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Tavern On The Green Restaurant Review Back to Restaurant Reviews

By LifeAdviceSite.com

When my dad and I took an overnight trip to New York City to see some of the

sites, it was up to me to plan the itinerary. First, I booked our stay around the corner from Times Square so we'd be close to the activity. (We were.) Then, I set about researching local dining establishments to figure out the best places to sample the widely varying, wonderfully famous New York dining scene.

When faced with the decision of where to plan our main meal while we were in the city, honestly, I was a little bit at a loss. I'm not familiar with the city. Aside from the Sbarro's and the Hershey's store in the middle of Times Square, every restaurant was new, unfamiliar territory to me. I had no direction whatsoever as to the local hot-spots or the best must-try places. In the beginning, we kept things simple. The first thing we did as soon as we arrived in the city was stop at a street vendor for a hot dog. It wasn't any special hot dog, I just had to have a hot dog off the street; it seemed so New York to me...

After researching and exhaustive contemplation, we finally decided we had to try the world-famous Tavern On The Green. We made a reservation, and then set about exploring the city.

When the time came and we drove over to Central Park, we were delighted and amazed to find an open parking space right on the edge of the park. We scooted our car in and then sat there in amazement, checking to make sure we weren't parked illegally. After seeing cars literally stacked on top of each other in every single parking lot and parking garage, and hearing all the nightmare stories about parking tickets, double-parking, and impound lots, we were in awe that we had so easily found a space. Abandoning the car, we headed across the park to find the restaurant.

When we entered, we were in awe of the opulent surroundings. We could see why it had gained a reputation the world over. It's the perfect place for a wedding, shower, or romantic date. It's also the perfect place for a formal lunch with your dad.

It was a little chilly outside that day, so we were happy to get in and to be shown to our seats. A waiter arrived right away to bring us water. We felt a little under-dressed when we realized all of the waiters were decked out in formal wear, but we shrugged it off and took in our surroundings.

The entire menu looked delicious, but I finally settled on a cobb salad. For some reason, I'd never had a cobb salad and I really wanted to try it out. Dad ordered a smoked turkey club. Another waiter arrived moments later to offer us some bread. In our neck of the woods, we're used to the restaurant bringing a basket of bread and plunking it down on the table, but this was something special. The waiter carried a silver tray lined with linens. On the white linen

was a wide selection of several different types of bread. In his hand he held a pair of silver tongs with which to serve the bread. He started with my dad first. Oh, Dear Dad....

Let me just say that my dad is not really a clod or a hick, he has very good manners, but occasionally he focuses on them a little less than he should, perhaps. The waiter motioned toward the tray of bread and asked if he would care for any. With his silver tongs poised for action, he waited while Dad surveyed the choice before him. Making his final decision, my dad reached out with his hand, snatched the bread he wanted, and dropped it onto his plate.

Ever the consummate professional, the poor waiter then turned to me, with his silver tongs still frozen in his hand, no doubt awaiting to see if I was going to follow suit. I wisely indicated by choice verbally, let him serve me, waited until he was out of earshot, and then lovingly scolded my dad for his faux-pas.

Perhaps it was because it was the first time I had a cobb salad, or perhaps it was because we were on vacation, surrounded by such luxury in a New York City landmark, but that cobb salad was still the best one I have ever had in my life. My dad will say his turkey club was the best he's ever eaten, but he generally says that about every meal... He promises if we go back, he'll make sure to keep his hands off the bread until it's on his plate.

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