The US Open Food Village (Photo: Lev Radin)
The US Open earlier this month was the last Grand Slam of the tennis season and an all around spectacular event organized by the USTA. Spectators were thrilled by exciting tennis and the culmination of thrilling finals where Rafael Nadal and Sloane Stephens took home the trophies for the Men’s and Women’s Finals, respectively.
High quality sandwiches at the US Open Food Village (Photo: Lev Radin)
Yet besides the tennis, the US Open provides visitors to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City with a culinary experience that is above the ordinary sports event fare. The US Open Food Village offered a wide variety of choices from hot dogs and hamburgers, to local New York City hot spots serving up foodie-favorites, to more fancy, fine-dining cuisine, truly something for everyone.
New York is well known as a place where you can find the best pizza at 3am and the most elaborate fine dining, it is a culinary hot spot and the US Open embraced this reputation and not only upheld it but over-delivered. Tourists and locals alike were impressed by the selection of diverse food, which may not only be a compliment to the spectacular tennis action but a main attraction itself. In the past few years it has become a food destination thanks to the accomplished New York City chefs who head to Queens to work their magic for tennis fans.
Healthy options at the US Open Food Village (Photo: Lev Radin)
The fact that star chefs such as David Burke, Josh Capon, David Chang, Masaharu Morimoto and Marcus Samuelsson contribute to the stalls in the Food Village and five dine-in restaurants onsite is a tribute to the US Open as a truly world class, high profile event.
Fans can choose from French, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, Italian, barbecue, comfort food, healthy fare and seafood, among others, approximately 7.5 tons of crab, lobster and shrimp are served a year. If you are a foodie, you need to add the US Open on your culinary tour next year.
Creative food choices at the US Open (Photo: Lev Radin)
A tasty experience alongside the best tennis action in the world, what more can you ask for. Some of the regional cuisine and specialty items at the US Open Food Village were:
- Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Shop
- Curry Kitchen (Indian cuisine)
- Farm 2 Fork
- Franks & Fries
- Prime Burger
- Village Market
- Glatt Kosher
- Grey Goose Bar (look for the US Open standard, the Honey Deuce, as well as the Le Grand Fizz)
- Jacob’s Creek Wine Bar (featuring Two Lands Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Grigio)
- Lavazza Café (featuring coffee, cappuccino and espresso from Italy’s famous coffee maker)
- Crepe Express (featuring both savory and sweet crepes; choose from Banana Nutella with sliced bananas or Country Crepe with chicken, ham and mozzarella)
- Pat LaFrieda Meat Co
- Dean & DeLuca
Dean and Deluca stand at the US Open Food Village (Photo: Lev Radin)
Hopefully this will entice your appetite for next year’s event. More than 700,000 visitors come to Flushing Meadows every year and Gildshire Magazines will certainly be there savoring every moment!
