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Light Horse Tavern
Light Horse Tavern
Restaurant information
Established	2002
Owner(s)	Bill Gray and Ron Smith
Street address	199 Washington Street
City	Jersey City
County	Hudson
State	New Jersey
Postal/ZIP Code	07302
Country	United States
Website	http://www.lighthorsetavern.com/

Light Horse Tavern is a restaurant located in Jersey City, New Jersey. 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, known as "Light Horse Harry", a historical figure from the American Revolution. Its first chef was Ian Topper-Kapitan; he was replaced in 2007 by Marcos Costas.

Reception of the restaurant included multiple favorable reviews in The Jersey Journal,^[1]^[2] the New Jersey section of The New York Times,^[3]^[4] and New Jersey Monthly.^[5]

History

The restaurant was restored from an 1850s tavern.^[3] The Jersey Journal described the facility as a "pre-Civil War building that boasts a coveted landmark status".^[1] The building previously served as a speakeasy during Prohibition and functioned as a neighborhood bar.^[1] Light Horse Tavern was named after Henry Lee III, known as "Light Horse Harry", a historical figure from the American Revolution.^[4]^[1]^[6] Light Horse Harry led the successful Battle of Paulus Hook, which helped to retain Jersey City as a stronghold for the Continental Army.^[1]

Founders and brothers-in-law Bill Gray and Ron Smith started the establishment after becoming familiar with the relevant history while restoring two neighboring buildings.^[4] The restaurant first opened in 2002 with chef Ian Topper-Kapitan, pastry chef Marco Runanin, and wine steward Roland Arnold.^[4] In February 2010, the restaurant served as a location for an opening reception of visual artist, Frank Messina.^[7]

Cuisine

Chef Ian Topper-Kapitan was replaced in 2007 by Marcos Costas, who had previously been employed at Lespinasse and the Essex House in New York City.^[3] Dishes at the restaurant have included lobster salad and pan-roasted salmon, in addition to "a crisp, greaseless version of fish and chips".^[3] Troy Unruh joined the restaurant as executive chef in November 2008;^[8]^[9] he left in 2009 to become executive chef at a restaurant called Zylo.^[10]

Reception

Light Horse Tavern received favorable mention in a 2003 review for The Jersey Journal, which noted, "With its beautiful decor, try to stay focused on the food. It's surprisingly good and reasonably priced."^[1] The Waterfront Journal described the Light Horse Tavern in 2004 as "an exquisite restaurant where you can dine Manhattan-style".^[11] In 2004, Hudson Reporter referred to the establishment as "the center" of the "political world" in Hudson County, New Jersey.^[12] The publication noted, "Unfortunately, so many political people show up at the Light Horse these days that enemies cannot help but bump into each other."^[12] The tavern was a favorite hangout location for New Jersey politician Paul Byrne.^[13]^[14] In 2005, The Jersey Journal recommended the Light Horse Tavern among locations to celebrate New Year's Eve.^[2] A 2006 article about Jersey City in New York Magazine highlighted the Light Horse Tavern, among recommended local attractions of the city, and described it as "upscale".^[15]

The New York Times included the restaurant in a 2007 piece on regional New Jersey restaurants, "Standouts Among the Year's Best", giving the restaurant a rating of "very good".^[3]^{[note 1]} David Corcoran wrote favorably of the restaurant in a 2007 review for The New York Times, and commented of the establishment's bar: "Long and lively, a scene all its own. Extensive, well-chosen wine and beer lists."^[4] In 2008, New Jersey Monthly selected Light Horse Tavern as "Critics' Choice" for "Best Bar Scene".^[16] Amaechi Okoro wrote favorably of the dining and bar at the establishment in a 2008 piece for The Waterfront Journal, and called it a "classy alternative" to louder facilities.^[17] Stan Parish of New Jersey Monthly reviewed the restaurant in 2008, and came to a negative conclusion, "Best bet? Sidle up to the bar, where you should have been all along, for a can of Young’s Chocolate Stout. Bottom line? The neighs have it."^[6] Mariam Ayad of The Waterfront Journal wrote of the establishment's bar in 2009, "The Light Horse Tavern is a nice bar with a cozy fireplace and tidy table arrangement. Behind the bar, you'll find friendly bartenders ready to listen or have a good laugh. The venue also hosts live music a few days each week."^[18] In 2010, New Jersey Monthly highlighted the establishment among "Critics' Picks" for beer selection, in its "2010 Readers' and Critics' Restaurant Poll".^[5] Jon Whiten of The Jersey City Independent recommended the restaurant among "This Weekend’s Best Bets" in June 2010, for its wine tasting fundraiser with sommelier Roland Arnold.^[19] Zagat Survey listed Light Horse Tavern as "top listed" in "Best Buys: Pub Grub".^[20]

Notes

^ The paper explained its standards: "Of the 46 restaurants we reviewed, 21 (or 46 percent) received one of the top ratings: 3 excellent, 18 very good."

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f S&M Kilnisan (September 5, 2003). "Newcomer charms with menu, history". The Jersey Journal. p. B1.
^ ^a ^b "Last Minute ...". The Jersey Journal. December 30, 2005. p. A21.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Corcoran, David (December 30, 2007). "Standouts Among the Year's Best". The New York Times. p. 10; Section: New Jersey, Dining. Retrieved 2010-07-16.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Corcoran, David (June 10, 2007). "A Spot as Appealing as Its Namesake". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
^ ^a ^b "2010 Readers' and Critics' Restaurant Poll". New Jersey Monthly. njmonthly.com. July 14, 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
^ ^a ^b Parish, Stan (July 7, 2008). "The Light Horse Tavern". New Jersey Monthly. njmonthly.com. Archived from the original on May 4, 2011. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
^ Kaulessar, Ricardo (February 27, 2010). "Thank God it's JC Fridays". Hudson Reporter. www.hudsonreporter.com. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
^ Saferstein, Rosie (November 4, 2008). "Chefs on the move". New Jersey Monthly. njmonthly.com. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
^ Saferstein, Rosie (November 12, 2008). "Fall harvest dinner at Light Horse Tavern". New Jersey Monthly. njmonthly.com. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
^ Saferstein, Rosie (March 24, 2009). "Chefs on the move". New Jersey Monthly. njmonthly.com. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
^ "Hudson River walkway shows off both sides of the river". The Waterfront Journal. The Jersey Journal. April 8, 2004. p. A12.
^ ^a ^b "Between the Lines Poll happy". Hudson Reporter. hudsonreporter.com. November 2, 2004. Archived from the original on July 12, 2011. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
^ Donohue, Brian; Jeff Whelan (May 6, 2005). "The final chapter in a Jersey epic - Fallen power broker dies on day his trusted traitor goes to jail". The Star-Ledger. p. 21.
^ Donohue, Brian; Jeff Whelan (May 6, 2005). "Corruption in New Jersey". The Star-Ledger. www.nj.com. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
^ Sternbergh, Adam (December 3, 2006). "If You Lived Here, You'd Be Cool by Now". New York Magazine. nymag.com. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
^ "Readers' and Critics' Choice – Restaurant Poll Winners 2008". New Jersey Monthly. New Jersey Monthly Magazine. July 10, 2008. p. 55. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
^ Okoro, Amaechi (January 31, 2008). "'We have a bit of everything.'". The Waterfront Journal. The Jersey Journal. p. A4.
^ Ayad, Mariam (October 8, 2009). "Behind the Bar". The Waterfront Journal. The Jersey Journal. p. A7.
^ Whiten, Jon (June 11, 2010). "This Weekend's Best Bets". The Jersey City Independent. www.jerseycityindependent.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
^ "Zagat Rated – The Light Horse Tavern". Zagat Survey. ww.zagat.com. 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-03.