4: Dine & Dish with Danny Trejo


“Everything good that has happened to me has happened as the direct result of helping someone else.”

– Danny Trejo

*Film by Nelson Lee of Noteworthy Collective

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For our fourth episode of Dine & Dish with Dawn, I didn’t have to go further than right around the corner from my house to get my interview on…and leave with a new baseball cap on my head.

There, I met up with Machete himself, actor & producer Danny Trejo, at his flagship restaurant, Trejo’s Tacos, where we enjoyed street tacos and street corn, while he waved at fans who honked at us as they drove down La Brea.

Danny and I dished about everything including his time in prison (including 4 months in “the hole”/solitary confinement which led to a life-changing epiphany), addiction and recovery, the importance of having people around you that you trust, what Cinco de Mayo really means, how the whole world can think you’re a movie star but you can’t, his mother’s dream of owning a restaurant and how – as fate would have it – he came to own a chain of restaurants of his own today.

The best role that Danny has played is that of a survivor. And, he’s not only survived, but thrived, and continues to give back. For Danny, he has had dreams come true that he didn’t even know were possible, and now he helps others fulfill their dreams and potential as an intervention counselor.

As much as he might play the “bad guy,” this nice guy is the first to tell you that he is not in charge…his faith is.

A man whose faith and work ethic have helped him overcome every obstacle, you won’t ever think of Danny Trejo the same way again.

Just don’t call him Marcia.

*Producer’s Note: This was our show’s first attempt at recording outside in Los Angeles, the audio is as rough around the edges as Danny is tough. Please be patient with me as I’m still learning here.

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To find out more about Danny Trejo: www.DannyTrejo.net

Thank you to the owners, cooks, management and waitstaff of Trejo’s Tacos where this podcast took place. And, thank you especially to the patrons who were so kind and patient to wait for pictures until after we had wrapped.

Special thanks to our sponsor, La Croix Water my healthy must-have as I continue to travel across America, dining & dishing, and indulging in all this good food. I’ve always got three packs of this bubbly goodness in my fridge!

A percentage from the sponsored fee for this podcast has been donated to the charity of Danny’s choice: the Learning Rights Law Center, a legal services nonprofit that fights for a child’s right to education, and assists low-income families by providing free legal counsel and advice, advocacy, direct representation, education, training and policy work. 

Engineered & Edited by: Maddie Ross

Follow Danny Trejo: @OfficialDannyTrejo
Follow Trejo’s Tacos: @TrejosTacos
Follow La Croix Water: @LaCroixWater

Follow Learning Rights Law Center: Learning Rights Law Center

 


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3: Dine & Dish with Trey Fanjoy

“If you really just focus on what you enjoy doing the most, it’s interesting how all the money and success comes your way if you’re pursuing what is truly your passion.” – Trey Fanjoy
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This third episode of Dine & Dish with Dawn finds me in Nashville interviewing my dear friend, storyteller, visionary, and – CMA, ACM, Billboard, MTV and CMT award-winning – director, Trey Fanjoy over soul food and deep soul talk.
We are dining and dishing at Wendell Smith’s  – a local Nashville institution, where southern soul food and service with a smile reign supreme.
Trey and I chat about everything from shooting multiple music videos for Taylor Swift, to her muse Miranda Lambert and the connection they share, to George Strait and the seashores of Old Mexico and tales of Merle Haggard, to kind words from Keith Urban & Steven Tyler, how becoming a mother has actually elevated her career as a director, how the jobs we say no to are just as important as the jobs we say yes to and how she hopes that more women will get to share the level of success and recognition that she has.
This is a girl’s girl and a woman’s woman who has no problem hanging with the boys.
Trey is genuinely proud of – and inspired by – the artists she works with and the marriage of song and vision that they create together.
She puts pictures to the words of songs and she does it in a new way, with a fresh eyes, and with compassion for the artists she’s working with.
She’s also considered a “good luck charm” by industry insiders to many a musical career made in Nashville.
Bonus? You can hear my hidden Texan accent peek its little head out in this episode!
 Sit back and enjoy this view of the world through the lens of the soulful, connected and talented…Trey Fanjoy.
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To find out more about Trey Fanjoy: www.TreyFanjoy.com

Thank you to the owners, cooks and waitstaff – especially Shawana – of Wendell Smith’s in Nashville, Tennessee where this podcast took place. 

Special thanks to our sponsor, Hickory Farms, my family’s go-to for gift baskets for as far back as I can remember: meat, cheese, fruit, nuts, and a side of nostalgia.

 

A percentage from the sponsored fee for this podcast has been donated to MusiCares, a charity of Trey’s choice that provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need.

 Engineered & Edited by: Maddie Ross
Follow Trey Fanjoy: @iamTreyFanjoy
Follow Wendell Smith’s: #WendellSmiths
Follow Hickory Farms: @HickoryFarms
Follow No Kid Hungry: @NoKidHungry
Follow MusiCares: @MusiCares
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1: Dine & Dish with Peter Cooper

“If you write the song that only you can write, or you do the thing that only you can do, you’ve removed yourself yourself from competition. You don’t have to arm wrestle the world any more.” -Peter Cooper

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To kick off this first episode of Dine & Dish with Dawn, I’m dining & dishing with country music expert, Country Music Hall of Fame editor, Vanderbilt University Professor, and Grammy-nominated musician, Peter Cooper at Lockeland Table restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee. My friend – and former East Nashville neighbor – and I talk about everything from finding your passion to the challenges we face as artists, and chat about the many celebrities we have both worked with and those who inspire us, including Kris Kristofferson, Barbra Streisand, Dierks Bentley, Tom T. Hall, John Prine, Todd Snider, Liz Gilbert, Emmylou Harris, Kenny Chesney, Jim Carrey, Johnny Cash, and Cowboy Jack Clement.

Come hungry, and prepare to laugh and be inspired…

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*Join me for each Dine & Dish with Dawn episode as my celebrity guests and I indulge in the best restaurants across America, sip cocktails, enjoy wine, have a beer here and there, and talk about their journey, inspiration and what defines their career and life. For every show, I donate to our guest’s chosen charity or non-profit organization.

To find out more about Peter Cooper: www.PeterCooperMusic.com

Thank you to the owners, chefs and staff of Lockeland Table in East Nashville, Tennessee where this podcast took place. It is one of my favorite restaurants on this here planet!!

Special thanks to our sponsor, YouCanHideIt.com, the ultimate site for clever solutions for cocktails.

A percentage from the sponsored fee for this podcast has been donated to Bonaparte’s Retreat, a charity of Peter’s choice that rescues shelter dogs with the mission of finding forever homes for them.

Engineered & Edited by: Anna Schulze


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