Horsesdaily News: Metropolitan National Horse Show Official Caterer, Tavern On The Green

Metropolitan National Horse Show Official Caterer, Tavern On The Green, Brings Hospitality And Ambiance To Pier 94 and The Show Piers On The Hudson

Tavern on the Grenn Entrance Photo Courtesy of Tavern on the Green New York, NY – October 7, 2004 – Tavern on the Green, the official caterer for The Metropolitan National Horse Show, scheduled for November 3-7, 2004, at Pier 94 and The Show Piers on the Hudson in New York City, will bring not only the renowned restaurant’s fare but also its “hospitality and ambiance,” according to Jennifer Oz LeRoy, CEO of LeRoy Adventures, which owns Tavern on the Green. Ms. LeRoy, 25, of New York City, is a competitive rider in the Adult Jumpers and also the new Chairman of the Board of the National Horse Show Association of America, Limited.

“Everybody at the horse show spends so much time, so much energy, and so much effort getting there. To make it to the National Horse Show is an accomplishment in itself,” said Ms. LeRoy. “We respect how hard the riders have worked all year and we want to make them as comfortable as possible, so great food is very important when they get to the horse show.”

Tavern on the Green in Central Park has been a Manhattan landmark for 70 years. Operated by the late Warner LeRoy for 27 years, his daughter Jennifer took over three-and-a-half years ago. The LeRoys are a longtime equestrian family as well as important members of the film and stage world. Jennifer’s great-grandfather, Jack Warner, was one of the four siblings who started Warner Bros. Studios in California 80 years ago. Her grandfather, Mervyn LeRoy, directed 77 films and produced 30, including "The Wizard of Oz,” (hence, Jennifer’s middle name). Her father, Warner LeRoy, was an integral part of the off-Broadway theater evolution, innovator of Manhattan’s trend-setting restaurant Maxwell’s Plum and the re-vamped Russian Tea Room, and developer of theme parks in five countries, including Six Flags Great Adventure Entertainment in New Jersey.

“I’ve been with Tavern my whole life,” explains Ms. LeRoy, who has worked in almost every capacity possible in the restaurant business.

The venerable Tavern on the Green will cater three eateries at The Metropolitan National Horse Show – the Diamond Horseshoe, The Metro Club, and the Tavern Café. The Diamond Horseshoe and The Metro Club are VIP areas, while the Tavern Café is open to all exhibitors and spectators.

Tavern on the Green will also cater two special events for The Metropolitan National Horse Show – The Friends of the National Party; and a Cocktail Party with a Fashion Presentation of the Pamela Dennis Couture Spring Collection, Silent Auction and Live Auction.

“The Diamond Horseshoe will be a very elaborate buffet style menu with prime rib to salmon,” explained Ms. LeRoy, who is intimately involved with all the menus at Tavern. The Diamond Horseshoe, which is the traditional name for the National Horse Show’s VIP area, will seat 162 people in two sections – the large section consists of 24 tables of six and the smaller section accommodates 28 people with seven high-top tables of four. The Diamond Horseshoe will present gourmet fare from Tavern on the Green continuously during daytime and evening horse show hours. Tables in the Diamond Horseshoe are available at $5,000 and may be reserved by contacting the National Horse Show Association of America, Limited.

The Metro Club is a full open bar available to people who have reserved tables in the Diamond Horseshoe or seats in the VIP seating area. Tavern on the Green will supply furniture and decorations for The Metro Club. “We are going to try and make it as comfortable as possible for people to relax and hang out before they ride,” explained Ms. LeRoy. While in The Metro Club, riders and VIPs can keep an eye on the competition via the flat screen TV focused on the ring. Tavern on the Green will cater hors d’oeuvres in The Metro Club on the weekend, November 6-7.

Tavern Café will be located in the boutique/vendor area of Pier 94 and The Show Piers on the Hudson. “We are most excited about the Tavern Café,” said Ms. LeRoy, noting that the menu will vary daily so that attendees who are at the show for all three meals during the week will have new items to choose from every day. “We’ll have a Salad Bar, but it won’t be out where you make your own – we’ll make it for you.” Diners will have the opportunity to create their own sandwiches from an extensive offering of favorites and unique condiments. Special items from Tavern on the Green will also be available. “Tavern has amazing French Fries that can be a meal in themselves with special dressings,” enthused Ms. LeRoy. “We’ll have a sushi bar and incorporate steak sandwiches – Tavern has such great steaks that we age ourselves. We’re famous for that.”

The Metropolitan National Horse Show special events catered by Tavern on the Green kick off on Tuesday, November 2 – the evening before competition starts – with The Friends of the National Party. Ms. LeRoy will host an elegant sit-down dinner at Tavern on the Green for the horse show’s officials, committee members, and sponsors who have contributed $1,000 or more to The Metropolitan National Horse Show. Ms. LeRoy expects from 50 to 75 people to attend.

On Saturday, November 6, Tavern on the Green will cater the Cocktail Party, Pamela Dennis Couture Fashion Presentation, Silent Auction, and Live Auction, scheduled to begin at 10 PM in The Metro Club following the evening’s horse show. The event is an invitation-only party and approximately 200 people are expected to attend.

For further information, contact the National Horse Show Association of America, Ltd., PO Box 386, Greenvale, NY 11548. E-mail: NationalHS@aol.com; Phone: (516) 484-1865; Fax: (516) 484-1982. Or on the web, visit: www.nhs.org