Moxie Kitchen & Cocktails Chef Tom Gray Tackles Thomas’ Hometown Breakfast Battle and Tailgating on The Cooking Channel

Rise ‘n shine and vote for Chef Tom Gray of Jacksonville’s Moxie Kitchen & Cocktails in the Thomas’ Hometown Breakfast Battle. The Thomas’ Hometown Breakfast Battle has been 135 years in the making, ever since Thomas’ bakery products hit breakfast tables back in 1880. Now, 135 chefs from across the U.S.A. are braving a mega breakfast battle, expounding their own styles into breakfast recipes incorporating Thomas’ English muffins and bagels and hoping to win enough votes to become the next Thomas’ Hometown Breakfast Battle Grand Champion. Chef Gray has his weapon of choice: smoked trout breakfast melt with its protein-packed, early morning arsenal of homemade smoked trout spread, provolone, farm-fresh eggs and fresh herbs perched on open-faced and toasted Thomas’ Original English muffins. Read his recipe, start salivating -- and VOTE for Chef Gray. The Moxie chef’s fans have only two weeks (through September 27) to cast enough votes to move Gray from the pool of 135 contestants to 16 finalists. Voting rounds continue through October 25 until one chef is left standing with the muffins and bagels. Every vote ups your chances of winning Thomas’ products and the $10,000 grand prize. Details and FAQ here.

With breakfast under his belt, Chef Gray goes long, tackling tailgating FSU-style on Tastemade’s The Grill Iron in an episode airing on The Cooking Channel this Saturday, September 19 at 12:30 p.m. EST. The Jacksonville chef ventures to Tallahassee to prepare FSU-inspired Florida State pork loin then steers the camera crew on a field trip to one of the state’s sustainable farms. ACC, SEC or whatever conference you call home turf, pull on your team shirt and explore tailgating traditions around our great football nation every Saturday on The Grill Iron. Photo credit Agnes Lopez.