Tavern on the Green

Infobox Restaurant
name = Tavern on the Green


image_width = 300px
image_caption = Main entrance of Tavern on the Green
established = October 1934
current-owner =
head-chef =Brian Young
food-type =
dress-code =
rating =
street-address = Central Park West and West 67th Street - Manhattan
city = New York City
state = New York
zip =
country = United States
seating-capacity =
reservations =
other-locations =
other-information =
website = [http://tavernonthegreen.com/ Tavern on the Green Official Web Site]

Tavern on the Green is a restaurant located in Central Park on the Upper West Side of New York City, in the United States.

With 2007 gross revenues of $38 million, from more than 500,000 visitors, it is the second highest-grossing independently-owned restaurant in the United States (behind The Venetian's Tao restaurant in Las Vegas, at $67 million). [cite news|publisher=Restaurants & Institutions|title=Special Report: Top 100 Independents|url=http://www.rimag.com/archives/2008/04b/sr-top100-ranking.asp] [Drape, Joe. [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/us/22vegas.html "Setting Restaurant Records by Selling the Sizzle"] , "The New York Times", July 22, 2007. Accessed October 15, 2007.] Of the several dining rooms, the most famous is the Crystal Room, which features windows overlooking the restaurant's adjacent garden in Central Park. [ [http://www.nyc24.org/2005/centralpark/play/tavern.html Central Park: Play: Tavern on the Green] ]

History and location

The restaurant is located in New York City's Central Park at Central Park West and West 67th Street on Manhattan's Upper West Side. It was originally the Sheepfold that housed the sheep that grazed Sheep Meadow, built to a design by Calvert Vaux in 1870. It became a restaurant as part of a 1934 renovation of the park under Robert Moses, New York City's Commissioner of Parks. In 1974, Warner LeRoy took over the restaurant's lease and reopened it in 1976 after $10 million in renovations. Since LeRoy's death in 2001, it has been managed by his daughter, Jennifer Oz LeRoy.

Tavern on the Green is known for being frequented by numerous prominent actors, musicians, politicians, and writers.

The restaurant is located within short walking distance of Strawberry Fields, a Central Park memorial built in honor of John Lennon, who was shot nearby, at The Dakota hotel at Central Park West and West 72nd Street, on December 8, 1980.

Discrimination lawsuit

In June, 2008, Tavern on the Green agreed to pay $2.2 million to settle a sexual and racial discrimination lawsuit over claims by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission of "pervasive harassment" of women and minority employees. [cite news|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080602/us_nm/tavern_harassment_dc|publisher=reuters|title= Famed NY tavern to pay $2.2 million for discrimination|date=2008-06-02|author=Daniel Trotta]

New York City Marathon

Tavern on the Green is the finish line of the New York City Marathon. The Barilla Marathon Eve Dinner, an enormous pre-race pasta party on the eve of the marathon for 10,000 guests (including registrants, who attend for free), takes place at the Tavern. 6,800 pounds of pasta and 2,000 pounds of salad are served at the dinner, which also features live entertainment and fireworks. [ [http://www.barillaus.com/Barilla_Hosts_Marathon_Eve_Dinner_2005.aspx Barilla Hosts Marathon Eve Dinner] ]

In popular culture

Tavern on the Green's notoriety as one of New York City's most prominent restaurants and as a gathering place of famous musicians, politicians, writers and other celebrities has resulted in it being refenced in several movies, plays and songs:

Broadway and films

Many Broadway shows have opening night festivities at the restaurant. The Tavern also makes its way into popular culture in several movie appearances, including "Ghostbusters", "Made", "Only When I Laugh", "Stella", "The Out-of-Towners" and "Wall Street" and in television shows such as "elimiDATE" and "Live with Regis and Kelly". [ [http://www.nyc24.org/2005/centralpark/play/tavern.html Central Park: Play: Tavern on the Green] ] [ [http://gonyc.about.com/od/photogalleries/ss/cp_movie_pics_7.htm Central Park Movie Locations] ] [ [http://movies2.nytimes.com/mem/movies/review.html?title1=STELLA%20(MOVIE)&title2=&reviewer=Janet%20Maslin&pdate=19900202&v_id= Bette Midler as a Selfless Mother in Tear-Inducing "Stella"] ]

Music

The restaurant is cited in at least three popular music songs. The Broadway musical "title of show" includes a line in the song "Part of it All": "Ducking out of the theatre before the show's finale to get to the opening night at Tavern on the Green!" The restaurant is mentioned by the hip-hop group Nice & Smooth in the song "Sometimes I Rhyme Slow," on their album "Ain't a Damn Thing Changed": "I go to Tavern on the Green and have a glass of wine..." It is also mentioned by rapper Black Rob in the song "24 Hours to Live" on Mase's album "Harlem World", in which he says that, if he had only 24 hours to live, he would: "Get them cats I wanted to get, since the Tavern on the Green robbery in '86."

Wedding receptions

Tavern on the Green has hosted the wedding receptions of several prominent Americans, including Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Olen Butler and film director Walter Hill.

Awards

"Where" magazine named Tavern on the Green the best restaurant on New York City's Upper West Side in 2006 and awarded it "best ambience" of any New York City restaurant four years earlier, in 2002. In 2003 and 2004, "Wine Spectator" named the restaurant's wine list its "Best Award of Excellence." [ [http://67.59.176.121/tg1003/newsite/awards.asp?headinfo=abouttavern&subhead=awards "Awards and Accomplishments" at Tavern on the Green Website.] ]

an Francisco location

In May 2008, the restaurant and the Westfield Group announced plans to open a second, 40,000 square foot location in the Metreon mall in downtown San Francisco, California, in the summer of 2009. [cite news|title=Tavern on the Green coming to the Metreon|author=James Temple|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle|May 6, 2008|accessdate=2008-05-06|http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/06/BU8F10HO0F.DTL]

References

External links

* [http://tavernonthegreen.com/ Tavern on the Green Official Website] .
* [http://67.59.176.121/tg1003/newsite/history.asp?headinfo=abouttavern&subhead=history Tavern on the Green history at Tavern on the Green Official Website] .
* [http://www.womensbiz.us/archives/cover0104.asp "Jennifer Oz Leroy: Restaurantrice in the Green,"] WomensBiz.us.