because each one was served HF&D #HotFreshandDelicious. On top of that, they were vibrant and beautiful.

These were some of the BEST DONUTS we’ve discovered in our travels around in the USA. I say they’re worth a drive from anywhere if you long for a savory, sweet, flavorful and delicious donut. You can view all of the offerings at the website link we have posted below.

https://www.nightlightdonuts.com/ 

Nightlight Donuts & Coffee Jackson & Eric Wren

I would highly recommend you take a ride over to chow down on some donut deliciousness. Nightlight is a NEW official Trey’s Chow Down APPROVED delicious destination for all donut lovers to enjoy.

Stay tuned for our BEST DONUTS IN THE USA 2023 article.

Hope To Meet YOU AT A Table Soon! Stay Hungry!

Trey (Chow Down) Chapman

 

Bonnie’s Donuts Delicious 5 and 10 Pound Cinnamon Rolls!

Trey Chapman Chow

Howdy Y’all,

As you know, Trey’s Chow Down road trips the USA for creative chefs, tasty eats, savory sweet treats, and unique travel destinations. Today we’re in League City, TX, a suburb of Houston, to enjoy some of the biggest cinnamon rolls, sweet donuts, and incredible pastries – all prepared fresh at Bonnie’s Donuts.

They say everything is bigger in Texas, and that includes the desserts! That holds true here in League City, thanks to Bonnie’s Donuts and their 5–10-pound cinnamon rolls. I couldn’t believe the size of these monsters. The customers we spoke with said that every thing is delectable, delicious, and worth checking out especially the FRESH 5 and 10 pound cinnamon rolls.

The owner Natalie Chun has been making these gigantic rolls with her husband for a about five years. Natalie came to the U.S. from Cambodia 8 years ago to pursue her dream of owning a business. She started out working for a local baker and when the opportunity came to purchase Bonnie’s Donuts, she didn’t hesitate. The cinnamon rolls quickly became a fan favorite thanks to social media, food bloggers, and YouTube channels.

I was lucky enough to be invited in to try some of their award-winning donuts and the Texas-size cinnamon rolls. I was shocked at how heavy, dense, and massive the rolls were. Each batch, which includes an estimated pound of cinnamon, takes roughly two hours to prepare. When I picked up the ten-pound cinnamon roll I was smiling ear to ear and couldn’t wait to get my icing on and start chowing down!

You can check out the giant desserts along with their other creative creations on their Facebook and webpage. I absolutely loved meeting them and enjoyed these one-of-a-kind savory sweet Texas-sized treats. Don’t sleep on the donuts, because there delicious too.

Bonnie’s is a NEW officially APPROVED Trey’s Chow Down Delicious Destination for all food lovers to enjoy. Tell’em Ole Trey sent you to chow down!

Hope to meet you at a table soon!

Trey

Historical Texas Motor Lodge That’s Unforgettable

Trey Chapman Travel Experiences

Howdy Y’all!

The Press Room (LBJ Waiting Room)

If you’re new to our site, my name is Trey and I specialize in locating creative and talented chefs, delicious dishes, tasty cocktails, and unique travel experiences that everyone should enjoy around the USA.

I heard about this cozy little 1960’s Motor Lodge located in the beautiful Hill Country of Texas, right down the road from President LBJ’s Ranch – the Texas White House, as they called it. These days when we get a tip, or hear about new place to visit, we must investigate before striking out on the adventure, just to be sure it’s what we’re expecting.

We did our homework and discovered it was originally built in 1964. This restored L-shaped motel combines modern luxury with a retro twist, featuring 12 remodeled rooms and 4 private cabins — faithful to their mid-century modern roots – along with five RV sites.

Interested, we loaded up and headed for the beautiful Stonewall Motor Lodge in Stonewall, Texas, right next to Fredericksburg, Texas. It’s such a beautiful, quaint, and relaxing drive. We reserved the PRESS ROOM to spend the weekend in and enjoy the Hill Country.

When we arrived and I laid my eyes on the lodge I knew we had made the CORRECT decision. It was perfect! A shining star located roadside like the OLD Motor Lodges from the 1940, 50, and 60’s. Completely refurbished with roof top deck added, nice colorful and cozy rooms, big showers, comfortable beds, outdoor living areas and the big outdoor barn area. This was complete with sitting areas, a bar, fans and windows to view the wild life. They also had an outdoor fire pit and grilling area under big Hill Country trees and loads of deer. I’m serious when I say loads of deer – we counted 10 and one big Texas buck on our first outing to the barn. The next morning when we looked out of the window, I saw so many deer we couldn’t count them all. It was magical!!

I reserved the PRESS ROOM because I firmly believe that every travel experience should include some history, education, and fun, with a dash of deliciousness and a few tasty cocktails. When you have that combination it’s sure to be the PERFECT travel experience.

The Press Room was awesome. If these walls could talk… Once reserved for the Press Corps hoping to snap a shot of President Lyndon B. Johnson during visits to his ranch, this room is steeped in the history of the nearby “Texas White House”. It has a little kitchenette with a table and all kinds of historical photos. It’s cozy and has PLENTY OF ROOM.

We unpacked, settled in, and started enjoying the wonderful Lodge. We went out back and enjoyed talking to the deer (a one-sided conversation), listening to music and discussing our incredible day with BLAKE the engaged ” Southern White Rhino.” But, that’s another story and one you don’t want to miss. Later on, we got some wine and headed to the rooftop overlooking the hotel and surrounding area. We really enjoyed the outdoor living room and discussing the cars and trucks as the rolled by. What a fantastic day we had, and ending it looking up at the TEXAS star BIGHT night made it perfect.

I don’t know about you, but Jana and myself love staying in cozy old beautiful places. Stonewall was extremely nostalgic, cozy and quaint, and not to mention affordable. There is just something about pulling up, getting out of your car, and walking into your room. Not having to deal with loads of people, big parking lots, elevators, and miles of concrete if you get my drift. It was a nice change of pace, bringing things back to a simpler time. (Boy times have changed but NOT at STONEWALL.)

If you’re looking for a different experience that’s truly a change of pace and one that’s unforgettable, you need to book a stay and enjoy some time at the beautiful STONEWALL MOTOR LODGE. You will thank me Later! 12 stars out of 10 for these travelers.

Hope to see you on the road or at a table soon! Love y’all!

Trey and Jana

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Unique Texas Hill Country Travel Experience

Trey Chapman Chow, Travel Experiences

Howdy Y’all!

If you’re new to our site, my name is Trey and I specialize in locating creative and talented chefs, delicious dishes, tasty cocktails, and unique travel experiences that everyone should enjoy.

I was so excited when I heard about and booked this NEW travel adventure that I literally didn’t sleep for two nights prior to leaving. It combines and encompasses some of my greatest passions: endangered species, history, tasty wines, and unique travel destinations. The GREATEST factor? It’s an affordable experience that everyone can enjoy. It involves learning about the historic and important factors with the endangered Southern White Rhino population.

The RHINORY is now OPEN in Fredericksburg the beautiful hill country of Texas and worth every single second of your time. You can visit, meet, and have an opportunity to touch and rub BIG BLAKE, a beautiful and sweet Endangered White Rhino. During this time, you can also learn about and enjoy some very tasty wines. Drinking is optional – you can still enjoy this incredible experience without the wine. ( You must make reservations for Rhino visit )

Their 55-acre ranch in Fredericksburg is close to everything, but as you pull through the gates you will be entering into a whole new world when you arrive. They have a special area where you will be able to get up close and personal with Big Blake.  The rhino keeper will escort you and guide you through the experience where you will learn more about this rhino and potentially get the opportunity to feed him, touch and or rub him.  This is an amazing experience that will be remembered for a lifetime. All revenue from the experience will go to the International Rhino Foundation to further aid rhino conservation worldwide.

The concept came about after owner Craig Stevens and wife Chesney witnessed a devastating loss while traveling in Africa and wanted to tell the world about the issues rhinos are facing. I was very impressed with Chris and Kristen’s passion, professionalism and knowledge about rhinos. They have over three decades of experience and will educate you and your family on the history of this incredible species that faces extinction, and how we can help save them.

Chris and Kristen the passionate Rhino Keepers.

The wine team is also excellent and will explain the wide variety of wines offered and help you make educated choices so you can enjoy sipping on some incredible wines. They will answer your questions and educate you on the flavor profiles as well as the origins of the wine. The Stevens family settled in Hill Country over 150 years ago and they’re proud to continue the ranching and farming tradition, albeit they’re raising rhinos instead of cattle and wine grapes instead of hay.

Don’t forget to join the “Winos for Rhinos” wine club before you leave, this is a must if you love wine. Jana and I joined and took home 12 bottles of tasty wine that we can enjoy as we talk about and remember Blake, the sweet Rhino.

I strongly and highly recommend this travel experience that everyone can enjoy at the RHINORY… It’s one you will cherish for the rest of your life!

This is truly one of the most unique and unforgettable travel experiences you will ever encounter. I was so IMPRESSED and TAKEN by my experience that I had a hard time leaving. We said goodbye to BLAKE and the staff and now we are off to locate more fantastic and memorable experiences.

If you love deliciousness, good times, and real travel experiences, I urge you to follow us on our social channels, watch our TV show, listen to our podcast, or sign up for our email list.

Thank you so much for time!

Trey Chapman 

Trey Chapman / Trey’s Chow Down /Drink With Trey & Craig Stevens OWNER The Rhinory.

BIRRIA PIZZA PERFECTION IN TEXAS!

Trey Chapman Chow

Hello Chow Hounds!

BIRRIA CHEESE PULL!

Last week Trey’s Chow Down took another Road Trip for deliciousness as we headed out to beautiful East Texas to the town Paris, Texas. Paris is a wonderful and beautiful city, complete with a downtown country feel and beautiful views. Paris is in Northeast Texas at the western edge of the Piney Woods.  It’s in Lamar County and as of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 25,171.

We made the trip to Paris because someone told me about a little food trailer slinging some of the BEST BIRRIA TACOS, PIZZAS, and RAMEN in Texas. If you follow me, you know we live to discover deliciousness for our followers. I’m telling you this an amazing find!

What is Birria? Let me explain! Birria is a Mexican dish from the state of Jalisco. The Spanish term “birria” is used to describe immaterial things without value or quality. It is a traditional ancestral soup or stew made from a combination of chili pepper-based goat meat adobo, garlic, cumin, bay leaves, and thyme, and cooked at a low heat. After cooking it’s usually simmered for about 20 minutes, then blended in a high powered blender until nice and smooth. An authentic Birria Taco, Pizza or Burrito is served with “Consome de Birria” sauce and it is #StupidDelicious.

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Best Barbecue Joints North Texas & Beyond 2020

Trey Chapman Chow

Barbecue Deliciousness 2020

Hello, and THANK YOU so much for reading our Best Barbecue article for 2020. This year we’re very proud to release our Best Barbecue for 2020 on the Fox Network GOOD DAY Fox 4 show. Last year our 2019 BEST Barbecue in North Texas on ABC was extremely successful! In just over fifteen months we reached 1.2 million barbecue and food lovers. I hope you will visit some, if not all, of this year’s winners and reshare our article with your friends and family to help support local barbecue, pitmasters and deliciousness.

 

Below at the end of the blog we created a full list of this years winners. You may screen shot from your phone or print it off and plan your BBQ adventures of 2021. By saving our list you will have instance reference for your barbecue cravings. 

WOW! What a year 2020 was for the restaurant, barbecue, and culinary world. In my five decades in the restaurant business, I’ve seen disasters of all types and nothing comes close to the devastating effect COVID-19 has had on our economy. Restaurants, pitmasters, chefs, and restauranteurs had to make big changes if they wanted to survive the pandemic. Nationwide we lost over 251,000 restaurants forever and 2.5 million restaurant jobs at the latest estimate. The good thing is that NOW we are on the mend and the Texas economy is in full giddy-up mode!

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Dallas Chocolate Festival 2019 VIP Dinner – I LOVED IT A CHOCO-LOT

Trey Chapman Chow, Events

In 2009 the Dallas Chocolate Festival was born.

Last Saturday evening August 17, at 7:00 pm we attended the 10th-Anniversary Dinner for 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.

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25 Best Barbecue Spots In North Texas for ABC

Trey Chapman Chow 2 Comments on 25 Best Barbecue Spots In North Texas for ABC

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

#IAMSTILLUP

#IAMSTILLUP: Join us for today’s Party on the Plaza! We’re talking all things Texas BBQ this morning!

Posted by News 8 Daybreak on Friday, June 28, 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.

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Food Truck Championships of Texas-Delicious!

Trey Chapman Chow, Events

Howdy Chow Down Hounds!

What does someone do when they want to get some delicious food truck cuisine? They head over to Graham, Texas and chow down on some tasty food and listen to some magnificent music. We did just that!

Trey and his team took a ride out to Graham and visited with some Food Truck Chefs and chowed down on some great eats. The Food Truck Championship of Texas had FREE admission to everyone. It was an all-day battle of the best food trucks and creative cuisine in Texas.

Food trucks gathered from all across Texas, and Oklahoma, in the one place. America’s Largest Downtown Square in Graham, Texas was big enough to hold all the food, friends, and fun. The Food Truck Championship contestants competed for a grand prize of $10,000.

There was plenty of activities to entertain the entire family on the square from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Activities include; Possum Pedal Bike Ride, children’s activities, live music, artisan showcase, and of course A LOT of food! They Also had a concert that evening with the Randy Rogers Band.

Yum Pig created ( PiggieHeaven)

We walked, we chowed down, we drank some dranks, and we found some clear winners that had creative and delicious dishes that we really enjoyed.

The Urb Express – Chickasha, Oklahoma: S’ More Egg Roll #FlavorRodeoInYourMouth ( Cover Photo)

Bite My Biscuit – Fort Worth, Texas: The Contender Biscuit #Worthit

Doughboy Donuts – Fort Worth, Texas: The Cereal Killer Donut #DonutDeliciousness

Yum Pig – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Three Piggies #PiggieHeaven

The Food Truck Championships picked their winners too for 2019. Winner! Winner! WINNER! Here’s the list;

People’s Choice Award –Daddy Bob’s Smokewagon

Best Food Truck Spirit – Bite My Biscuit

Best Food Truck Theme/Design – YUM PIG OKC

Best International Dish – F&F Express

Dough Boy Donuts (Ceral Killer Donut)

Best American Cuisine – Bada Bing Wood Fired Pizza

Best BBQ – Catered Delight

Best Dessert – Of Grace Cakes

Most Unique Menu – Dough Boy Donuts

Best Signature Dish – SouthernXposures

Grand Champion – CAMO Hippie Chowhall

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Grilled Cheese Heaven In TEXAS!

Trey Chapman Chow

GOOD DAY CHOW HOUNDS,

The History of the Grilled Cheese Sandwich, posted by “How Stuff Works”, will tell you some three-quarters of people who buy sliced cheese make at least one grilled cheese a month. Similar grilled cheese recipes are even mentioned Ancient Roman texts—and, let’s face it, the French have been making their famous croquet-monsieurs since the early 1900s. TODAY’S common notion of the grilled cheese is traced back to the 1920s. During this time, an Iowa man now considered “the father of sliced bread”, invented a bread slicer that made distributing white bread easy and affordable. Shortly before that, James L. Kraft had patented processed cheese — you recognize the name, of course! Kraft’s entrepreneurship pursuit revolutionized the pasteurizing process and ensured that cheese wouldn’t spoil, even when transported long distances. By 1914, J.L. Kraft & Bros. Company (the precursor to Kraft Foods) opened its first plant in Illinois. Factory cheese was disparagingly termed “rattrap cheese” or “rat cheese” by the fiercely proud English folks who were proud of their cheddars. It was not considered a delicacy. To them, it was simply a cheap, nutritious, and scalable product.

Gas Monkey Grilled Cheese Photo/ Chef Hollister

you’re reading this article on “”Grilled Cheese Heaven”, then I’m guessing you love grilled cheese sandwiches just as much as I do… or more. I’ll be honest; I’ve been eating grilled cheese sandwiches since I could walk! In the summer months of my childhood, I always loved to seek out a delicious grill cheese for lunch. I remember going to the old time drug store, sitting at the bar and ordering a grilled cheese. I would ask for extra cheese because the cheesier, the better. I mean, dripping with cheese. The way to go is with thick buttered bread toasted to a golden brown perfection, over a flat grill or cast iron skillet. Now that… Is a grilled cheese.

Today, I’m still the same. Possibly worse! When I order a grilled cheese, I ask how many cheeses they have in the kitchen, and/or how many types they offer. Depending on the server’s answer, I ask for ALL of it. Sometimes it’s three cheese, sometimes it’s four, and maybe even five! There can never been too much cheese. In my opinion (on the amount of cheese in a sandwich), the more the merrier. The perfection also lies in the toasted and soaked-in-butter bread. I love butter! What is a grilled cheese without the buttery toast and loads of melted cheese running down?

Many chefs have gotten extremely creative in the art of grilled cheese making. Basically, they are taking the traditional sandwich to a whole new level. I like to call this “CRAFT grilled cheeses”. There is a variety of choices to add in from the type bread, house-made bacons, meats, tomatoes, house sauces, etc. The modernized grilled cheese is unbelievably delicious and wonderful to look at.

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