Quaffing in the Footsteps of History
by Kurt Epps—The Pubscout
My travels this week led me to the most expensive place to live in the USA—Jersey City, NJ. My youngest son Cody also lives there, and it was for his wedding that we made the trek. Fortunately, I had a place to stay for free with my middle son Kaz, who’s a groomsman and a JC resident.
He picked us up at Newark Airport (EWR), which is not the easiest place to come through ( or escape from ), but he managed to get us into a section of Jersey City which is quite nice—the Paulus Hook section—where we decided to grab a bite and a brew.
Turns out there’s a historic tavern in the area known as The Light Horse, named for Light Horse Harry Lee, a famous Continental commander, who staged a daring surprise assault on the British fort there in 1779. The attack allowed Light Horse Harry to capture a few hundred British prisoners, and the tavern sits directly on the cemetery the Brits built inside the fort.
It also sits on one of the highest points of land in JC, so when Hurricane Sandy’s waters encroached on the area, the former fort was untouched.
Now, however, this historic tavern with old wood and lofty ceilings, the walls of which are adorned with historic photos of the area—and one of Light Horse Harry himself—sits atop the former cemetery in a building constructed in 1855.
According to info from Yelp, it was “Restored from an 1850s tavern, the building served as a speakeasy during Prohibition in the United States. Founders Bill Gray and Ron Smith named the restaurant after Henry Lee III.”
It’s exactly the kind of tavern in which The PubScout feels immediately at home. And the fact that the beer list includes one of his all-time favorite beers—Thomas Jefferson’s Golden Ale, and unavailable in southeastern NC— was an added plus.
Not to mention that the food was top drawer. From a Bacon-wrapped Meat Loaf for Kaz, to a succulent lobster roll for Emily, to a much-praised Lemon Risotto with Spring Peas dish for the missus, to my own Orrichiette with sausage, tomatoes, garlic, white wine, parmesan and broccolini, the food won rave reviews from everyone at the table.
Owner Ron Smith came to the table, and evident love for his tavern and affable manner were very much present. He took me around to show me his most important photos and the somewhat labyrinthine rooms—including an upstairs dining section with a magnificent view of the tavern below— and his pride was evident throughout.
There’s just something about this historic place that attaches to the soul
( mine anyway ), and if you get a chance to read about its famous namesake, whose sixth son was a pretty famous Virginia soldier named Robert E. Lee, you might find it even more appealing. That Harry entered Princeton at the tender age of fourteen and graduated at seventeen only adds to that appeal.
