A crispy fish and chips special, charred cabbage dish, and broiled oysters showcase local ingredients at Rory’s Place
Fish and chips is a once-a-week special at the Ojai, California, restaurant Rory’s Place. The nostalgic dish — which the owners, siblings Maeve and Rory McAuliffe, grew up eating during family trips to Cape Cod — is served only on Wednesdays. Rory’s Place is also laser-focused on sustainability, serving fresh local produce, seafood, and meat, and giving back to the local farmland by composting and donating scraps.
Head chef Maeve McAuliffe breaks down massive fresh halibut, sustainably sourced from the nearby Ventura coastline, for the weekly fish and chips special. The carcass of the fish is saved to make a fumet, fish stock laden with aromatics. A beer batter is whipped up just before service, to give the fried fish a delicate crunch, which McAuliffe calls an “effervescent pancake mix.” For the dish, two massive pieces of halibut are served on top of fresh fries, that have already gone through a two-day process of blanching before being dipped in the fryer, alongside housemade tartar sauce…