My name is Trey Chapman, publisher of Trey's Chow Down and host of Trey's Chow Down LIVE, a weekly TV and radio podcast about all things food, drink, restaurants, and chefs. My family opened our first restaurant named Lacy’s in Lake Worth, TX, back in 1905. Even with the new restaurant, we continued the farming and ranching business and in 1938 we opened Quality Meat and Provisions Company in Fort Worth, TX. In the end, our family operated over 130 restaurants, which included several different concepts and chains.
After we sold in 2005, I created Trey's Chow Down Brands and became publisher of the Trey's Chow Down website. Here we review and report on chefs, restaurants, food, cocktails, and travel coast to coast looking for the next best thing. I'm passionate about discovering the BEST of the BEST and telling the world so everyone can enjoy my discoveries.
Today I want to take your taste buds on a little tour of deliciousness around the world, and the best part is you don’t even have to leave the city of Fort Worth.
First Stop: Mexican - Spanish Deliciousness
Enchiladas Ole Fort Worth is owned and operated by Chef Mary Perez. I featured Mary on my LIVE show and CBS DFW for Dallas Fort Worth Today TV Show. She started the business when she was a single mother of three boys. Her father is from Mexico and her mother from Spain, so Perez grew up with the best of both worlds, learning how to cook from a traditional Mexican background as well as with an authentic Spanish flair. Her menu offers a beautiful combination of vibrantly colored dishes and big portions that are loaded with deliciousness. You just can't go wrong with anything from Enchiladas Ole, but my favorite dishes are: Enchilada Plates, Chips, Salsa and Queso.
Second Stop: Thai - Vietnamese Deliciousness
Malai Kitchen Fort Worth offers a modern approach, combining Thai and Vietnamese cuisine prepared fresh to order. We took a ride over to the Malai Kitchen at The Shops at Clearfork. We found incredibly bright colors, big open spaces, a nice bar, various wines, and great service. They use colorful, farm-fresh ingredients combined with modern cooking to create big, bold flavors that are unforgettable. My favorite dishes are Malai Favorite Sampler and Drunken Noodles with the Coconut Curry Soup. OMG! That soup is LIFE CHANGING. Both of the other dishes were packed with flavor, had great texture, wonderful presentation, and tasted delicious. The service is always fantastic and the staff have big smiles.
Third Stop: Italian
Tre Mogli Fort Worth is Chef Stefon’s NEW Italian restaurant that is slinging fresh-prepared Italian cuisine. I featured Chef Stefon on MY LIVE show because of his dedication to the culinary arts. They use only fresh ingredients to create some bold, modern Italian-American flavor profiles. Chef Stefon told me, "The last thing you’ll find at Tre Mogli is pasta from a bag or box. Every single shape we make is handmade in-house by our very own culinary team. We are SO proud to bring you from scratch Italian favorites.” The restaurant is warm and cozy, with an Italian vibe you will love. Its casual but vibrant atmosphere and delicious, creative dishes make it one of the hottest spots in COWTOWN. My favorite dishes were Truffled Ricotta + Calabrian Honey + Flake Salt and Rigatoni Alla Vodka, Chicken Parmesan and Chop Milanese.
Fourth Stop: Japanese Table-Side
Japanese Palace Fort Worth is one of the oldest Japanese restaurants in North Texas and it was the first teppanyaki-style dining in Fort Worth. It's still in operation today and I featured them on CBS DFW for Dallas Fort Worth Today TV Show. Here you can enjoy a unique dining experience, complete with traditional Japanese dishes and ice-cold sake, all while watching their talented teppanyaki chefs sling deliciousness. If it's fresh sushi you love, you can sit at the sushi bar and enjoy some of the creative sushi dishes they offer. It's a unique and fun experience for anyone, especially families. My favorite is the Emperor's Dinner because It has everything you could ever need: an aged New York steak combined with buttery lobster, 2 savory shrimp flame-broiled in brandy, and a tempura appetizer. WOW! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. It's all prepared with fine wine, brandy and special sauces, served with orange sherbet and a fortune cookie.
Fifth Stop: Texas BBQ & Burgers
Dayne's Craft Barbeque Fort Worth is owned by chef and pitmaster Dayne and his wife Ashley. They are true barbeque/burger masters and creators of all things meaty and delicious. Not only has Dayne's BBQ been in Texas Monthly’s Top 50 BBQ Joints, they also WON the BEST BURGER CONTEST in Fort Worth for 2022. It doesn't matter if you desire a phat beef rib, Texas brisket, creative sides, savory sweet treats, or an award-winning burger, DAYNE'S has it all. It's hard to give a favorite, but I'll explain it the easiest way possible: ANYTHING ON THE MENU, ANY DAY OF THE WEEK, AT ANY TIME. You will not only thank me; you will be praying to the BBQ GOD'S OF DELICIOUSNESS all the way home. In fact, I'm not sure you won’t make a return trip back to Dayne's and chow down the very next day! YES, it's simply #InsanelyDelicious because that's the only way Dayne and Ashely Sling it!
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