tavern on the green

Food Carts To Set Up Shop In Front Of Tavern On The Green

Filed under: Dining

Food carts are coming to one of New York City's most famous dining establishments. The Tavern on the Green in Central Park was shut down on New Year's Eve and the interior decor was sold off last Januaray. But the restaurant will be a food destination again when four food carts start selling upscale fare at the Tavern's outdoor terrace on October 15. Ladles of Love will serve soups and stews with a whole grain roll. Pera Mediterranean Brasserie will feature Turkish tacos. At Rickshaw Dumplings you can fill up on dumplings stuffed with pork and Chinese chive or chicken and Thai basil. For dessert head on over to the Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream truck to enjoy high-end ice creams and pastries. The four vendors were selected from a pool of 15 applicants.

The carts will be located in the area that originally housed Tavern on the Green's Crystal Room. The restaurant was originally expected to reopen this year but the new manager, New York restaurateur Dean Poll, could not agree to terms with Local 6, the labor union representing Tavern's 400 former employees and so his contract with the parks department was terminated. At this point it's unclear whether or not the parks department plans to open up a new request for proposal for the site and start the whole process again. Until then however, the new food carts will turn Tavern on the Green back into a dining destination for this willing to dine alfresco.

Tags: central park west, food carts, food trucks, new york city restaurants, tavern on the green

New York City Will Keep Rights To Tavern On The Green Name

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

The restaurant has been closed, the furnishings have been sold off but Tavern on the Green still lives on in the hearts and minds of many New York City diners. Now a judge has decided that the city can keep the "Tavern on the Green" name. The AP reports that U.S. District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum ruled that city and not the debt holders of the bankrupt restaurant has the rights to the name. The name itself has been valued at $19 million. A three-day sale by Guernsey's auction house in January offered more than 25,000 auction items with values anywhere from $100 to $1.2 million, the proceeds of which went toward erasing the prior owner's $8 million debt.

The judge said that because the city had licensed the facility and had a hand in how the restaurant was run, including regulating the hours and manners of operation, it was the owner of the name. Last summer the city awarded the license to restaurateur Dean Poll who plans to open in the spring after spending $25 million on refurbishments. Last year, Restaurants and Institutions placed Tavern on the Green second in their list of the 100 highest grossing independent restaurants in the U.S. with 2008 sales of over $34 million.

Tags: central park, new york, new york city, new york restaurants, tavern on the green

Must-Haves from the Tavern on the Green Auction

by Carrie N. Culpepper (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

Sadly, iconic New York restaurant Tavern on the Green has shut its doors for good. The owners filed for bankruptcy and next week auction house Guernsey's will be selling the Central Park restaurant's glitzy contents to the highest bidder (including the entrance tent, above) during a three-day auction.

This Wednesday potential bidders began previewing the goods and will continue to every day from now until Tuesday, from noon until 8 p.m. The auction begins Wednesday, Jan. 13 although some items can be bid on early online.

With more than 25,000 auction items - the front-entrance sign and Baccarat-crystal chandeliers alike - and values anywhere from $100 to $1.2 million, bidders are likely to need a little guidance. That's why we consulted New York antiques appraiser Helaine Fendelman to see what items are worth bidding on and what's just kitsch.

A long-time New Yorker, Fendelman calls dining at Tavern a "quintessential New York experience." But she says, memorabilia from the restaurant will only hold its value if the restaurant's name continues to be recognizable.

Brand-name items are safe bets, she says. "A Waterford chandelier will retain its value and it will have the added cache of being from Tavern on the Green."

As for Tavern memorabilia, Fendelman advises picking "the iconic items that are identified with the restaurant" and always get a letter of authenticity from the auction house. She also says to beware of items that are common. If there are too many of a certain item, like the place settings, for example, they won't be worth anything. Also stay away from items that have been reproduced often. "Collectors shy away from things that have been imitated over and over again."

See the slide show below for 25 must-have picks. Then see and bid on the full list of auction items here.

Gallery: Tavern on the Green Auction Items

32-Light George III-Style Waterford Chandelier

Tags: central park, CentralPark, guernseys, new york, new york restaurants, NewYork, NewYorkRestaurants, tavern on the green, tavern on the green auction, TavernOnTheGreen, TavernOnTheGreenAuction

Bid on a Piece of New York History, Tavern On The Green Auction Planned

by Carrie N. Culpepper (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Auctions

Famed Central Park restaurant Tavern on the Green, with its six elaborate dining rooms and 10 miles of white Christmas lights wrapping trees out front, will sadly twinkle no longer. The restaurant is closing its doors for good on Dec. 31, when its operating license expires. That New Year's Eve party will be one for the ages, but hopefully revelers won't be too destructive - the restaurant's ornate decorative objects are being auctioned off a few weeks later.

Tavern on the Green is a Central Park landmark dating back to 1934, when Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia opened it. In 1974 it was reopened after a $10 million renovation by the colorful LeRoy family, who still own it today. The LeRoys filed for bankruptcy after the city didn't renew their operating license.

Current manager, Jennifer Oz LeRoy, is named in honor of her showman grandfather, Mervyn LeRoy, who was a producer of The Wizard of Oz. Perhaps as a way to seal the restaurant in history, Jennifer, along with Kay LeRoy, have written a 300-page book about the restaurant's history, including recipes.

Guernsey's Auction House is handling the sale, which includes decorative items from the 25,000-square-foot restaurant. Previews take place Wednesday, Jan. 6 through Tuesday, Jan. 12, noon to 8 p.m. each day. The public auction is Jan. 13-14 with 1 p.m. afternoon sessions and 6 p.m. evening sessions each day. The auction will take place in the Tavern's Crystal Room at 67th Street and Central Park West.

Some of the items being auctioned include:

Antique Tiffany stained-glass lamp shades
large, art nouveau mirrors, etched glass and Venetian glass
Baccarat crystal chandeliers
copper weathervanes
stone sculpture
garden furniture
Japanese lanterns
china place settings, silverware, glassware and linens
canvas murals from the walls
holiday decorations
outdoor topiaries

Gallery: The Tavern on the Green

The Rafters Room decorated for the holidays.

The Park Room's murals will be part of the auction.

Tags: guernseys auction house, new years eve, new years eve new york, New Years Eve parties, new york city, new york city restaurants, tavern on the green, tavern on the green closure

Celebrate New Year's Eve in New York

by Carrie N. Culpepper (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Events, Holiday Guides

Granted Times Square is the epicenter of New Years Eve activity, but the freezing temperatures, packed-in crowds and lack of bathroom facilities keep most of us as far away as possible. But don't rule New York out completely - it's one of the the most festive places to ring in the New Year. You just need to know where to go.

Here's a list of five of the best of New York's New Year's Eve 2010 parties - held inside (and one on a boat). Cheers!

Tags: cipriani wall street, new years eve, New Years Eve party, new york, new york city, soho house, tavern on the green, temptress yacht

Continue reading “Celebrate New Year's Eve in New York”

Tavern On The Green Files Chapter 11, A Sad Day for New York Restaurants

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

A grim day for New York restaurants. September 9th will be remembered as a day of sadness for two legendary New York restaurants. Indeed, that day Tavern on the Green and Cafe des Artistes both filed for bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York.

The Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing is just another nail in the coffin for Tavern on the Green. The restaurant was already scheduled to close on December 31st anyway, as a new 20-year license was sold to the operator Central Park Boathouse. The restaurant will continue to operate and accept reservations through December 31st.

Tavern on the Green has long been nothing short of a a New York landmark. Generations have celebrated countless special events there. The restaurant has appeared in many films and TV shows over the years, including "Arthur", "Wall Street" and "New York Stories".

Taken over by Warner LeRoy more than 25 years ago, it was once one of the most successful restaurants in the country with a $40 million dollar operation, a staff of 525 and nearly 500,000 patrons annually. Only one block away from Tavern on the Green, is the shuttered Cafe des Artistes. It filed a voluntary petition for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection.

Gallery: Restaurant Woes

Tags: chapter 11, Chapter11, new york city, NewYorkCity, tavern on the green, TavernOnTheGreen

Bidders Check Out Tavern On The Green

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Tavern on the Green in New York City's Central Park may have been the second highest grossing restaurant in the U.S. last year but that doesn't make it immune to sale. On Tuesday, potential bidders for Tavern on the Green's operating license took the third of three fact-gathering tours. The restaurant's operating license expires December 31 but interested parties only have until May 18 to submit proposals and $50,000 bid deposits to compete for the license.

The 25,000-square-foot restaurant in Central Park has been a tourist draw for decades. One thing that doesn't come with the license to operate the restaurant is its famous name. The name has been owned by the LeRoy family since 1973. Restaurateur Warner LeRoy took over the restaurant's lease in 1974 but the first incarnation of Tavern on the Green as a restaurant dates back to 1934 when Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia opened the restaurant with a brass key. Le Roy reopened the restaurant in 1976 after $10 million in renovations. Since LeRoy's death in 2001, it has been managed by his daughter, Jennifer Oz LeRoy. The NY Times reports that Michael Desiderio, Tavern's chief operating officer, said last month that the name "Tavern on the Green" had been appraised at $19 million.

Parks officials are planning to select the winner of the license by July. While the restaurant brings in millions of dollars each year it also has substantial overhead and that could increase. The Times says that under the terms of its current license, the LeRoy family is required to pay 3.5 percent of its gross receipts to the city but more recent licenses for other businesses often demand a larger percentage. The restaurant also could use a bit of refreshing. But for potential bidders the promise of a restaurant that is a guaranteed draw is pretty alluring.

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Tags: central park, CentralPark, new york city, NewYorkCity, tavern on the green, TavernOnTheGreen

Tavern on the Green To Open West Coast Restaurant

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

One of New York's most famous restaurants, Tavern on the Green, is now getting a new branch all the way across the country. Tavern on the Green will be opening a massive 40,000-square-foot restaurant at San Francisco's Metreon. The restaurant will be on the the top floor, with an outdoor terrace overlooking Yerba Buena Gardens. The restaurant will have the same luxurious style that makes Tavern on the Green a popular tourist destination in New York with chandeliers, murals and art.

The new Tavern on the Green will focus on catering and special events. Brian Young, the former chef de cuisine of the three-star Michelin restaurant Le Bernardin and executive chef at Citarella the Restaurant, has been hired as executive chef. The restaurant is expected to open during summer 2009 and will focus on contemporary American with an emphasis on local ingredients and wine selections. The restaurant is closely identified with New York and with more formal fine dining than casual California is often used to, it will be interesting to see how they adapt the concept to the West Coast crowd.

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Tags: new york, restaurant, san francisco, tavern on the green, TavernOnTheGreen

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