I made the huge mistake of attending the New Year's party in Tavern On The Green thinking it may have a certain charm. I had a VIP ticket so was amongst the first 100 in line. For a party that was supposed to start at 9:00 PM the doors did not open until almost 10:00. People in line were close to riot, yelling at the handlers who offered no explanation as to the wait. I eventually got to my table at 10:15pm. There were still 1400 people outside.

Amongst other reasons the event stunk (and this is at close to $400 a ticket:

(1) No line control - people jumped line as they pleased. The organizers and bouncers just ignored them and the yelling crowds.

(2) Supposed to be set seating for VIP TICKETS - not.

(3) The food was awful - Staten Island Wedding Hall standard.

(4) Mile long waits for the bathroom - no additional facilities to handle the crowd of 1500 (and this is coming from a guy).

(5) No directional signs through the maze of tents. This place was a complete fire hazard.

(6) Claimed you could see the midnight fireworks? Maybe if you climbed up on the roof.

(7) Lastly, but not the least the staff were at best ignorant but most likely as they appeared, rude and un-helpful.

Avoid this spot like the plague.

What a disappointment! I just couldn't believe that the famed Tavern would let me down, but boy, did it. I was excited as we approached and saw the beauty and, yes, splendor of this magnificent place. All decked out for Christmas, it was unbelievable! For this alone you should go and have a drink in the upstairs bar (where there are some interesting cocktail choices) and at least an appetizer in the restaurant.

Forgo the big lunch or dinner! The food is mediocre at best and rather unimaginative comparatively speaking. My friends were smart and opted for apps and water. I was hungry and went for the prix-fixe lunch. The lobster bisque was good but then, when is anything with heavy whipping cream not tasty? My main course was, in a word, horrible. I had the cedar planked salmon, and not only would I not recommend it, but I have considered never having salmon again. The biggest disappointment by far, though, had to be dessert. I was salivating at the thought of classic creme brulee. Boy, was I disappointed when I was presented with cold custard in a dish. The top was not even brown and certainly didn't have that distinctive crack as the spoon hit the top.

What could have made matters worse? How about lousy, make that LOUSY, service. Our waiter was pompous, arrogant, and rude. He acted as though we had requested services from a professional when we asked that he take our photo. Then the bill came and it was wrong. He was offended that we questioned the bill (though he did correct it).

Go for the decor--it's as glorious as a redneck gone to Hollywood. But save some money and heartache and grab a bite at a local deli or from a street vendor. You'll be glad you did.

I was expecting our brunch at Tavern on the Green to be a cheesy tourist experience where they charge you $21 for scrambled eggs just to say you’ve eaten there. I will admit when I’m wrong (which isn’t often)--there’s nothing cheesy about the Tavern, and the food was so good we termed it our "clean our plates" experience. (You know, where you are sure you can’t eat one more thing, but it’s so good, you just keep going, knowing you’ll be sorry later?)

Just like the rest of NYC, the Tavern was decked out in its Christmas finest, with a beautiful Christmas tree in the main dining room and poinsettias throughout as well. Even without the reds, greens, and golds, the colored glass light fixtures and artwork, combined with the elaborate ceilings and wall murals, would be enough to hold your eyes over until you could set them upon the glory of your food.

And the food! Yup, it was pricey. The total bill for two people, with coffee ($5) one side ($8) and dessert ($12 each) came to a whopping $100. But my travel buddy ate up every bit of her horseradish-encrusted salmon ($29--for breakfast? But whatever), and I have got to say that I have never, ever, even at the IHOP, had scrambled eggs this good ($21). I don’t know what kind of crack they laced them with (I think it was a buttery sauce), but they were just right, not too salty, not too bland. The apple-smoked bacon was very flavorful, and as a staunch supporter of home fries, I enjoyed my side of these potatoes fried with onions, very tasty ($8)! I don’t know how many eggs gave their life for my pleasurable pile, but it had to have been at least three of them, and as my mother would say, I ate so many, I’m going to turn into an egg!

Who knew that you could have dessert options for brunch? If the dessert is going to be the lovely chocolate pecan tart that I sunk my fork into, I’m going to campaign for this to be included in breakfasts everywhere!

Worldly though I consider myself to be, I’d never had the encounter of two tip lines on my check, one for my waiter and one for the "captain" who sat us and took our drink orders. I tipped the waiter more, because he did all the work, but who knows if I did the "cultured" thing?

There were photographers milling around to do the touristy souvenir photos, and there was even a guest appearance from the bearded guy in the red suit!

The money was well spent, and it didn’t look like anyone in the place was suffering too badly. Make reservations in advance (or you’ll never get in) on their website (tavernonthegreen.com) up to 45 days in advance, and I’d suggest doing it on that 45th day out.

What an incredible restaurant! It is located right in the middle of Central Park. The atmosphere is beautiful, the food incredible. The restaurant is very pricey so bring your Ziploc bag.

The food was wonderful! Although a little expensive, it was well worth it. We dined in the Crystal Room the ambience is what keeps people talking about this place long after they have returned home!!!