TalkAboutTennis.com attended the 13th Annual BNP Paribas Taste of Tennis, a charity event to benefit New York youth tennis that brings top chefs and tennis stars together every year Thursday night before the US Open.
Players, chefs and attending celebrities were eager to dive in and enjoy the food, but stopped to chat with us on the green carpet at the W New York to share their love for New York, food and the event. Here are a few excerpts from TAT’s interviews with the attendees, to accompany the photos below!
Gail Simmons, of the Top Chef TV franchise confessed: “I love tennis and I love food.” Who is she rooting for at the US Open? “I have to, tonight, favor the Bryan brothers, because I’m cooking with them, they’re my co-hosts. I hate to predict anyone, because I’m about to meet all of them and I don’t want them to know who I root for… yet.”
Each year, on Thursday before the US Open, players, chefs, tennis fans and foodies gather at the W New York Hotel on the East Side of Manhattan, to eat, drink, be merry, and raise money for charity. This year, the 12th Annual BNP Paribas event benefitted the New York Junior Tennis League.
(Scroll down for interviews and photos with tennis players)
Top New York and visiting chefs were the first to arrive on the Taste of Tennis green Red Carpet, and many brought their tasty treats to tease the media.
TalkAboutTennis.com's Annual Charity Drive
Written by Mariya Konovalova and Kirk Stenvall
Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program
This holiday season, TAT is happy to once again partner with the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program for our annual Charity Drive.
Help TAT raise $500 for HJTEP, a tennis and tutoring program for urban youth in New York City.
To launch our drive, TAT attended the annual winter fundraiser organized by HJTEP. This year, to cater to corporate donors, the event was a cocktail party held at New York restaurant Brasserie Les Halles in the Financial District. Please view the video below to see photos from the event and listen to TAT’s interviews and some of the speeches from the event.
The holiday party was attended by HJTEP donors, students, alumni, and staff, and several notable guests. The world of tennis was represented by HJTEP’s Executive Director Katrina Adams and United States Davis Cup Captain and United States Tennis Association’s Head of Player Development Patrick McEnroe.
