Exclusive | US Open offering fans fine-dining experiences alongside world-class tennis
Along with watching Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic, fans at this year’s US Open will get to experience champions of fine dining in action, Side Dish can exclusively reveal.Offerings starting the week of Aug.23 – the tourney’s second-ever fan week – include Miznon, Middle Eastern street food from top chef Chef Eyal Shani, who’s known for his genius-level elevated veggies.
At USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, think green-beans-in-a-bag that are satisfyingly crunchy, like fries.Shani, whose restaurants include Shmone, Port Sa’id and HaSalon, will be bringing foodie faves like rib-eye roast beef pitas and chicken schnitzel pitas.“When thousands of strangers gather in one place, unified by the same excitement, food becomes another way to connect them.
That is the soul of Miznon,” Shani said.Also making his US Open debut is world-renowned chef Enrique Olvera of Pujol in Mexico City and Cosme in the Flatiron District.His creations include simmering mole madre, made with a continuously-aged-for-thousands-of-days mole that’s similar to a sourdough starter.
Cosme, known for dishes like its signature duck carnitas, is taking over the space previously occupied by Mojito.Tennis fans and food lovers have a lot in common, said Olvera.Both “love to have a good time and enjoy life,” he explained.For more local flavor, West Village sandwich shop sensation Salt Hank’s is setting up an outpost at the US Open’s Food Village.
The eatery went viral for its fancy $32 roast beef sandwich with a dipping jus from Harry Laporte.“I’m hoping to be able to get some athletes over to the booth to try out a French Dip,” Laporte said.“At last year’s US Open, Djokovic signed my forehead and it was the highlight of my year.”Restaurateurs must have the “labor and ability to handle the US Open.
It’s not for the faint of heart,” said Daniel Zausner, chief operating officer for USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.“We eat our way th...