Food and tennis are a match made in heaven. Citi Taste of Tennis is the perfect event for tennis fans and foodies. Citi Taste of Tennis is produced by AYS Sports Marketing. This year, Citi Taste of Tennis started with its first ever Food Truck tour. The tour kicked off in Washington D.C. on August 2 and moved to NYC on August 11th. The tour concluded with its main event at Tavern on the Green in Central Park on August 26th. We are excited to share our first dining experience with Citi Taste of Tennis with you.
Citi Taste of Tennis: Food Truck
Food Trucks are a staple in NYC. The Citi Taste of Tennis food truck tour kicked off in NYC at Citi’s Headquarters in Tribeca. Each stop on the tour featured a signature dish created by one of the Citi Taste of Tennis Chefs. The food truck served the same dishes featured at the main event at Tavern on the Green.
- Wednesday, August 11th, 12:00 – 2:00PM Chef Fany Gerson at Cary Leeds Center for Tennis and Learning
- Thursday, August 12th, 11:30AM – 1:30PM Chefs Wenford Simpson and Fany Gerson at Citi Headquarters in Tribeca
- Tuesday, August 17th, 11:30AM – 1:30PM Chefs Bao Bao and Fany Gerson at Union Square Pedestrian Plaza
- Wednesday, August 18th, 11:30AM – 1:30PM Chefs Alex Fortini and Fany Gerson at Union Square Pedestrian Plaza
- Thursday, August 19th, 11:30AM – 1:30PM Chefs Bao Bao and Fany Gerson at Union Square Pedestrian Plaza
- Tuesday, August 24th, 5:00 – 7:00PM Chefs John Doherty and Fany Gerson at Black Barn
- Wednesday, August 25th, 5:00 – 7:00PM Chefs Wenford Simpson and Fany Gerson at The Benjamin Hotel
We stopped by the Citi Taste of Tennis tasting at Black Barn. We have dined at Black Barn for brunch and dinner many times. We even hosted our birthday dinner here a few years ago. We shared the Savory Almond Tartlet with wild mushrooms, goat cheese and watercress and the Chicken Milanese. They were both delicious.
Citi Taste of Tennis: Tavern on the Green – Entertainment
The main event at Tavern on the Green featured a 3 course dinner and a live concert. Citi Taste of Tennis is an unforgettable evening with fantastic chefs coupled with the world’s best tennis players. Top tennis pros also attended the event.
The event was held at the outdoor patio of Tavern on the Green. Emily Koch from Waitress and Natasha Yvette Williams from Chicago kicked off the live performances. It was really a special treat to hear these singers given the long hiatus on Broadway over the past 18 months.
The Wanderer also performed a medley of songs.
The Johnny Smyth Band with the one and only tennis legend John McEnroe also performed. John’s daughter, Ava, also performed a cover of Our Lips Are Sealed by the Go-Gos.
Citi Taste of Tennis: Tavern on the Green – Seating
We checked in and showed our vaccination cards. The hostess walked us to our quaint table on the patio.
The place setting featured a program, a tasting menu and a party favor from Willo.
Citi Taste of Tennis: Tavern on the Green – Cocktails
Vodka time is is? Tennis Pros, the Bryan Brothers, made a toast to tennis with their Basil Smash with Tito’s.
Just serve it. Waiters served the guests a glass of the Bryan Bros Basil Smash. It was delicious and paired nicely with the first course.
Citi Taste of Tennis: Tavern on the Green – Dinner
It’s shrimply the best. The first course was Chef Bao Bao’s Yakisoba Noodle Salad with Shrimp, Summer Veggies and Sesame Seeds and Chef Tomasz Surowka’s Salad with Marinated Grilled Peaches with Smoked Feta. We sipped our Basil Smash with this course. The shrimp noodle salad was savory and the peach salad was more sweet.
Winner winner, chicken dinner. The second course was Chef Wenford’s Jerk Barbecue Chicken Sliders with Apple Coleslaw and Chef Jassi Bindra’s Merguez Sausage, Chana Masala Hummus and Carrot Turshi. The sliders and sausage were both flavorful and delicious. It was a clean plate club and we were quite full even though we had another two courses to go.
Mission impastable. The third course was Chef Alessandro Fortini’s Lasagna and Chef John Doherty’s Chicken Milanese. We always love a rich Lasagna, and we already knew we loved the Chicken Milanese since we tried it earlier that week. We also know Chef Doherty and Twinspirational has worked with him several times.
I’ll be there in a prosecco. Dessert featured Chef Fany Gerson’s Prosecco with Paletitas. Paletitas are Mexican frozen treats made from fresh fruits.The desserts were presented by the Italian National Tourist Board including Cannoli, Cassata Ice Cream Cake, Bombolini with Vanilla Cream and Tiramisu. The desserts were small, but we tried them all, some more than once. They were all scrumptious one bite treats.
Tennis starts with Love. We had a fantastic time enjoying all things food and tennis at Citi Taste of Tennis. We highly recommend checking out this event next year.
Photos courtesy of Twinspirational Richard Garry and AYS Sports.
I think, for me, I just really want to have fun with every match that I play because tennis is a game.
Naomi Osaka
What an exciting event. I love that there is music, plus a lot of good food and drinks. I wish we can also have a similar event in my country when it’s a lot safer.
What a cool event! It looks like it was an amazing time. I love all the live entertainment it featured.
Oh wow this looks so cool – all the food and entertainment. The vibe looks great too! I love this kind of experience.
Seems like a great and festive event. I do not know much about tennis though (actually i don’t know anything about sports at all lols) but those foods and wine look absolutely delightful
What an amazing event! You had me at food trucks. I love how they have become a new mobile way to grab a bite to eat.
Oh my, you had me at noodle salad. I love to try new things with pasta.
Such a cool event! I had no idea it even existed until now. Looks like they serve amazing food, and I love tennis! A perfect match indeed.
Oh, I love watching tennis and trying tasty food! This event looks exciting, combining two of my passions! Thanks for sharing!
It looks as if a wonderful time was had by all. I adore Tavern on the Greens.
What a neat event! It looks like a wonderful time, between the events and the good food!
Great event, didn’t know that they do have tennis events like this. It would be fun to enjoy some food as well.
Fransic – https://www.querianson.com
Nnnniiiiccceeeeee….a tennis blogger I know would certainly agree with you on this. I haven’t attended a double-event of this nature but because of the food, I’d love to attend one.
Wow, I enjoyed reading this and I must say, I think I am in there too.! Love the photos and hopefully I can attend events in the coming months too.