What Makes The Perfect Biscuit? | Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey
Chef Christian Gill has led a wild journey through television competitions on the Food Network to making killer biscuits that represent the core of the menu at Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey.
When I called to speak with Christian he was on a remote closed set filming a television show he is currently working on but he graciously spared me a few moments to discuss Boomtown and the path that led him to this point…
An interview with Christian Gill, executive chef at Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey:
In your opinion, what makes the perfect biscuit?
Christian: Well, the perfect biscuit is kind of like the perfect bourbon. What I mean by that is it’s a matter of taste and is different for everyone. But to me, the perfect biscuit consists of buttery flaky layers and using lard, butter and soft wheat flour to make them.
Your menu takes biscuits and places them at the foundation of several dishes, what do you think makes the biscuit such a versatile base for so many vastly different menu items?
Christian: I feel that our biscuits can hold up mainly because of our lamination process. Much like the process of making a croissant, we use lamination to create all the layers and folds that allow the biscuits we make to hold up to several diverse menu items.
Do you find any childhood favorites that maybe a family member made for you growing up as influences in any of your current menu items?
Christian: Growing up in the south and having my father’s side of the family coming up from the deep south in Georgia, a lot of the things I ate growing up are certainly heavily influential in the menu but we really try to take comfort food from other regions as well and elevate them to make up the menu at Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey.
At what age did you think you wanted to go into culinary arts?
Christian: I would have to say I was around 9. It definitely began with me watching my grandma and mom cooking and helping them in the kitchen. Food has always been a central part of the family dynamic for us. It was never reserved just for holidays but really any given night of the week the goal was to bring an egregious amount of good food to the table and gather everyone around it to socialize and enjoy!
Your restaurant is called Boomtown Biscuits and Whiskey, what was the decision-making process in pairing these two elements and creating a brand around it?
Christian: That concept was really born out of the mind of our other owner, PJ Neumann. The idea is that in 1849 and through the 1850s during the great gold rush you might find a prospector waking up early in the morning to head out to work and he’d make himself biscuits for the day and at night with the others he’d pass around the jug of whiskey when the work day had ended.
Christian, I’ve known you a while and I always notice you in the crowd because of your vibrant, colorful hairstyles, when did all that start?
Christian: Embracing my hair as kind of an avatar or personification of my personality probably started about 4-5 years ago. Although I’m a creative and outgoing person I’m also very introverted even though most people don’t expect me to be. So with my hair I like trying new things and seeing what new colors my stylist, Victoria Kelly, can come up with!
As I speak to you now, I know you are on the set of a cooking show, what television shows have you been on and which was your favorite?
Christian: Yeah, so I really can’t speak about the shows currently in the works but my first real television appearance was on Guy’s Big Project which was a month-long journey from the west coast to the east coast, full of food adventures and learning different things at each stop including how to become a Food Network travel show host. I’ve also been on Guy’s Grocery Games multiple times which is more of a food competition where it’s really all about being quick on your feet and getting creative to make unique dishes with a limited budget and limited amount of time. Both taught me a lot but I’d have to say Grocery Games was my favorite just because of the competition aspect of it.
That’s our interview, and as a side note, kids eat free every Tuesday at Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey so it just might be time for your family to visit Christian and try these famous, delicious biscuits!
