Carol Fay Ellison, better known as Loveless Cafe’s  
Biscuit Lady, died on April 5, 2010. She was 48.

Ellison began her career at Loveless Cafe as a
dishwasher when she was a teenager. Owner Tom
Morales said she went on to become the face of the
restaurant with her made-from-scratch biscuits and
preserves.

The Nashville native competed against celebrity chef
Bobby Flay on the Food Network’s Throwdown! and
made biscuits with Conan O’Brien and Martha
Stewart, among numerous other television stars.

“Carol Fay embodied the best things that people
think about Nashville — that we’re a friendly, unique
place full of talent,” Nashville Mayor Karl Dean said.
“She was a great ambassador for our city.”

She would say only that the recipe came from
previous owners of the Loveless Cafe and that she
tweaked it a bit by adding a secret ingredient.

Morales said that secret ingredient was love.

“She put pride in it. She put love in it,” Morales said.
“That’s what made them so good.”

John Egerton, author of Southern Food, said
Ellison’s biscuits reminded people of what they hold
dear.

“She made biscuits that made people think, ‘This is
the way my grandmother or mother made them,’ ”
Egerton said. “She called up the memory of what
biscuits ought to taste like on a cold, frosty
morning.”

Morales said more than Ellison’s biscuits, he was
going to miss her smile and her hugs, which she
gave freely to everyone.

“She was bigger than life. She always had a smile,”
he said. “She was full of love. She always looked to
the bright side of things.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3S3IULkXtI