August 30, 2016 • BOOKS, DJ AT HOME, FOOD, PARTIES, PEOPLE, PLACES, RECIPE, RECIPES, STYLE

Tailgate Tastes: Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit

Well, butter our biscuits—it’s tailgating season! And what better to pair with our new Draper James Tailgate Collection than some seriously great-tasting game day grub? Here to kick off our Tailgate Tastes series on the Love, Reese blog is Carrie Morey, founder of Callie’s Charleston Biscuits and Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit, the beloved grab-and-go biscuit sandwich restaurants in Charleston and Atlanta.

A University of South Carolina grad who has been dutifully attending games since the age of five, Carey believes strongly in the “no utensils necessary” value of a tailgate menu. Fortunately, her famous biscuit sandwiches make for a delicious meal.

Read on for more of Carrie’s tailgating and entertaining tips, and click here for recipes from the spread she made just for us.

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Carrie is wearing our Draper James Denim Wrap Skirt and Honky Tonk Flutter Top. Notice that cotton branch on the counter next to the spread? “Cotton can make a beautiful statement instead of flowers,” Carrie recommends, “Bonus: it never goes bad!”

 

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Created just for Draper James, Carrie’s tailgating spread includes a Cast Iron Pimento & Chorizo Dip, Biscuit Delights sandwiches using biscuits from Callie’s (order them online here), boiled peanuts (you can get the recipe in Carrie’s cookbook), and Briny Hounds, a vodka and grapefruit cocktail with mint simple syrup and a sweet and spicy rim. Tabletop pieces from the Draper James Tailgate Collection gave the menu plenty of team spirit. All photos by Nickie Stone.

Tell us about the tradition of tailgating in the South.

Tailgating is a huge part of the football “religion” here in the South. I don’t remember a fall weekend without tailgating. Weddings are planned around football schedules, along with every other social engagement.

What are your favorite football memories?

Since the time I was about five, I remember driving up to Columbia with my father (who played football at USC) on what seemed like every weekend to watch the game. We always dressed up. I don’t mean in costume; we dressed like we were going to church. It was taken very seriously. Your dress and drinks had to be on point!

Then and now, people meander along the parking lots where fans have paid big bucks to own parking spaces for tailgating. The planning that goes into a weekend football tailgate is not taken lightly. My favorite childhood memory is probably the time—and we did this more than once—when we rented an RV to drive to Columbia, 100 miles away, and we bought a stuffed animal tiger to drag along the back of the RV to show our support for the USC Gamecocks over the Clemson Tigers!

We love Callie’s. We love the menu you shared with us (find the recipes here), and we love your cookbook, which we sell in our Nashville store and on our website. What are additional recipes from Callie’s Biscuits and Southern Traditions that we might make for a tailgate? 

Boiled peanuts are a favorite and go perfectly with beer and the whole tailgating theme. You can grab a handful, and they are so salty and delicious! I also love the salami crisps because they are made ahead of time and are a tastier option than potato chips.

You wore our Denim Wrap Skirt and Honky Tonk Flutter Top in these pictures. What drew you to these items and what makes them right for tailgate season?

In the South, it’s hot up until the final games of the season, and you need something that will keep you cool. This jean skirt is perfect for that, and the top dresses it all up yet still has a great airy fabric!

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The Cast Iron Pimento Cheese & Chorizo Dip has hot pimento cheese oozing with chorizo, tomato, red and green onions, and cilantro and is best served with tortilla chips. See the recipe here. If possible, Carrie recommends using two differently sized cast iron skillets for your queso; keep the larger one in the oven warming and transfer to a smaller skillet for serving.

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Carrie’s Briny Hounds cocktails have fresh grapefruit, lemon juice, soda, vodka, and mint simple syrup with a spicy sweet & salty rim. Carrie loves to display them alongside plenty of lemons and limes: “You can never have enough for cocktails, garnishes, or a spritz on this or that!” she says. Click here for the recipe for the cocktail, syrup, and rim.

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A take on the Southern church cookbook favorite, Carrie’s Biscuit Delights feature mustard, ham, cheese, and poppy seeds on baked biscuits that are ready to be pulled apart and devoured. See the recipe here.

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