It’s as if she discovered a four-leaf clover, but people familiar with Heather Lee Henry’s culinary talents know there’s much more than luck behind her landing the job as new head chef at Rooney’s Irish Pub in Orcutt.
In September, well-liked Chef Anthony Endy left Rooney’s to accept a position as chef at Paul Martin’s American Bistro in El Segundo.
Henry had always thought her friend, Endy, had the ultimate job.
“I had been jealous of Anthony ever since Rooney’s had opened up,” Henry admitted. “I was just like, ‘That is the place for me—I would just love a job like that!’”
The former chef de cuisine at The Porch at Los Olivos Grocery and executive chef at the Santa Ynez Inn seems to be the perfect fit at the popular Irish pub known for its great food and craft beer.
“I love beer,” Henry said. “One of the questions in the job interview was, ‘Do you like beer?’ I kind of laughed. I can’t help it, I’m crazy about beer!”
Not only that, but she happens to be Irish.
“I love the idea of an Irish gastropub! It’s so fun and exciting to me—the possibilities,” Henry exclaimed with her Irish eyes a-smiling. “You really get to be playful. It’s definitely inspired the fun side of me.”
She also knows a lot about discipline and structure from working at fine dining establishments throughout California, including Café de Paris L’Entrecote and Nightshade, both in San Francisco, Pacific Crest Bistro in Truckee, and Nakoma Resort in Graeagle, where she was executive sous chef.
Henry graduated from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco in 1997.
“It was the best time of my life. I wish I could just be a student forever,” she said. “It definitely was a life-changing experience for me.”
As a young woman, Henry said she lacked self-confidence, but she soon discovered at CCA that she could really cook. And that it was her calling.
Then in August of this year, the now skillful, self-assured chef started her dream job.
The affable Henry is already winning over patrons with her inventive and satisfying soups, appetizers, nightly specials, and desserts.
“I’m really big on soups,” she said. “I’m definitely a soup girl.”
During a recent lunch at Rooney’s, I thoroughly enjoyed Henry’s hearty 15 Bean Soup special—a smoky Canadian bacon, bean, and house-smoked chicken soup drizzled with Oaxacan crème fraiche, served with a shamrock-shaped cornbread muffin.
Smoky meats are a big deal at Rooney’s: “We have a gigantic smoker on the side of the building. That thing is constantly running,” Henry said. “We do so many smoked meat options. You’ll see a lot of that on the specials menu.”
She is also developing some lighter fare for the pub.
“Rooney’s is known for serving comfort food at its best, and I’m excited to help carry on that tradition while also bringing some fun and exciting new dishes that will feature more pastas, salads, soups, fish, and chicken,” Henry said.
For example, there’s her Curry Chicken Salad wrapped in butter lettuce with a spicy Thai peanut sauce.
Other recent Chef Henry specials include her Autumn Turkey Sandwich (turkey, cream cheese, orange-cranberry glaze, red onions, fresh sage, and pumpkin seeds on a pretzel croissant); Smoked Yellow Split-Pea Soup with tavern ham; Boneless Baby-Back Rib Tacos with pineapple slaw on soft corn tortillas served with chipotle mayo and a petite salad; “Almost Traditional” Irish Stew with lamb sirloin, parsnips, baby red potatoes, and carrots with barley served in a “very untraditional” sourdough bread bowl; and Classic Chicken Pot Pie of chicken breast with baby red potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, and peas simmered in a savory, creamy broth and baked in a puff pastry crust.
Henry, who spent two seasons as pastry chef at Wolfdale’s Restaurant in North Shore Lake Tahoe, is completely revising Rooney’s dessert menu so that it reflects seasonality and produce availability.
Some dessert staples—like Chef Endy’s Bread Pudding—will stay, but Henry has already delighted diners, myself included, with her luscious Lemon Cream Cake with warm blueberry compote.
She also loves to make ice cream, so look for flavors such as Egg Nog, in addition to the Guinness Milk Chocolate and Cinnamon Oatmeal ice cream already on the menu.
Rooney’s wants to reassure customers that its signature dishes won’t be changing; favorites on the menu like “The Lost” Shepherd’s Pie and the Corned Beef and Cabbage, are staying put.
And rest assured, Rooney’s popular Reuben sandwich made with beautiful marble rye is as delicious as ever.
Rooney’s is also ready to do more catering: “We are broadly expanding our menu options for special events, so people who may have attended large parties with us in the past and may do so again can really look forward to some exciting new options there as well,” Henry said.
Rooney’s Irish Pub and Brewery is in Orcutt Union Plaza at 241 S. Broadway St., Old Orcutt. Lunch and dinner are served every day except Tuesdays, when they’re closed. For menus and event information, go to RooneysIrishPub.com
Sun food and wine columnist Wendy Thies Sell is comforted by comfort food. Contact her at wthies@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Nov 29 – Dec 6, 2012.