‘My first bite tasted like heaven’

For many GCSU students, Thursday nights often signify the unofficial beginning of the weekend. And, it’s when the masses head out to blow off steam, thus working up a late-night appetite.

At 2 a.m, bars in downtown Milledgeville officially close and then, for many who are out on the town, the “drunchies,” or drunk munchies can kick in. The crowds flock out of the local watering holes and head to the fluorescent Mecca that illuminates the corner of Hancock and North Jefferson streets – the Golden Pantry.

The Golden Pantry gas station and convenience store is home to a local favorite – a chicken biscuit with a must-have side of macaroni and cheese.

To college students, or any frequenter of the late-night scene in downtown Milledgeville, the evening cannot be considered complete until the buttery, piping-hot spicy sandwich is purchased in an effort to ebb the potent wave of late-night hunger.

The spicy chicken biscuit is a nocturnal celebrity that has had its story passed on from generation to generation of students. The tales of its tastiness have been enthusiastically told from friend to friend and sibling to sibling.

One of those dedicated customers is senior John Chambliss. He grew up in Milledgeville and only heard of the spicy chicken biscuit stories when he enrolled as a freshman at GCSU.

“I got my first one and loved it. I guess it’s a college thing, but it’s so good,” Chambliss said.

Senior Mackenzie Joiner recalls her experience as a freshman.

“My suitemate’s older brother, a Kappa Sig, told us about it and said that we had to go,” Joiner said, “I got the mac ‘n’ cheese but didn’t go for this biscuit that time.”

The sides are an essential asset to the chicken biscuit, but some Golden Pantry patrons go for more than just the famed biscuit.

Senior Zack Walker splurges for the meal deal if he and his friends make a Golden Pantry run.

“I’m a whole meal deal kind of guy. I’ll get the spicy chicken with green beans and mac ‘n’ cheese,” Walker said, “The spicy chicken biscuit isn’t quite my deal but it is great without the biscuit part, in my opinion.”

Similar to Joiner, Walker also heard the legendary lore of the spicy chicken biscuit as a freshman and still occasionally returns to his first late-night spot to satisfy the need for some home-cooked southern style food after a late night downtown.

From 12 a.m. until 2 a.m. the Golden Pantry employees prepare for the rambunctious crowd and long lines.

Nettie Swint, who has worked at Golden Pantry for two years, has seen the good, the bad and the ugly working the late shift, which runs from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., serving a mostly inebriated crowd.

“There have been some rude customers, but we also get our regulars,” Swint said. “One guy, he has his special order, he asks us to put mashed potatoes, mac ‘n’ cheese and gravy on his spicy chicken biscuit, it’s strange but he loves it.”

To satisfy the long line of growling stomachs, Swint and her co-workers cook up at least four to five boxes of chicken, which equates to about 250 chicken biscuits. Occasionally they will run out of the coveted food mid-rush. Swint said customers will wait around, sometimes impatiently, until the new batch comes out steaming hot. Waiting gives ample time for customers to stir up trouble on occasions. While in line one night, Chambliss said he got an odd request from an off-balance individual.

“He came up to me, kind of got in my face, and asked me to help him freak out his friends by letting him choke me – or pretend to choke me. I, of course, said ‘no’ and immediately turned away,” Chambliss said.

The spicy chicken biscuit experience, from pleasant to bizarre, symbolizes a sort of initiation into the GCSU realm.

Joiner and Walker said they are in the twilight of their Golden Pantry runs these days as they concentrate more on graduation. Yet freshman Andrew Nonemaker has just begun his journey with the spicy chicken biscuit meals. He was introduced to the tradition by his long-time friend Julia Oliver during his first semester in Milledgeville.

“She told me it was a great late-night snack, so I got one and my first bite tasted like heaven,” Nonemaker said.

Posted by Elise Colcord on Feb 19 2010. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry