Shake Shack it ain’t.
The grand vision of a new casual, affordable Tavern on the Green is about as realistic as a fat-free cheesecake.
Judging from the prices on a new sample menu, diners will still need a fat wallet to match their hefty appetites when the restaurant reopens next summer. Unless you consider a $9 seasonal greens plate a steal.
While new menu items are generally less expensive than the old restaurant’s offerings, some favorites, such as shrimp cocktail ($18), will go for the same price.
“I think they could still go a little lower to be casual dining,” said Clem Phillips, 48, a broadcast engineer from Scarsdale. “They’d attract even more customers, people who just want to stop in and grab a salad.”
The popular upscale Central Park eatery closed in 2009 but will reopen next year under the direction of Philadelphia-based Emerald Green Group with Mesa Grill and Bolo veteran Katy Sparks as executive chef.