Tavern On The Green Is Releasing Its First Ever Cookbook — Recreate Decades Of Iconic Dishes Right At Home

If you’ve ever sat under Tavern on the Green’s twinkling lights and thought *I wish I could eat like this every night*, your kitchen is about to get a serious upgrade. The legendary Central Park restaurant is releasing its very first cookbook this April, bringing decades of signature dishes straight to home cooks. Curated by executive chef Bill Peet, the book bottles up nearly a century of NYC dining history and serves it with step-by-step recipes, glossy photos, and behind-the-scenes stories from one of the city’s most famous kitchens. The cookbook is organized by season –a nod to how the restaurant cooks year-round–so you can lean into spring vegetables, summer seafood, cozy fall flavors, and winter comfort food exactly when they’re at their best. It’s less about intimidating restaurant perfection and more about translating Tavern’s polished plates into recipes that actually make sense in a real apartment kitchen. And yes, the classics are in there. Peet, who’s spent more than four decades refining his dishes, includes longtime favorites that regulars will instantly recognize. His crab cake recipe, which he’s been perfecting for decades, blends crab and sea scallops for a richer twist on the usual. There’s also a vibrant chopped vegetable salad packed with a rainbow of finely cut produce that just happens to be both vegan and gluten-free–a reflection of how modern NYC dining has evolved. Accessibility is a big theme throughout the book. While Peet’s background is rooted in classical French technique, the recipes are designed to be approachable, even if your culinary resumé ends at scrambled eggs. The instructions are written for home cooks, not line cooks, which means fewer mystery steps and more confidence-building guidance. Presentation still matters, though. Tavern on the Green has always been as much about the visual experience as the flavors, and that philosophy carries into the cookbook. The pages are filled with richly photographed dishes that capture the restaurant’s polished style, encouraging home chefs to plate with intention–and to remember that hot food should actually be served hot. More than just a recipe collection, the cookbook doubles as a love letter to one of New York’s most recognizable dining rooms. From elegant entrées to playful desserts (including a confetti cake perfect for celebrations), it invites readers to recreate a little piece of Central Park magic without ever leaving their apartment. For longtime fans, it’s a nostalgic keepsake. For aspiring home chefs, it’s a chance to cook like a NYC institution. And for everyone else, it’s a perfectly valid excuse to host a dinner party and pretend your living room overlooks Sheep Meadow. Tavern on the Green’s first cookbook hits shelves April 7 –just in time to make spring dinner plans significantly more ambitious. It retails for $39.95. Source: https://secretnyc.co/tavern-on-the-green-cookbook/