Behind the Pass: Chef AJ Beaulieu

With three locations around the city, Shy Bird is redefining the casual restaurant in the Boston area. We talked to Executive Chef AJ in South Boston—he bounces between the locations—and saw exactly what makes Shy Bird a local destination. 

To the Kitchen Born 

Chef AJ knew he wanted to be chef since he was eight years old, having learned early in the kitchens of both his grandmothers, one of whom was a pro chef who wrote a cookbook. He went to vocational high school, started washing dishes at the age of 14, and eventually got a bachelor's degree at Johnson and Wales University.  Over his 25-year-career, he lived in the Caribbean, worked at a St. Thomas fine dining resort restaurant, made his way to St. Petersburg, FL, and won Best Restaurant in Orlando during his ten-year stint in that city. Boston and Cape Cod proved to have magnetic pull, and he finally came home. He loves fusion, pulling a lot of diverse flavors and ingredients together, and creating something fresh and inspired. Shy Bird is a great place for him to express these influences and make unique dishes that flex to fit the demands of the multiple menus.  

Shy Bird is an easygoing all-day hangout that’s so much more than a rotisserie restaurant—it’s a coffee shop when you need one, a breakfast and brunch café, and a favorite spot to share a casual dinner with friends. They also have a serious bar with creative cocktails, mocktails, and a robust wine list, ready for patio pours at lunchtime or drinks with friends. If you work from home and want a place to set up a laptop, see other people, and drink unlimited cups of coffee, there’s a place for you at Shy Bird with their unique “Work From Shy Bird” program. Shy Bird meets every need and is all that a modern neighborhood restaurant should be—approachable, accessible, and affordable.  

Bird is the Word 

Shy Bird is named in honor of the wild jungle fowl that are ancestors of modern-day domesticated chickens. But the chicken on the menu is far from shy. At the center of the kitchen is the rotisserie, which turns our ABF Amish-raised birds all day long. The owners of Shy Bird had already proven that the upgrade to rotisserie chicken was a hit with their Branch Line restaurant in nearby Watertown, MA.  

Chef AJ and the team rub the chickens with a dry seasoning and let the birds hang for two days, which helps the flavors penetrate and allows the skin to dry and then crisp up when cooked. This classic rotisserie chicken is served with a heavy red wine reduction and herb frites on the side, bistro style. Available whole, half, seasoned with piri piri, and a few other ways depending on the time of day.  

They also fry chicken for a variety of comfort food dishes, sandwiches, and salads. Their signature SB Dunks are like fancy fried chicken nuggets; these bites are served with a choice of four sauces for dipping and dunking and appear on everything but the breakfast menu.  

Chef AJ wants people to feel welcome at any time of the day, and he changes the core dishes slightly for different meals. Weekdays at the South Boston location offer “Shy Hour” specials, which skirts the no-happy hour restrictions in Massachusetts and bridges the gap between lunch and dinner.