What's on the Menu at the 2015 U.S. Open

See what fans will be digging into at the stadium while the pros battle it out on the court at this year's U.S. Open, held in New York City.
By: Guest Blogger
U.S. Open 2015 Culinary Preview
By Katie Workman

Nothing says tennis tournament like a ... steaming bowl of maple miso tofu with jasmine rice?

New York City has been upping its game in the sports-venue cuisine arena in recent years, and the scene at the United States Open, which kicks off today in the Queens neighborhood of New York City, is a prime example. You can definitely go with a hot dog and hamburger meal in mind and get it. But don’t expect defrosted meat — you’ll be getting skinless dogs and juicy burgers made with Pat LaFrieda beef. And if you are looking for another kind of culinary experience altogether, you’re going to have a lot of choices.

U.S. Open 2015 Culinary Preview

Ed Brown of Restaurant Associates and Ed’s Chowder House returns to spearhead the food offerings at this year’s U.S. Open, not only taking the helm at the iconic Aces restaurant, but also curating the various eats both inside the restaurants and in the Food Village. Chef Brown was part of the U.S. Open’s food scene 20 years ago, working from tents and conceiving Aces original menu. Much has changed in the last two decades.

“This is fresh, high-quality food. You could take the restaurants and plug them in anywhere in midtown Manhattan and they would not be out of place,” says Chef Brown. “This isn’t carnival food; it’s food grownups want to eat.” At Aces, he’s serving up seafood dishes like iconic crab cakes and seared tuna with spicy mango relish. The menu is a partnership with Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, who offers a greatest-hits selection of sushi.

And what would Chef Brown eat if he could have only one thing in the Food Village? “I don’t even have to think about that,” he says. “The LaFrieda steak sandwich. Actual slices of filet mignon, not shaved meat, on a bun with caramelized onions and cheese. “

In other new U.S. Open restaurant news, Michael White and his team somehow managed to not only open a new restaurant this week (Vaucluse), but also to set up a Costada-inspired menu at Champions, featuring little nibbles like the Dry Aged Tomahawk Ribeye Steak, weighing in at 40 ounces. Tony Mantuano is back with his Wine Bar Food, which has nice dishes like a trio of flatbreads, more suitable for grazing.

Did you know that Chef Richard Sandoval of Maya used to be a tennis pro? True, and now he’s center court in the Food Village, as well as the Club Level of Arthur Ashe Stadium, serving up an array of soft tacos and a Maya Chopped Salad. And Chef Lisa Fernandes brings her food truck, Sweet Chili, to the event, offering a Vietnamese and Thai menu.

Hill Country Barbecue, Morris grilled cheeses, Farm to Fork’s sandwiches made with locally raised meats, Carnegie Deli and many others can be found throughout the Food Village, which has the grab-and-go offerings; 700,000 fans will march through the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to enjoy it all while consuming 240,000 melon balls in their Grey Goose Honey Deuce cocktails. If you can't find something you really want to eat, then you truly must be there purely for the love of the game.

U.S. Open 2015 Culinary Preview

Katie Workman is the author of Dinner Solved! and The Mom 100 Cookbook, and she's the creator of themom100.com blog.

Photos courtesy of USTA/Jen Pottheiser

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