Page 58 - The Valley Table - Winter 2022

LAST CALL
Rockland County is home to America’s oldest restaurant: The Old ’76 House. Although it was allegedly built in 1668, its most interesting history happened during the Revolutionary War. In the 1700s, the restaurant was a tavern, offering a few rooms, food, and ale to passersby, town folk, and Patriots.
In September 1780, 14 military generals gathered there to examine the Arnold-André affair—when American General Benedict Arnold and British Major John André plotted to overtake the Patriots’ fort in West Point. The two fled—but André was eventually captured and imprisoned at the Old ‘76 House. President George Washington offered up André
to the British in exchange for Arnold, but they refused. On October 2, 1780, 31-year-old André was taken to the gallows in Tappan, where he was hanged for espionage.
Today the restaurant is home to a cozy ambiance and an eclectic menu featuring New American cuisine. Check out the Famous Yankee pot roast, paired with sweet and sour cabbage and mashed potatoes, or stop by on a Sunday for their popular brunch, featuring the Traitorous Eggs Benedict Arnold and cornflake-crusted Nutella stuffed French toast. 110 Main Street, Tappan; 76house.com
—Francesca Furey
56 the valley table dec 2021 – feb 2022
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OLD '76 HOUSE