Beaks Chicken meticulously executes unpretentious food

This article was originally published on July 9, 2019. Since it was written, the original location has closed down, with new locations opening at 436 Dewdney Ave. and 6350 Dewdney Ave., and in Moose Jaw, Sask.

Beaks Chicken almost feels like you're eating in someone's barn — in a good way.

The decor of the eatery in Regina's Heritage neighbourhood is rustic, with unfinished wood panelling and ceiling beams, and a plywood floor.

The style is not by coincidence. Beaks owner and chef Paul Rogers said his love for food and scratch cooking was born on his grandparents' farm near North Battleford, Sask.

"I was heavily influenced by my grandparents ⁠— my grandma in particular. She would bake bread every weekend. Everything was from scratch. They had a farm, so everything … chickens and milk from the farm."

Rogers opened Beaks as a food truck in 2013, building up a local following. 

I live for cooking food and seeing people happy to eat my food.- Paul Rogers, Beaks Chicken chef and owner

"I saw a real gap in the market as far as fried chicken goes," he said. "When I started Beaks, there was really only KFC [in Regina], so I wanted to give people a better experience with fried chicken."

The name came from his father.

"When I was growing up, my dad used to say, 'What should we get for supper, a bucket o' beaks or something? Or order a pizza?' And we'd always say, 'A bucket o' beaks.'"

Rogers had me try his chicken sandwich, which changes from time to time. Currently it's a Nashville hot chicken sandwich. It's something he picked up when he cooked in South Carolina briefly. 

When the breaded chicken breast comes out of the fryer, it immediately goes into a pot of spicy oil, then it comes out to rest. Because the oil has been sitting with cayenne pepper and other seasonings for over 72 hours, the flavour is heavily infused. Rogers explained that unlike using hot sauce, which can make the coating soggy, this technique keeps the chicken extra crispy.

Rogers takes great care in preparing the food. All of the sauces and pickles are made in-house. Waffles and doughnuts are made from scratch. Fresh potatoes are cut to make the fries. Even the dark meat is cooked sous vide before it's dredged and goes in the fryer, to ensure a perfect doneness every time.

Rogers was born in Ottawa and grew up an RCMP brat, with stints in Winnipeg, Whitehorse and Regina. Much of his youth and high school years were spent in Regina, where he met his wife.

In 1997 they moved to Vancouver and worked in restaurants for several years, an experience that inspired Rogers to study culinary arts at NAIT in Edmonton. 

After graduating in 2007, he and a fellow NAIT grad decided to work at Noma, René Redzepi's restaurant in Copenhagen. Noma was coming off its first ranking on Restaurant magazine's list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants at No. 33. Noma has since been rated the No. 1 restaurant in the world four times.

"It was a great experience meeting René and working under him and just learning from that kitchen," Rogers said.

If you feel there's something there? Pursue it until the wheels fall off.- Paul Rogers, Beaks Chicken chef and owner

But a desire to start a family brought Rogers and his wife back to Regina. He worked for a while at what's now called Bar Willow Eatery but broke from cooking to spend more time with his kids. 

Then, the nascent food truck scene in Regina pulled him back.

Beaks transitioned from a food truck to a standalone restaurant in 2017. The experience has been one of many sleepless nights – but one driven by passion and informed by his experience in fine dining. 

He clearly understands that he's in the people business, too. When they built the kitchen, they cut out a pass-through window not only to take orders from the cashier, but to provide transparency. 

"We keep our kitchen clean. We have nothing to hide," Rogers said. 

The pass-through window also lets him steal a glance at customers: he wants to see the look on their faces when they eat his food.

"I live for cooking food and seeing people happy to eat my food. It's what it's all about for me."

As for advice for would-be restaurant entrepreneurs, Rogers said: "Just go for it. I don't know how many times I sat on the fence and flaunted with the idea of doing this or flirted with the idea of doing that. You have to stick to what you really believe in. If you feel there's something there? Pursue it until the wheels fall off."