#151 Dine At Tavern On The Green

I remember walking by Tavern on the Green in Central Park a few years ago. It was haunting to see it barren. Gone. This landmark of Central Park had become a ghost. How could it have slipped away? So many people had walked under the long red awning into it's big wooden doors, myself included. It is the most beautiful restaurant I have ever visited, and definitely one of the fanciest meals I have ever experienced.

However, much to my happiness and complete surprise (sometimes I live under a rock), Tavern On The Green has re-opened. It re-opened like three years ago. Well ok! I did not know that.

My visit to Tavern occurred in the autumn of 2006. Three of my co-workers and I talked about taking a bus into the city. I hadn't been there in a few years so I was yearning for the big apple. With the help of the restaurant manager Diane, we were able to arrange a Wednesday where all four of us could have off that day. It was set. We were going to the city!! I was too excited.

Upon booking the tickets, one of my friends, Carolyn, mentioned having brunch at Tavern on the Green. I winced a little at the thought. There was no way I could afford such a fancy restaurant. She laughed at me. She said there was no way she could afford it either if it were ala carte, but they were having a Thanksgiving brunch in November that was actually affordable. For $65.00 we could have a full meal complete with dessert. We just had to be happy with turkey.

I thought about it for a moment. I could swing $65 for a chance to eat at this historic landmark. It would be a dream come true for me. The restaurant where I worked was really busy. I was making really good money the past few months. Why not? I really did need to get out of the house and live a little as a newly single woman.

I gave her the green light to count me in. I was even more excited now! I could not wait for the day. Our seating was early so as soon as we exited the bus in midtown, we headed towards Central Park. My smile was so big as we approached the red awning. I was going to walk under the awning and into the big wooden doors which were being held open for us by the handsome doorman.

I remember gasping at the beautiful holiday decor all around me as I walked through those doors. I think I got whiplash from trying to soak in all the ornate and intrinsic detail of the wreathes, garlands, stained glass, chandeliers and trees surrounding my every turn. Stunning, elaborate, colorful... all these adjectives kept popping into my head. I was taking pictures left and right.

I was such a tourist but, for the first time that day, I forgot about the heartbreak I was still feeling. I knew the first round of holidays after the split were going to be tough but they were almost unbearable. $65 was a small price to pay for some distraction and genuine happiness. Besides, we were all tourists in there. Everyone was snapping pics and posing for the camera.

The gals and I were escorted to our table in the Chestnut Room. There was a huge Christmas tree by the window directly across from our table. As I was admiring it's festive ornamentation, our hostess laid the pre fix menu on our plates. I began studying it. I knew turkey was the main course but I did have a choice of appetizer and dessert.  After going back and forth between an exotic salad, another option which I cannot recall and French Onion soup, I decide to order French Onion Soup for my appetizer. It was a bit brisk outside. A perfect day for soup.

A buser arrived with a basket of unbelievably delicious warm rolls and brie. How exciting! I love the taste of creamy brie. It's delicate but has a little punch of nuttiness. It is fantastic with sliced roast beef sandwiches. Our server welcomes us to Tavern then asks if we would like to order a drink from the daily drink list. I had spotted a pear martini on the menu. It was a little pricey but I love pears. I decided to go for it. I knew I wasn't going to buy anything else really, maybe some Godiva chocolate and a few things from Sephora but that was it. I rarely buy anything in midtown and that is where the gals wanted to hang.

Anyways, I decide I am having a pear martini and a glass of water. The server tells me I made an excellent choice. I smile. She wasn't lying. My martini was so sweet and heavenly on my tongue. There was real pear nectar in it! Most places back home rarely offer pear anything and when they do, it is just pear flavored alcohol. This martini was also twice as large as the ones back home. I payed double the price but it was premium and smooth and.... it had pear nectar. I take my little green reindeer stirrer and swirl it around my martini glass. I will savor this moment. 

The gals and I start chatting about life, work, kids and the approaching holidays. The steamy scent of French Onion stops me mid sentence. I look to my left. Our server was back with our soups. We all ordered the French Onion. I could not wait to dip my spoon into the gooey, golden brown cheese, layered over the crock of soup. After allowing it to cool for a few minutes, I dove in.

A puddle of onions and broth formed where my spoon caved into the cheese. I slowly slurped the cheese and soup from my spoon. Oh wow! I could taste the sherry in the soup. It added depth to the soup, enhancing the flavor of the onions without overwhelming the broth. It was perfect.

The cheese topping covering the soup was not your typical Swiss, which is still very good. This cheese was called Gruyere cheese. It was my first time trying this cheese in which I had no idea how to even pronounce. I fell in love with it immediately. Gruyere is creamy and flavorful but not at all pungent. It matched perfectly with the sherry flavor of the soup. My taste buds were doing a happy dance with each spoonful.

The very nice and attentive buser removes our dishes as we finish our first course. Turkey is next on deck. I have to admit, I am not a huge turkey fan. I like it, but it is not something I really ever crave except for the few sandwiches after Thanksgiving. So while I was sure it would be good, I wasn't expecting to be blown away by it. Wrong Chrissy!! Wrong again!

This gorgeous dinner plate of turkey and trimmings made me want to sing a song about turkey. I sometimes sing about my food. It makes me happy. LOL! Looking back, this turkey had to have been brined. I mean wow! For this turkey to taste so juicy and full of flavor was mind blowing. At the time I had no clue how it was prepared. It wasn't until 4 years later when I brined my first turkey that I had tasted a flavor which took me right back to Tavern on the Green. I have no idea for real if they brined their turkey but my brined turkey tasted just like Tavern's. Mine wasn't sliced as pretty since I butcher my turkeys but it tasted just as juicy and flavorful as theirs. I have been bringing my turkeys ever since.


It was also due to Tavern's fantastic meal that I rediscovered my love for cranberry sauce, but in a different way. This cranberry sauce was made with real cranberries. I was used to the gelled cranberry that plopped out of the can in the exact shape of ....the can. Oh no. That won't due anymore. Now I used the canned cranberry sauce with whole cranberries. LOL! I know how to make cranberry sauce from scratch, and it is fabulous, but since I am the only one in the house that eats it, I won't spend the money to make it just for me to eat for two days.

Not going to lie though, I was apprehensive about trying the sauce because real cranberries are very, very tart but for what I paid for this meal, I was eating every single last bit. Again, the heavens opened and my tastebuds rejoiced. My meal also had a delicious cranberry stuffing, green beans with pearl onions and sweet potatoes with pecans and apples. Another first for my tastebuds was the sweet potatoes with pecans. I always ate my sweet potatoes with marshmallows but the pecans were surprisingly perfect with the sweet potatoes.

They were nutty & buttery. The touch of brown sugar added complimentary sweetness to the natural sweetness of the potato. Inspired, I began making a killer sweet potato casserole with a brown sugar pecan topping for Thanksgiving. I am the only one who eats it though, so I haven't made it the past few years because that is definitely not cheap to make.

Moving on to my Creme Brulee dessert. When our server brought our desserts to the table, I noticed my creme brulee was a perfect golden brown with a slightly darker brown in the center of the dish. I cracked the sugary top. It was the perfect crack! That matters believe it or not. If it is not torched enough, the sugary topping affects the texture of the creme, if it is torched too long, it burns and not only tastes bitter but does not crack as easily and also affects the creme, either by it flying all over because you have to hit it too hard or because sharp burnt bits mix with the creme.

I spoon a little of my creme brulee and bring it to my lips. Whoa!! They used real vanilla beans in the creme brulee. The cream used to make this dessert had to be top quality. It tasted so pure. Do I sound like a nut yet? Good. I hope so. I am no Gordon Ramsey or Ina Garten but I do have a very extensive knowledge of food. I certainly took my time with this dish of heaven, savoring every bite of the creme brulee. I was seriously trying to be dainty throughout this entire meal which is not at all natural for me. I am the bull in the china shop. I am Godzilla running through the village. I am so not dainty. But...I did okay. I was pretty classy. I didn't swear or lick the bowls or drop anything.

Go me!! I must say, this was one of the best meals I have ever had. I was sad when it was over. Not one thing tasted bad. I tried some new food items and combos and actually enjoyed them. Even the pearl onions were good and I am not at all a fan of their texture. I find them slimy and weird. Everything was just that delicious and well prepared. +

Tavern On The Green has a special kind of magic to it. I don't know how else to describe it. The rooms and decor were stunning, quirky and in some instances, toed the line of gaudiness, but in the most spectacular and tasteful way. The service was top notch. For how busy this place was, we did not wait very long for our courses. Everyone who interacted with us throughout our experience was super nice. They made us feel like VIPs for real. And it felt genuine, not forced. I had no problem tipping more than the added gratuity. It can't be easy serving and hosting in a place so prominent and busy. My hats off to them. I hope they did well because rent is not cheap in the Big Apple.

In closing, after having such a wonderful meal at such a beautiful restaurant, I did become a little diva of sorts. I do go to a few nice places every year and I will spend $$$ for those meals. I stopped feeling guilty about it. Food is a passion of mine and I need to feed that passion once in awhile. And while I find that little "hole in the wall" places have the best food on the planet and will always be my preference, once in awhile I want to feel a little fancy and go all out. Sometimes Godzilla wants to wear her tiara. It happens.

The little green reindeer stirrer that accompanied my pear martini now sits in my box of treasures with many of my other cherished souvenirs. When I hold it, I can recall perfectly, the taste of that memorable martini. I may have to visit Tavern again.....even if it's just to stop by for a pear martini in the springtime. I know I will savor every sip.  Ciao! Miei dolci

 

 As Julia Childs once said...."People who love to eat are always the best people."
Tavern On The Green's Website
 

Chrissy