Ormond Beach Journal
Published Wednesday, May 21, 1975
Written by Patricia Izzo
It's the Sardi's of Ormond Beach. You can dine with presidents, politicians, celebrities and collectors while catching up on the latest or not so latest news.
Gill's Bar-B-Que on S. Yonge St., like the famous restaurant in New York, isn't much to look at from the outside, but what it lacks in outward appearance is compensated by good food and a fascinating atmosphere.
Walk in, and you're greeted simultaneously with ·wall to wall license plates and the delicious aroma of barbecued ribs. If you 're hungry, you head for a table or the counter first, but if curiosity is stronger than appetite, you might want to roam around the outer room first.
First things first - food! Briggs Gilliam, the son of owner M.B. Gilliam, explained the process of barbecuing and the history of the restaurant during a recent interview.
The restaurant was built in 1952 and hasn't changed much since then. Neither has the family secret for the barbecue sauce.
"We barbecue the way most South Carolinians do because my dad's one. Our sauce is sour based, using vinegar, while most people barbecue with a sweet, sugar based sauce. We've found the vinegar base brings out the flavor," GIiiiam said.
It takes about 6 hours to barbecue the hunks of beef and pork on an open grill, and Gill's process is different from that of many barbecue pits, he explained.
"Most barbecue places put logs directly under the grill and the smoke blows up the chimney. We have the logs off to the side and use a fan to blow the smoke under and over the grill and then out the chimney on the other side. It changes the flavor this way," he said. They burn oak logs instead of hickory at Gill's because hickory's scarce here.
"Some places boil the meat first to avoid shrinkage, but we start the process from scratch, placing the meat on the grill after it's been soaked in the sauce and then grilling it until it's just done - the blood's gone but the meat's still tender. It takes time and skill but it's worth it," Gilliam explained as one of his chefs demonstrated.
He also talked about the atmosphere - a result of his father's interest in license plates and old newspapers.
At least 500 license plates line the outer room's walls and ceiling - a collection which includes a complete set of Florida plates as well as plates from Germany, Denmark, Brazil, England, Canada, China and the U.S. The oldest license plate is a 1906 paper one from Michigan.
There's also a collection of presidential campaign license plates hanging over the fireplace, including "Who but Hoover," "I Like Ike."
As if to warn collectors to keep hands off, one 1620 musket sits ominously under the collection, while a later model rifle hangs above it.
People have been reading newspapers at meals for years, but in this case there are so many interesting papers lining the walls, it's difficult 19 concentrate on the food.
There's something for everyone - the historian can delight in reliving The Civil War, Lincoln's, McKinley's and Kennedy's assassinations, Teddy Roosevelt's ride down San Juan Hill, Hardings inaugural, the World Wars, MacArthur's firing and Truman's win over Dewey - to name a few.
Adventurists can imagine themselves as second in an "Exciting dual at Dawn" in Chicago's Park in 1895, in Lindbergh's cockpit as he landed in France or waiting breathlessly for word on aviator Amelia Earhart's fate.
Boxing enthusiast can relieve relive the 1937 heavyweight bout when Joe Louis knocked out Jim Braddock in eight rounds.
As visitors read through nearly two centuries of news, they may notice the style and technique of reporting and printing has changed. Gone is the rambling style of the reports of the late 18th mid 19th centuries.
Fortunately, reports on the fun and problems of the past can be found in the same place as good food, fast service, and friendly faces.
"We have great fun here. People are nice, the food's good and when things are slow, we sit and read the papers," one of the waitresses said.
Most of the customers in the restaurant at the time seemed to agree. "It's hard to find good food, good prices and entertainment all in the same place, but at gills we find it all," one customer said with a grin.