Grendel’s Den, a Harvard Square staple, has a history all its own. Opened in 1971, the restaurant chugged along faithfully at first, under the careful watch of Herbert and Sue Kuezler. Eventually, they got tired of one particularly burdensome Massachusetts state law: under I.XX.138.16c, the Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church, their next-door neighbor, had veto power over their Cambridge liquor license application.

When their nephew, a student of the young constitutional law professor Lawrence Tribe, convinced them to challenge the law, things got interesting.

Listen here.

Written by Matt Shuham
Edited by Matt Shuham

Special thanks to Kari Kuelzer and Lawrence Tribe

Image Credit: Flickr user ryden1172