Tavern on the Green, Take Three They didn't kick the tires - Tavern on the Green doesn't have any, never did - but more than 100 representatives of potential bidders for the once-glamorous restaurant in Central Park examined the now pared-down premises during an hourlong, city-run tour on Wednesday. They saw a dining space less than half the size of the twinkling catering hall that stood there three years ago, trimmed to its landmarked core and ready for the city's plans for a more casual, moderately priced restaurant and bar with an innovative menu. But even with its ambitions toned down, the city attracted visitors like Mario Carbone and his business partner Jeff Zalaznick of Torrisi Italian Specialties and Parm, tiny, low-key but widely admired Italian restaurants on Mulberry Street. "We're excited to see the facility," Mr. Carbone said, declining to say any more. "We're taking it all in," Mr. Zalaznick said. The question is how casual they'll let the restaurant be. It used to be a pretty formal place. Dave Arnold, of the French Culinary Institute and Booker & Dax bar at Momofuku Ssam Bar, said he was there to check out Tavern "for a potential project," which he wouldn't elaborate on. Others on the tour included the restaurateurs Drew Nieporent; Bill Telepan; Penny and Peter Glazier and their son Mathew; Bryan McGuire, general manager of the "21" Club; August J. Ceradini Jr., the former owner of World Yacht Cruises; a lawyer for Il Cantinori; managers of the City Winery and the Great Performances catering company, and a representative from LDV Hospitality of Scarpetta restaurant. The unexpectedly large group of restaurateurs, architects and assorted advisers hardly resembled a garden-variety clump of tourists trekking to the Central Park Visitors Center at Tavern on the Green - which is the current name of the scaled-down building where the restaurant used to be. But like tourists, they were generous with their questions. "So you're knocking this all down?" asked Mr. Nieporent, standing near the now-abandoned Terrace Room in the space that once held one of the highest-grossing independently owned restaurants in the United States. "Yes, this will be gone at the wall," answered his tour guide, Anthony Macari, a parks department architect. "But the memories aren't gone," said Mr. Nieporent, who was once the restaurant manager at Tavern. And he promptly recalled the night when the actor Paul Newman held forth in the room, at a party for the film "Absence of Malice." The parks department is hoping that Wednesday's walk-through will prompt a round of proposals from operators who could work out an arrangement with the union representing Tavern's former workers, an obstacle that defied previous efforts at revival. The group trooped through the rotting, trash-strewn structure, whose glitzy treasures have been sold at auction. They scrutinized a stripped-down version of Tavern, which is undergoing a $10 million renovation that will restore it to its origins as a sheepfold, absent the swagger of Warner LeRoy's twinkly-tree catering hall. The former 25,000-square-foot banquet-and-celebration destination has downsized to a 10,320-square-foot indoor space for dining, and a seasonal outdoor terrace of nearly 12,000 square feet. The legendary but boxy 1976 Crystal Room was torn down by the city in 2010, banishing the 350 seats that helped bring in an estimated $6 million - and 600,000 customers - yearly. It was replaced by a plein-air terrace featuring 80 tables and 130 chairs. When Tavern is to reopen in 2013, the city hopes it will become what the department's formal proposal termed "a moderately priced restaurant," with "a bar space for park visitors to meet and gather for a drink and small plates," as well as a cafe with "both indoor and outdoor seating" that also offers takeout food. "We want it to be a casual dining hall, not a catering hall," Betsy Smith, an assistant parks commissioner, told the visitors, arrayed under the sun of an incongruously balmy 50-degree day. She added that the winning operator would not be permitted to erect an events tent in the terrace or restore Mr. LeRoy's glammy lights because "we want to celebrate nature, and the park. We don't want it to be as glitzy as before. Some visitors seemed to respond positively to the tour. "I like the idea that the restaurant should be a part of the park," Mr. Telepan said. "Given the iconic history here, we have a high level of interest," said Dan Smith, the president of Legends Hospitality, which operates the Legends Club at Yankee Stadium and provides private-suite catering at Cowboy Stadium in Dallas. "I think the city's idea here is well-conceived," said the senior Mr. Glazier, whose company owns Michael Jordan's steakhouse in Grand Central terminal. They're stepping up to recreate an original city landmark. But other visitors had serious questions. "There are some issues," said Larry H. Schatz, who represents the owners of Il Cantinori. No catering, the smaller size and the union issue. The city's proposal does not specify that restaurant workers be unionized, but it underscores that preference will be given to bidders that "can show experience with harmonious labor relations or a lack of negative labor issues." As a concession to neighbors, the new Tavern can operate only when Central Park is open: from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily. And amplified music "must end by no later than 10 p.m.," according to the parks department. Bidders will also have to suggest how much they are prepared to pay for the Tavern license, both as a guaranteed annual minimum, and as a percentage of gross receipts. Under the terms of Mr. LeRoy's agreement, Tavern paid only 3.5 percent of its gross receipts to the city. More recent licenses have required restaurant operators to pay more than 10 percent to run parks department properties like the Boathouse, which pays 16.5 percent. Operators will be required to submit not only restaurant design drawings and suggestions for terrace gardens, landscaping improvements and maintenance, but also "menus that demonstrate innovation," according to the proposal. And each will have to deposit a certified check for $25,000 (refundable to all but the winning bidder). Wednesday's Tavern tourists have two months to make their move: the deadline for filing is March 30. Ms. Smith said the city is likely to decide on a winner by the end of April. The turnout, she added, was gratifying. "It's rare in New York City to get this much space for a new restaurant," she said. And a free-standing restaurant? That's really unusual.