Former La Grange Inn owner steps out of the kitchen

Former La Grange Inn owner steps out of the kitchen

Mr. and Mrs. Uwe Paulssen

by Janine Logan

The holidays this year were the first ones that Uwe Paulssen spent entirely at home with his family. Over the previous 22 years Uwe could be found in the kitchen at La Grange restaurant in West Islip supervising the preparation of the restaurant’s holiday meals right down to the giblet gravy.

And although he had a hand in preparing his family’s Thanksgiving feast which was served at his daughter’s house, this well-known Babylon restaurateur was thankful for the opportunity to sit back and let everyone else worry about the guests and the cooking.

Some months ago, Uwe Paulssen sold La Grange Inn to local restaurateur Don Conte. Having reached retirement age, Uwe said, "You have to come to a point where you realize you can only do so much. The restaurant business is very time-consuming." So, he opted to take time for himself and his family. With no immediate retirement plans in mind, Uwe is just enjoying being with his wife Elka, who helped him in the business the past 10 years, and his three children.

In 1957, Uwe joined the restaurant as a cook. At the time, La Grange was owned by two gentlemen - Willy Stukenbroker and Herman Junge. Al Wedekin served as manager. When Al Wedekin retired in 1962, Uwe stepped in as manager. After Herman Junge’s death 33 years ago, Uwe became Willy Stukenbroker’s partner. In 1968, when Mr. Stukenbroker passed away, Uwe bought the remaining share of the restaurant.

La Grange Inn turns 248 years old this year, and its place in our local area’s history has been well-documented. Originally owned by the Higbie family and called Higbie House, the inn was sold for the first time outside the family to a Mr. McGee. At the turn of the 20th century, the name was changed from Higbie House to La Grange Inn by Samuel Higbie who followed the advice of a newspaper columnist who thought the name La Grange had more flair. La Grange was a bustling inn with guest rooms until 1943. However, as the hotel market changed and called for more sophisticated and commercialized accommodations, La Grange Inn hosted its last overnight guest and became strictly a restaurant and catering facility. Today, patrons can experience a bit of the overnight charm guests enjoyed decades ago when dining in one of the upstairs rooms.

The way people dine has changed as well, notes Uwe, who says 20 years ago he could set a clock by the pattern in which guests frequented his restaurant. "On Wednesdays, there would be the doctors; Thursdays were attorneys. Friday and Saturday was family dining night." Today, families seek more casual dining, because of their hectic schedules, says Uwe. Fast food restaurants and take-out have had a tremendous impact on the restaurant business, according to Uwe. "What we are seeing are more parties rather than individual dining - parties for showers, christenings, birthdays and other milestone events."

La Grange has certainly hosted its share of private parties under Uwe’s ownership for local organizations, businesses, and families. And along the way, there have been many famous guests who dined at the restaurant. Uwe recalls a situation about nine years ago when former President Richard Nixon visited the restaurant with his daughter and son-in-law. Uwe remembers the ease with which he was able to talk to the former United States President and was impressed when Richard Nixon took the time to shake everyone’s hand in the restaurant. Other famous diners include Governor Rockefeller, Bob Keesham (Babylon’s very own Captain Kangaroo), and Werner Van Braun, a famous atomic scientist from Germany who often hunted with Robert Moses. Moses, says Uwe, was a fixture at the restaurant.

Uwe and his wife Elka, long time residents of West Islip, are enjoying their free time, but vow to remain busy and active in the local community. Uwe has always supported local charities and organizations, like Good Samaritan Hospice and the All Village Celebration, behind the scenes through donations of food, tables, and chairs. He is a member of the Babylon Rotary Club and serves as a director on the Board of the L.I. Restaurant Association.

Restauranteering has always been in Uwe’s blood. He began with an apprenticeship in cooking in his native Germany, before joining the Homeline Cruise Line as a chef, and then cooking for restaurants in Brooklyn and Roslyn. After a long, successful, and delicious career, Uwe says "You have to look in the mirror and ask yourself what do you want to do now."