Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

It’s been more than two years since the iconic Tavern On The Green restaurant in Central Park served its last meal.

Central Park Boathouse restauranteur Dean Poll was supposed to take over TOTG, but that deal fell through in the spring of 2010 and the landmark restaurant has been languishing as a snack bar/gift shop/visitors center ever since.

The city is now ramping up plans for a rebirth of Tavern On The Green as a casual restaurant open to all. They’re aiming for a 2013 opening and a slew of top-tier restauranteurs were on hand last week to survey the space and gather information ahead of a March 30 deadline for bids to operate it.

WSJ, NYT, and DNAinfo all have detailed coverage. Roughly 100 people representing some of the biggest names in the NYC restaurant business were present for a tour and information session. Among others, the list included:

• Mario Carbone & Jeff Zalaznick, the partners behind Torrisi Italian Specialties and Parm restaurants
• Drew Nieporent, founder of the Myriad Restaurant Group, which operates Nobu and Tribeca Grill
• Peter, Penny, & Matthew Glazier of the Glazier Group, which owns Michael Jordan’s Steak House N.Y.C., among other restaurants
• Representatives of B&B Hospitality Group, the people behind Mario Batali’s Eataly
• Legends Hospitality Management, which runs Yankee Stadium food concessions
• Dave Arnold, of the French Culinary Institute and Booker & Dax bar at Momofuku Ssam Bar
• Bryan McGuire, general manager of the “21” Club
• August J. Ceradini Jr., the former owner of World Yacht Cruises
• Chef Bill Telepan, of the Upper West Side’s own Telepan
• A lawyer for Il Cantinori
• Managers of the City Winery and the Great Performances catering company

The physical space is apparently a shadow of its previously sprawling and glitzy self — it’s in the midst of a $10 million renovation (paid for by the city). DNAinfo reports “the renovation will wipe away most of the glamour once associated with [Tavern On The Green] . Additions that have expanded the building over the decades will be removed and Taverns’s exterior will be restored to a more quaint 1930s look.”

NYT adds:

The former 25,000-square-foot banquet-and-celebration destination has downsized to a 10,320-square-foot indoor space for dining, and a seasonal outdoor terrace of nearly 12,000 square feet. The legendary but boxy 1976 Crystal Room was torn down by the city in 2010, banishing the 350 seats that helped bring in an estimated $6 million — and 600,000 customers — yearly. It was replaced by a plein-air terrace featuring 80 tables and 130 chairs.

Unlike its previous incarnation, Tavern On The Green (it will indeed maintain the name) will not function as a caterer. TOTG version 2.0 is intended to be “a moderately priced restaurant,” with “a bar space for park visitors to meet and gather for a drink and small plates,” as well as a cafe with “both indoor and outdoor seating” that also offers takeout food.

It appears as though the city will not require that the restaurant use unionized labor, but it will give preference to operators that “can show experience with harmonious labor relations or a lack of negative labor issues.” They would clearly like to avoid the very public debacle that unfolded at the Central Park Boathouse last year (coverage here, here, here, and here).

Interested operators have until March 30th to submit applications (as well as a refundable $25,000 deposit) to the city. In turn, officials would like to decide on a winning bidder by the end of April.

Filed under: Central Park, Food & Drink, Going Out, Landmark, Manhattan, New York City, News, NYC, Openings/Closings, Restaurants, Upper West Side, Upper West Side Blog, UWS 1 Comment »
Tags: 21 Club, August J. Ceradini Jr, B&B Hospitality Group, Bill Telepan, Boathouse, Bryan McGuire, Central Park, City Winery, Corton, Dave Arnold, Dean Poll, Drew Nieporent, Eataly, Il Cantinori, Jeff Zalaznick, labor, Legends Hospitality Management, Mario Batali, Mario Carbone, Matthew Glazier, Michael Jordan's Steakhouse, Myriad Restaurant Group, New York City, Nobu, NYC, Parks Department, Parm, Penny Glazier, Peter Glazier, Restaurant, Tavern on the Green, The Glazier Group, Torrisi Italian Specialties, Tribeca Grill, Union, Upper West Side, UWS, World Yacht Cruises