Perky's food for the soul

By Jeff Davis

"Honestly, Perky's Restaurant is big for me," Perkins explained, "but this is one of those deals where you can see a whole community coming together. As much as we want a lot of people to come eat, we also want them to find out what a wonderful area this is."As he put it, "This is food for the soul."For Perkins, running a restaurant in his own backyard is just the start."I shouldn't say that we outcook the women," he explains, "but the men in our family give the women a run for their money."Despite his flair for barbecue, you can't overlook the fish on Perky's menu. Catfish, roughy, whiting, snapper and buffalo.Dave Perkins' lunch is getting cold."Being a business owner really motivates me, but one of the things that I'm going to do is invite other black business into this area," he said. "We'll start promoting the things that happen in Topeka that are important to both this neighborhood and our community.""You've got to have a passion in life, and cooking is the passion I have," Perkins says. "I love seeing the expression on people's faces once they taste something wonderful."A string of customers has turned his kitchen into a construction zone and in minutes, fish are breaded, an enormous deep fryer is pressed into service and carry-out orders are being boxed.The phone rings again, and Perkins, who has been trying to finish his own late lunch for the past hour, stops to take another order -- this time for catfish and spaghetti."You'd be surprised at how many people come in, look at the menu and say 'You serve buffalo?' And I'm like, 'Yep, buffalo FISH!' ""When you go down south, there are fish markets all over the place, especially in the black areas," he said. "When I was creating the menu, I wanted it to relate well to our community."It seems Perkins may have been destined to run this soul food restaurant in East Topeka.Tucked in an East Topeka neighborhood, Perkins opened Perky's Restaurant, 1465 S.E. Washington St., two months ago near S.E. 15th and Adams."We're here, we're building a neighborhood, and we want people to come, enjoy and be a part of its great future," he said.Another customer darts inside, explaining that while she doesn't live in Topeka, her uncle told her about Perky's catfish. "I just couldn't leave town without stopping by and trying them out," she said.Not only did he grow up on the east side of town, but the kitchen has always been an important place in his family -- for men and women.Food Flicks is a website that covers local restaurants and movies in Topeka. Find exclusive content at http://food.topeka.net.Spend time with Perkins, and it is easy to understand how Perky's is the foundation of something larger.FOOD FLICKSBefore he is pulled back to the kitchen again, Perkins finally returns to his lunch.Despite his once-steaming hot lunch of fish and fries now cold, Perkins couldn't be happier.

Food Flicks is a website that covers local restaurants and movies in Topeka. Find exclusive content at http://food.topeka.net.