Because I saw the small sandwich board sign for “Thursday fish and chips, 4-7 p.m.” by the gas pumps at The Rex when I delivered newspapers on a Wednesday last month, I invited my new New York friends for dinner and a bit of local color, given the place’s reputation when Stuart and Joyce Welch owned it 1999-2015.

Wes and Rona Whiteaker and Chanan Spadaccini revamped the place a bit when they bought it from Brian Dean in the summer of 2019. Wes was in the kitchen with a huge bowl of his corn meal batter for their Thursday special.

We got there at 4 p.m., meeting friends Christie and To...