"TavernOnTheGreen" news and stories

• This Nordic chef is a passionate locavore -- and in northern Scandinavia, that says a lot. (Think weeds. A lot of them.)
• Do want your sommelier to taste your wine for you? Not everyone does.
• Tavern on the Green closed last New Year's Eve. But maybe it was only taking a break?
• Is Kenmare a restaurant or a nightclub? Discuss.
• Here's a happy problem: leftover grilled meat. Let the fun begin.

Photo: Nate Steiner, Flickr.

• With massive amounts of salt and a strong coffee habit, do Mayor Bloomberg's eating habits betray his city policies?
• Fadi Jaber, his switch to baking and culinary management, and bringing trendy American cupcakes to the Middle East.
• The Minimalist makes a soba noodle salad.
• China is threatening to stop importing U.S. chickens -- but can they live without the chicken feet?
• Recipe Wikis have a lot of back-and-forth and battles over what's best, but will it all result in better recipes?
  
• The "geeky" and "unusual" French Jura wines rise in popularity as their food versatility finds a niche audience.
• Wedding receptions don't just serve up bars full of booze -- signature drinks are all the rage.
• Make a good dish and they'll want it forever -- the aggravation of having to stick to a menu.
• A Good Appetite mixes up ingredients on-hand to make Coconut Pilaf with Chicken.
• Has Le Fooding's rapid growth caused its classic gathering to stray from its ideals?
• The new management at Tavern on the Green may be staring down one nasty labor fight after insulting workers with their recent work proposal.
• British TV chef Keith Floyd passes away at the age of 65.
• South Korea's first lady Kim Yoon-ok's culinary diplomacy helps bring Korean food to the world stage.
• Restaurants: Hotel Griffou's celeb-alluring ways and rude service; the Schnitzel & Things truck has mastered the art of deep-frying.
• Food Stuff finds sophisticated vegan food, ficoïde glaciale's citrusy tang and bacon peanut brittle.
• New York's openings and closings and dining calendar.
  

New York's Tavern on the Green. Photo: Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images

New York's historic Tavern on the Green has filed for bankruptcy just days after New York City awarded a new restaurateur the license to operate the Central Park eatery.

Jennifer Oz LeRoy, the chief executive of the restaurant, said the Chapter 11 filing is "our only alternative given the current situation." On Aug. 28, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation awarded Dean Poll a 20-year operating license for the space on the west side of Central Park. The LeRoy family has run the restaurant since the 1970s.

But will Tavern on the Green remain open in the interim?

New York's Tavern on the Green. Photo: Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images

New York's historic Tavern on the Green may get a name change now that a new restaurateur will be running the space.

Dean Poll, who on Friday won a 20-year lease for the historic Central Park restaurant, says he may change the name of the iconic restaurant rather than lease the name from the previous restaurateur, Jennifer Oz LeRoy. Poll has said that while the name "has history," a new one would be "fresh," according to the Associated Press.

Shelley Clark, a spokeswoman for the LeRoy family, told Slashfood on Monday that "anything in this world is possible" in regards to the leasing of the name and that "the family is committed to the brand and determined it will have a future."

The twinkling lights of New York's famed Tavern on the Green could dim this year should the city choose not to award a new lease to the family that operates the Central Park landmark.

The New York City Parks Department on Monday requested proposals for the renovation of the 25,000-square-foot restaurant west of the park's Sheep Meadow near 67th Street.

The restaurant has lured celebrities and tourists alike to its six fabled dining rooms -- including the glassed-in Crystal Room -- since 1976, after restaurateur Warner LeRoy reopened the Tavern following a $10 million renovation. The restaurant grossed more than $36 million alone in 2008, paying the city about $1.2 million for the space.

But it appears the city would now like a "significant renovation" of the restaurant giving it more of a connection to the park itself.