How to navigate the Open's dining scene like a touring pro
“I joke that this is a food event with tennis,” says Michael Lockard, who as Levy Restaurants executive chef oversees the entire dining program at the U.S. Open. It’s no small sack of potatoes. Over the course of the two-week tournament—the world’s highest-attended sporting event—the Long Island–based chef will grill 267,000 burgers, marinate 77,000 pounds of chicken breast and chop 27,000 pounds of New Jersey tomatoes. And as we found Monday, during an extensive tour of the grounds, the culinary offerings are a virtual U.S. Open Table, featuring locally sourced produce (Satur Farms arugula), boutique ice cream (Blue Marble) and global grub like kati rolls and mozzarella di bufala. Plus a lobster roll worth its heightened reputation.
By Matt Rodbard; photos by Jori Klein Jacobs
