By Barrett Seaman—
In the nearly 15 years since he opened the Tarry Tavern on the site of the old Lago di Como restaurant at 27 Main Street in Tarrytown, Henry Cabral had earned a reputation as the proprietor of an elegant but inviting dining option. Just a block south of the Music Hall, it had become a prized reservation on show nights. Surrounded by English Red Oak paneling, diners could choose from an informal tavern menu and a farm-to-table selection featuring local produce.
Cabral kept the place going during the pandemic, offering takeout from the menu, often supplemented with a bottle of Chianti or Cabernet gratis as a gesture of thanks to loyal clientele.
Earlier this week, a fire broke out in the basement around 4:30 a.m. and quickly spread up through the tavern and into the two apartments on the upper floors. Fortunately, the occupants of the apartments were evacuated. As many as 100 first responders from both Tarrytown and surrounding communities managed to keep the fire from spreading to surrounding buildings but could not prevent it from destroying virtually everything in the restaurant. One was reportedly treated for smoke inhalation.
Before the day was out, two fundraising efforts had been set up and raising money to help support the tavern’s employees. One by Gregg Rosinsky can be found on GoFundMe.com. The other was established by Gullotta House (https://gullottahouse.org/gullotta-house-helps-tarry-tavern-after-destructive-fire/), the Briarcliff Manor non-profit devoted to helping those facing hardship.
Faced with the prospect of a gas explosion when the fire was at its peak, village officials shut off the gas supply and blocked off Main Street from Washington Avenue to Kaldenberg Place. The street reopened and gas was restored by 5:00 p.m.
On Wednesday evening, Cabral sat at a table at the Eatarry, the informal breakfast and lunch spot he opened next door to the tavern, contemplating a future that at that moment looked bleak. He acknowledged that virtually everything in the place was lost but that he held out hope that the Tarry Tavern would once again re-open…someday.
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