Erika Council’s Rise to Biscuit Fame

Biscuits & Jam

Meredith Corporation

Arts, Music Interviews, Music, Food

4.6 • 639 Ratings

🗓️ 4 November 2025

⏱️ 44 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Erika Council, a chef, author, and the owner of Atlanta’s wildly popular Bomb Biscuit Company, stopped by the Southern Living offices to do this interview in person. She grew up in Durham, North Carolina, though she spent plenty of time down the road in Goldsboro, where her grandmother ran the church kitchen like a five-star restaurant, even as she raised funds for civil rights. Erika’s talent runs deep on both sides of her family tree. Her paternal grandmother, Mildred Council—better known as Mama Dip—ran a legendary restaurant in Chapel Hill for more than 50 years, feeding everyone from college kids to Presidents. For a long time, Erika wasn’t sure she wanted to follow the same path, but of course, life had other plans. A few cooking side gigs turned into pop-ups, and those turned into a thriving breakfast business. She’s now a James Beard nominee and the author of Still We Rise: A Love Letter to the Southern Biscuit. Sid talks to Erika about her family’s legacy, the lessons baked into her journey, and how a simple biscuit can tell a much bigger story. For more info visit: southernliving.com/biscuitsandjam Sid Evans - Editor-in-Chief, Southern Living Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer & Editor/Producer Jeremiah Lee McVay - Producer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey y'all, welcome to Biscuits and Jam from Southern Living. I'm your host, Sid Evans.
0:07.8	And for this episode, I got to sit down here at the Southern Living offices with the chef,
0:13.1	author, and owner of Atlanta's Bomb Biscuit Company, Erica Council.
0:18.5	Erica grew up in Durham, North Carolina, though she spent plenty of time down the road in
0:23.6	Goldsboro, where her grandmother ran the church kitchen like a five-star restaurant, even as she raised
0:29.6	funds for civil rights.
0:32.6	Erica's talent runs deep on both sides of our family tree.
0:36.6	Her paternal grandmother, Mildred Council, better
0:39.3	known as Mama Dip, ran a legendary restaurant in Chapel Hill for more than 50 years, feeding
0:45.8	everyone from college kids to presidents. For a long time, Erica wasn't sure she wanted to follow
0:51.8	the same path, but of course life had other plans.
0:56.0	A few cooking side gigs turned into pop-ups, and those turned into a thriving breakfast business.
1:02.6	She's now a James Beard nominee and the author of Still We Rise, a love letter to the Southern
1:08.6	Biscuit, which I've got to say makes her just about the perfect
1:12.2	guest for this show. Today we're talking about her family's legacy, the lessons baked into her
1:18.4	journey, and how a simple biscuit can tell a much bigger story. All that and more on this week's
1:24.7	Biscuits and Jam.
1:33.4	Well, Erica, counsel, welcome to Biscuits and Jam.
1:36.6	Thank you for having me. That's my thing, Biscuits and Jam. I know. I don't think I've ever had a more appropriate guest to Biscuits and Jam.
1:43.4	Truly. I'm like, yeah, that's me.
1:46.5	That's the story of my life.
1:49.0	Well, I mean, you were just here for the Southbound Food Festival.
	...

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