Austins in the Big Apple5/10- It's Complete!! About This Page:

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After exiting the Zoo, we headed back from whence we came and stopped back by the Dairy- which we had seen earlier. We also came across a lovely building that turned out to be the gift shop for the park, run by the Central Park Conservancy.

It was quite busy but really had many nice things for sale, including a pretty impressive selection of Strawberry Fields themed merchandise- I considered a tee but they looked on the tiny side so I decided against it. In the middle of the store, there was a lovely display diorama of the whole park and many people, Kevan included looked at it for some time.

Even though the Gates display had been taken down from Central Park a few weeks ago- there was a lot of souvenir merchandise still being sold. After looking around quite awhile, we found a really cute coffee mug for Kevan’s mom and it was $10- which I think is the going rate for a coffee mug at Disney? We bought the mug and headed out of the shop to see if we might be able to get into Tavern on the Green a bit early before our 12:30 reservation time.

It was quite a walk but we enjoyed it and found ourselves upon the Sheep Meadow section of the park- it was actually open for people to sit, walk and play on. I couldn’t have imagined a better area- HUGE wide open green spaces with the Manhattan skyline surrounding. Several groups of school kids were playing way off in the distance. New Yorkers have a tremendous natural gift in Central Park- it was everything we pictured and then some.



Kevan found a spot and we just sat there soaking in the sun for about a half an hour- also just taking in all the views. The weather was perfect for doing this!



Hunger was setting in so we decided to make our way to Tavern on the Green - which was slightly visible from our vantage point in Sheep Meadow. When we got there, it was surreal after seeing it for many years in photographs and television. It’s a beautiful place, inside and out.



When we opened the door to walk in, there was a line extending right to the door frame and we figured out that they technically weren’t open yet- it was shortly before 11:30. Kevan suggested sticking it out even though he would have to wait in this line not sure if they could accommodate us with an early seating. Me being the photo hound- I asked the host if I could wander and take a few pictures on the terrace and in the corridors to which he replied an accent thick “Sure.”

The corridors leading to the dining rooms are almost covered in exquisite stained glass- it’s positively stunning.



Out on the terrace are tables and a small bar if you choose to wait out there. Several topiaries are also bordering the terrace- this elephant was very cute although the gorilla seemed an odd choice and I would come to notice that more when we were seated.

I caught a glimpse of the Crystal Room, which overlooked the terrace and been hoping for weeks that this is the room they would seat us in.

After taking a few gazillion photos, I found Kevan who was on his way to get me- no problem in getting us in early. We handed a seating card to a host at the end of one of the corridors- low and behold, he showed us to a table in the Crystal Room!

I can only imagine how exquisite this area must be for a wedding or even at Christmas- it’s truly breathtaking and probably one of the most spectacular dining rooms I have ever been it. All the potted plants and flowers (which were everywhere and in gorgeous spring colors) were real. The ceilings had intricate moldings and the chandeliers were beautiful.



Our Captain- Francias came immediately to take our drink orders while we looked over the menu. The price fixe lunch at $34 per person immediately caught my eye- for that you got an appetizer, main course and dessert- which I thought was extremely reasonable. Kevan agreed that might be the way to go so we both went for it. He chose the Caesar salad, Roast Pork Loin with Barbecue Glaze served with black beans and sweet corn salad with Jalepeno corn bread. I went for the Herb Roasted Chicken with Fresh Green Beans and Creamed Potatoes. When we ordered, we were asked for our dessert selections- which sort of took me by surprise having to pick them out before the meal was even served- but at any rate, we picked the cheesecake (of course!) and lemon torte.

In true Disney style, a photographer showed up and started a spiel- no obligation to buy, so why not? The picture turned out to be pretty good and we ended up buying it- it came in a really nice book like folder for $20.

Our salads came first and were excellent- Kevan thought the Caesar was some of the best he had ever had and mine was just as good. There was a bit more of a wait for the main courses- but were they ever worth it!

Everything was superb and I immediately ranked the quality up there with the California Grill- definitely one of the best experiences I have ever had. Remarkably, I finished about ¾ of the main entrée- and Kevan managed about the same. I finally pushed the plate away as dessert was still coming.

As we were waiting on dessert I got a glimpse of that gorilla topiary- clearly visible from our table and boy, it was weird- it was like he was standing there trying to convince someone to let him in: ??



Dessert was served promptly after the main course- and let me say four words- melt in your mouth. I preferred the lemon torte over the cheesecake and actually, Kevan did too.

The total for the meal with tips for the Captain and the server assistant came to $108.81- and we felt a fair price, given the quality of the experience and food. It sounds kind of hoky to say a meal was a dream come true but given the heritage of Tavern on the Green- getting to eat here was exactly that- and it ranks probably in my top 3 favorite things about our trip.

On the way out- I stepped out onto the terrace to get a few photos- this one being one of my favorites:



Coming Up Next: How many movies do we have to watch???