Chef shows his love for food at Bears Belly BBQ at the Fox Run Lodge

PALMER — Barbecue will always be a debated topic.

Each region has its own definitions of what counts as barbecue, and people will even have their own opinions on how many regions there are when it comes to barbecue style. Chef and owner of Bears Belly BBQ at the Fox Run Lodge and RV Campground, Chad Richey, watched those discussions happen within his family while growing up in southern Illinois.

“Barbecue was one of my dad and uncles’ favorite topics of discussion and contention. They all have very strong opinions on barbecue and if I wanted to feel like I was one of the men in the family, I had to develop opinions of my own on the topic,” Richey said.

He developed his love for the food at home, like most of us do, because, “Almost all my warm memories somehow involve barbecue.”

This includes his family's tradition of sliced pork shoulder barbecue on Christmas, along with potato salad, baked beans, red velvet cake, and “all the fixins.”

Richey's love for the art of cooking goes all the way back to childhood, too, and he fondly recalls discovering his cousin's Easy Bake Oven. He also loved to help out in the kitchen and cook meals alongside his mother, and collected the family recipes for his favorite dishes. He got his first restaurant job in 1987 and worked in the industry through high school and a few years beyond. His degree in computer science served him well until the tech bubble burst, which left him into some factory work. In 2005, he happened to see an article about a newly renovated culinary arts institute in Illinois, and realizing he wasn't happy at his current position, decided to go for it. Since that point he has held every position possible in a restaurant, including Executive Chef at a golf club and general manager at barbecue restaurant in Fairbanks.

He hadn't been looking to open a restaurant when he stumbled across the ad that led him to this opportunity. He had actually been looking for a new apartment on Craigslist, and there was an ad in the wrong spot. After discussing the situation with the owner of Fox Lodge, and going over details with his partner Jamie and their friend and bookkeeper, he decided to go for it. Bears Belly BBQ officially opened for business the first day of May, this year.

Richey also goes with gut instinct and a bit of tradition in his style of cooking, as well. Elvis Costello has been quoted as saying, “Every musician is a thief and a magpie,” and Richey feels the same thing can be said about chefs.

“We are all influenced by other chefs and cuisines we enjoy. That is what sets my barbecue apart. I unapologetically borrow from any region or style that I think tastes good. I take the parts that make sense to me with regards to flavors and execution and I have no qualms mixing styles, sauces, or even the meats. Texas brisket tastes amazing when you use a Southern Illinois-style dry rub and use cherry wood to smoke it. St. Louis spare ribs are excellent when glazed with Carolina style mustard sauce. The combinations go on and on,” Richey said.

He also understands that not every person that loves barbecue is going to agree with his take on it.

“There are some things that I am very traditional about, however. I have concluded that, whatever a person grows up eating and calling barbecue, will always be “real” barbecue to them. I’m no exception. There are certain barbecues that will just always taste better to me, because that’s what my brain associates with home and family,” Richey said.

When customers make it out the location they are fans of the postcard-worthy view from the dining room and deck, and the loaded baked potato salad. Another fan favorite is the hillbilly cheesesteak, which was made simply to fill some space on the menu, and soon became one of the star dishes. With sliced, barbecued pork loin, served on a hoagie bun with grilled peppers and onions and topped with cheddar-jack cheese, it is just one of the reasons fans of this new BBQ joint keep coming back, and continue to rave about the food.

From his self described “country” roots, to his current position as the head of what is becoming a popular food destination in the valley, Richey has trusted his gut while trying to satisfy people’s bellies. Even though this venture is only just beginning he has dreams for the future of more locations as well as selling some of his sauces and dry rubs. When asked if he would share any of his secret ingredients, he said, “I know it’s cliché, but I would say the secret ingredient is passion. Passion for the work. Passion for the food. Passion for helping people enjoy the experience.”

Whatever it is, it's working, because the most common description I have gotten from devotees of his food is “damn good!” and no matter where you fall in the barbecue debate, that is high praise indeed.

Bears Belly BBQ is located at 4466 South Glenn Highway, Palmer, AK 99645