Tavern on the Green

For 75 years, the gilded dining room nestled inside Central Park was a New York hallmark, a scenic magnet for tourists, brides and megawatt diners (Grace Kelly, John Lennon) alike. When the razzle-dazzle cash cow went bankrupt and shuttered in 2010, big-name backers from Danny Meyer to Donald Trump expressed interest in reviving the historic space. Imagine the surprise, then, when a pair of Philadelphia crepe-makers won the bid: Jim Caiola and David Salama, who revamp the landmark as an urban farmhouse decorated with wood-beam ceilings, leather-covered tables and multiple hearths. Mesa Grill alum Katy Sparks does a 180 from the original's Eisenhower-era plates for modern, fire-driven fare: wood-roasted Japanese eggplant with pomegranate and sheep's-milk yogurt, braised farro pasta with blistered sweet peppers, and lamb shank with creamed chards and mint gremolata. The 11,000-square-foot space—nearly half the size of the old Tavern—is enclosed in a glass cube overlooking the park, with a 300-seat couryard and outdoor bar.