When Billy Gruenewald was growing up in Bethlehem, he learned about the city's rich history during visits to its many landmarks. But he doesn't remember ever going to the Sun Inn.
Everyone knows of the place, he said, but few have really experienced it.
"I'd say it's one of the better kept secrets in Bethlehem," he said.
The team behind the Tavern at the Sun Inn, where Gruenewald serves as chef, is hoping to give people a new reason to visit the the historic location. First built in 1758, the inn hosted the likes of George and Martha Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Marquis de Lafayette and many others. The new Tavern, filling the two floors above and below the inn's first-floor museum, looks to pay homage to the building's revolutionary history in its approach to dining and decor.
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Opened in early December, the Tavern is a collaboration between Gruenewald, who also owns the People's Kitchen and Bolt & Key Cafe in Bethlehem, and Christmas City Spirits, which plans to open a micro-distillery in the inn. The distillery has been delayed as it seeks licensing, but the kitchen is up and running now, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday.
The historic location, rather than limiting the vision for the Tavern, helped guide the team in choosing decor, said Christmas City Spirits co-owner Colin Anderson. They worked with the Sun Inn Preservation Association, which owns the building, to maintain the inn's integrity while renovating the space.
"It gave us a clearer direction of where we wanted to be," Anderson said.
The ambiance throughout is simple, clean and classic, with white walls, rich wood accents and plenty of red, white and blue. Images of revolutionary figures, antique firearms and patriotic flags fill the wallspace. Each of the two bars, now serving local beers, wines and ciders, is each made from a single, local ambrosia maple tree.
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In food and drink, too, the establishment looks to early colonial America for guidance. Philadelphia's Yards Brewing Company anchors the beer list, in particular the brewery's "Ales of the Revolution" series. Gruenewald's dishes are elevated tavern fare, hearty and locally sourced. The chef, who works with his People's Kitchen partner Holly Joyce, said he sought to use mostly ingredients that would have been available to 18th century Americans, but with modern twists.
A venison sausage ($21) is served with sweet potato and parsnip hash and roasted Brussels sprouts; a bone-in pork chop ($24) is topped orange and apricot chutney and served over wild rice and green beans. Small plates, like a mini chicken pot pie ($9), and salads ($6-8) are also available. After finishing a meal in the second-floor dining area, customers can head down to the basement "rathskeller" to continue drinking.
When the microdistillery opens, Anderson said, the rums, brandies and other liquors produced at the inn will be similarly influenced by Revolution-era methods and recipes.
The distillery isn't the only plan on the horizon for the Tavern. They've landscaped the inn's courtyard to open it as Bethlehem's largest outdoor eating area once the weather warms up. The move would add at least 40 seats to more than 75 already inside. Plus, the courtyard is fenced in, avoiding some of nuisances that can come with outdoor dining along the main thoroughfare.
For more information about the Tavern at the Sun Inn, head to its website.
Andrew Doerfler may be reached at adoerfler@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @adoerfler or on Facebook.
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