STORY ELAINE MILLERS PHOTOS JERRY COTTRELL
T
rey Herty grew up in St. Bernard Parish, where family, food, and tradition were the foundation of daily life. Growing up in St. Bernard, he spent countless days watching his grandfather catching turtles in the canals. His grandfather, who passed away when Trey was young, used to clean those turtles in the backyard. He can still remember the scene vividly—it was messy, and there was a lot of blood—but somehow, he wasn’t scared. It’s one of those raw, unfiltered memories that stays with you, shaping how you see the world. Some of his fondest childhood memories were made in his great-grandfather’s grocery store in Arnuadville – a they lived next to their small but bustling neighborhood shop. His grandfather would hand him a brown paper bag and let him roam the aisles, filling it with candy. It wasn’t just about the candy — it was about the joy of family, the comfort of community, and the beginnings of a lifelong love of food. After Hurricane Katrina, when Trey’s uncle bought Artique’s Abita Market in Abita Springs, those old, nostalgic memories came rushing back. Trey, who had been working in some of the best kitchens in the country — including Restaurant August, Oxlot 9, Brown Butter in New Orleans, and even a Michelin-starred restaurant in Chicago — would spend his days off traveling to Abita to help out at the market. It felt right. It felt like home. At Artique’s, Trey started experimenting with making boudin. After trying out a few different recipes, he finally created one that tasted like his childhood — rich, savory, and filled with the soul of South Louisiana. His boudin quickly gained a following, and before long, he was selling it under his own name. For four years, Trey helped his uncle serve hot plate lunches and perfected his craft. Although he had experience in high-end fine dining, it was the family-style comfort foods — smothered chicken, stews, gumbos — that spoke to his heart. Cooking staff meals in fine dining kitchens had been his favorite part of the job, and now he was doing it in a way that felt true to who he was.