Central Park's famed "Tavern on the Green" restaurant will be closing at the end of 2009 after being a New York City landmark (some say tourist trap) for decades. Once America's highest-earning restaurant, the management is now bankrupt, and will be auctioning off all of the restaurant's Baccarat and Waterford chandeliers, Tiffany stained glass, a mural depicting Central Park, the restaurant's name, and anything else of value. The restaurant opened its doors 75 years ago, and the Victorian Gothic building dates from the 1800s when it was a sheephold.
Ok, so that last pic is a gingerbread house, but I couldn't resist including it.
I never visited Tavern on the Green myself. I've read that the food was quite mediocre, although this restaurant is probably all about the atmosphere and history.
Flickr's cuttlefish writes "i think the place looks like liberace's hunting lodge. that doesn't have to be a bad thing, i guess." The demise of the restaurant is a noteworthy loss, and sadly will be putting 400 people out of work. The city does have plans to revive the restaurant (of course, as a less over-the-top version of its former self), under different management and possibly with a different name.
I just realized the irony that yesterday's post was entitled "The Rainbow Room", a play on another famed NY restaurant's name. I hadn't even read of the Tavern's troubles at the time that I composed that post. Weird.
Happy New Year everyone! Everyone talks about their New Year's Eve plans, but how about about New Year's Day? I have this idea for a New Year's Day brunch that will probably never come to fruition because (A) I'm never organized enough around the holidays to plan it ahead of time, and (B) I either like to sleep in on New Years Day in recovery from a festive prior evening, or sleep in just because I can without feeling guilty about it. Oh, and (C) none of my friends would come to my brunch anyway because they also tend to be lazy on New Year's morning. However, I can still dream of my lovely brunch with cool decorations, elegant southern food, and boozie drinks that you can get away with serving before noon.
My January 1, 2010 will more than likely be spent alone with Mr. Cheese and will probably go a little something like this: Crawl out of bed at 10:00, although not due to hangover but this damn cold that just won't go away. Make pancakes with husband, drink pot of coffee. Shower (maybe), dress in head-to-toe fleece that is only slightly more presentable than pajamas. Watch 3 football games. Eat 1/2 pound of Spicy Rotel Dip. Nap. Watch 3 hour "Weeds" Marathon. January 2 is the day I seize the new year.
Perhaps I'll try to have a Mardi Gras brunch instead. The shrimp and grits, bread pudding, bloody marys and mimosas will still taste yummy in February. What are your New Year's Eve and Day plans? How do you plan on starting off 2010?
