There’s a lot of tennis at the Open, and a lot of food to go with it. We help you find the right meal for the right moment.
At the U.S. Open, the food venues are so plentiful that selecting your next meal, snack, or drink can be as stressful as deciding which match to watch. Based on a tasting of this year’s offerings prepared by executive chef Michael Lockard of Levy Restaurants, which has had the prized Open food-service contract since 2006, here are our recommendations arranged according to common cravings:
“Sports-venue food is so heavy. Can I eat light?” Try the individual pizzetta salad, available at the Pizza Pasta concession. Set atop a baked parmesan-and-herb dough that provides just enough carbs to satisfy your hunger, the salad is a generous mound of arugula, shaved fennel, and red onion, tossed with citrus vinaigrette and topped with thinly sliced, cold poached shrimp.
“This is my first visit to New York; what do the locals eat?” There’s no more iconic New York indulgence than a corned beef sandwich on rye from the Carnegie Deli. To ensure that standards are met at the Carnegie concession here, a representative from the restaurant is on hand to confirm that all meat is sliced and served according to tradition.
“I’m not leaving Ashe Stadium until this marathon match is over.” Between sets, sneak out to one of the two Stadium Fanfare concessions on the Promenade level that offer the grilled Italian sausage hero with peppers and onions. This is a block-party classic right down to the presence of fennel seed in the sausage, and the perfect complement to a cold beer.
“These crowds are making me claustrophobic.” The Havana-themed restaurant Mojitos is located to the east of Ashe Stadium. Quesadillas are dressed with fruit relishes and drizzles of cream that elevate them above bar fare, and the ancho tuna salad is a flavor-packed main course composed of seared tuna, mesclun greens, and mango.
“The Food Village lines are too long.” There are alternatives: On the east side of Court 7 you’ll find the South Plaza Cafe, which offers salads and sandwiches. There’s also a free-standing sushi bar on the southwest edge of the Food Village seating area that offers freshly prepared shrimp, crab, and tuna rolls, among other favorites.
“I’m starving, but I don’t want to miss too much action in Armstrong.” Many Grandstand and Armstrong spectators assume that grabbing some grub means leaving and heading out to the Food Village. But there’s a food court between the arenas.
“My date likes food more than tennis. Where can I impress him/her?” Tony Mantuano, chef and partner at Spiaggia in Chicago, has created a new wine and food bar near the South Gate, with a menu based on the chef’s book, Wine Bar Food. It features small plates such as a “Mozzarella Bar,” with three types of the cheese, each paired with an accompaniment such as cured meats or olives. “It’s a concession for grown-ups,” Mantuano says.
Originally published in the September 2008 issue of TENNIS.