Celebrated chef Kwame Onwuachi will join a star-studded roster chosen to serve hungry tennis fans on the US Open this summer, Side Dish can reveal exclusively.
Onwuachi, the Long Island born, Bronx-raised Nigerian-American chef, wowed Recent Yorkers together with his restaurant Tatiana when it launched at Lincoln Center’s Geffen Hall last yr — including my colleague Steve Cuozzo, who called the short rib pastrami suya on the menu his favorite recent dish of the last decade to date.
Now, the previous “Top Chef” star and tennis fan will make his first appearance on a good grander stage in Queens.
“I’m so excited to be a component of this yr’s US Open,” Onwuachi tells Side Dish. “As a native Recent Yorker, it’s at all times an exciting time in town. I went to the Open with my grandmother after I was 12 and saw Venus and Serena play. It was amazing. Tennis is a world sport, with elite players descending from all around the world.
“The worldwide influences of Tatiana’s cuisine, together with the underlying nod to the food and culture of Recent York City, needs to be match for that.”
Former “Top Chef” star and tennis fan Kwame Onwuachi will make his first appearance on the US Open food court. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
Onwuachi’s Mom Dukes ShrimpStephen Yang
Onwuachi says he might be cooking up a few of Tatiana’s best hits, including hamachi escovitch with avocado, carrot nage and marinated peppers; black bean hummus with berbere-spiced lamb, sweet pickled sultana and M’semen; crispy okra with honey, mustard and peppa sauce; and pepper steak, a 14oz ribeye, with stewed peppers and pickled onions.
He might be joined by a pair of other food court first timers: Michelin-starred chef James Kent, of Crown Shy and SAGA eateries, and Melba Wilson, the revered chef whose Southern comfort food has been a longtime hit at iconic Melba’s Restaurant in Harlem.
When she’s not doling out her signature chicken and eggnog waffles at her Harlem-based empire, Wilson also likes to absorb a tennis match.
The US Open’s second annual premiere food event, “Flavors of the Open,” takes place on Aug. 24. Getty Images
“It has parallels to life for me,” she said. “You already know that there are various people within the village of the player that show up to provide all of what the village pours into them. It jogs my memory of the village that shows up for me on a regular basis. My village — my Harlem.”
She recalled attending her first US Open in 1983 and the enjoyment she experienced in watching Yannick Noah.
“It was magical watching him move across the court with Harlem Globetrotter moves, swinging his racket, behind his back and between his legs. His performance was like nothing I’d ever seen,” Wilson said. “The gang, the joy, the joys of being in that space excited me and showed me that diversity in a game matched what I aimed to attain through my culinary gifts within the kitchen.”
Other chefs slated to return to the US Open stage include Alex Guarnaschelli, Josh Capon, Masaharu Morimoto, David Burke, and burger baron Pat LaFrieda.
Melba WilsonMatt Furman
Foodies and tennis fans could have a probability to taste a few of their signature dishes and meet them in person on the US Open’s second annual premiere food event, “Flavors of the Open,” on Aug. 24. Tickets for the event cost $175, with among the proceeds going to the USTA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of america Tennis Association, said USTA’s Nicole Kankam, managing director of selling and entertainment.
The event attracted 1,200 people last yr and USTA hopes that number might be higher this yr, Kankam added.
Alex GuarnaschelliSquire Fox
Greater than 700,000 people flock over the 2 weeks the US Open is played on the Billie Jean King Tennis Center every year, said US Open executive chef Jim Abbey, who overseas a team of 250 individuals who prepare food across seven restaurants, 60 concession stands and 90 suites.
“It’s considered one of my favorite food events of the yr. For each the veterans and recent players on the US Open, that is an awesome moment to shine,” Guarnaschelli said.
“I really like being a component of the US Open, because the entire food from the entire venues share an awesome synergy with the game of tennis and its incredible players. It’s truthfully a privilege.”
Josh CaponDarren Carroll/USTA
The Flavors of the Open event may also showcase some great tennis stars, headlined by legendary doubles duo Bob and Mike Bryan, and Caroline Wozniacki, the previous world No. 1 and Australian Open champ who announced she’s going to come out of retirement and play on this yr’s US Open.
“Flavors of the Open combines great food from world class chefs and advantages the USTA Foundation, which does amazing work for young people across the country,” Mike Bryan said.
