While the action on the courts has already been sizzling at the 2024 US Open, top name chefs and restaurateurs have also been serving up smash hits on the sidelines, bringing their A-game to the dining experiences at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
What makes the culinary experiences in Flushing Meadows so thrilling is the diverse range of options. Concessions stands from household names, like Carnegie Deli, Eataly, and Pat LaFrieda Meat Co., mingle aside fine dining options like at Aces, a collaboration between Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, Michelin-starred Chef Ed Brown, and James Beard Award-winning Chef Kwame Onwuachi.
But some of the most intriguing options are recent newcomers to the Grand Slam food scene, including a trio of minority-owned local New York eateries, all which made their tournament debut in the last three years. For these restaurants, earning a spot at the US Open isn't just about feeding hungry tennis fans, it's an opportunity to share a piece of their culture and heritage with the global audience.
We talked to three of the restaurateurs to find out what they're serving up out at this year's Open—and what makes it so meaningful to earn a spot alongside the top names in tennis.
The Migrant Kitchen
Growing up, Dan Dorado relished the flavors of his abuela’s Sunday suppers—a memory that runs so deep he’s captured those elements of his family Mexican roots from Mexico City and Zamora, Michoacán, in the slow-roasted carnitas bowl, being served The Migrant Kitchen at the US Open’s Food Village and Louis Armstrong Main Concourse.
“It’s a satisfying and delicious meal that I never get tired of,” the co-owner of the restaurant tells USOpen.org, adding that “it captures the essence of Latin American comfort food with its rich, tender pork, chipotle salsa, pickled jalapeños, onions, and black beans over warm rice.”
Launched in 2019 with catering and pop-ups, The Migrant Kitchen, which Dorado owns with Jaclinn Tanney, was founded with the idea of providing opportunities for migrants to share their home countries’ cuisines with fellow New Yorkers. Ironically, the pandemic expanded their operations, as they served more than 10,000 meals a day to food insecure communities.
Now they've grown into three brick-and-mortar locations, on the Upper West Side, Upper East Side, and in Central Park, with portions of every meal—including those served at the US Open—going towards providing meals to New Yorkers in need through their nonprofit arm, The Migrant Kitchen Initiative.
“We take pride in serving the same restaurant-quality food to those in need as we do to our customers, ensuring that the meals are culturally appropriate for the communities we serve,” Dorado said. To date, they’ve served more than four million meals through distributions and community partnerships.
Returning to the Flushing Meadows for its second year has been a major milestone for the young company. “The US Open is a global stage, and having the opportunity to share our unique culinary offerings with such a diverse audience is both exciting and humbling,” Dorado said. “It validates our commitment to celebrating the diversity that defines The Migrant Kitchen and gives us a platform to continue sharing our story with the world.”
In deciding upon its special menu for the US Open, they sought a variety that reflects their own team’s diversity, and that would resonate with the tennis fans from around the world.
“We selected dishes that are both approachable and deeply rooted in our cultural heritage, ensuring that there’s something for everyone to enjoy, whether they’re seeking familiar comfort or an exciting new taste,” Dorado said. “Ultimately, our goal is to share a piece of our collective story with every meal, highlighting how the blending of different cultures creates something truly special.”
This year’s offerings include crispy chicken, roasted chicken, falafel balls, and his favorite carnita bowls, as well as fresh-hot churros. Each selection “represents the migration of taste and technique that is central to our mission,” he said.
“We believe that food mirrors humanity,” Dorado said. “At the US Open, we aim to share our unique culinary journey with the audience, showcasing how diverse flavors and traditions come together to create something truly special.”
On top of that, it’s all about building connections among the diverse people tennis brings together. “We are deeply committed to giving back to the community," he said. "Through this, we hope to inspire the US Open audience to see food as not just a source of nourishment but as a powerful tool for connection and positive change.”
The Nourish Spot
When New Yorker Dawn Kelly found out her job as vice president of global communications at a major financial service was eliminated, she hit a pivotal moment in her life. “I found myself at a crossroads, not only in my career but also in my personal health journey,” she told USOpen.org.
One afternoon, she stumbled upon a CNN feature about a rapper who opened a juice bar, and a light bulb went off. She had always been drawn to entrepreneurship and thought, “I was tired of not being able to customize what I wanted at major salad chains, so I decided to create a business that empowered customers with that very freedom.”
So she established The Nourish Spot, a food concept all about offering customizable options that are all fresh and nutritious. In September 2017, she opened the first location in New York’s Jamaica, Queens, with her children Owen and Jade Duncan by her side.
“Our mission is simple: To provide communities with fresh fruits, vegetables, proteins, roots, and nuts because we believe that food is medicine,” she said.
The shop was such a success that by February 2024, she and daughter Jade Duncan opened up another location in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood with a partner.
As a family-owned business run by a mother-daughter duo, Kelly, who serves as the founder and CEO, is thrilled to bring The Nourish Spot back to the US Open for the third year. The Grand Slam is a full-circle moment for her since she used to bring her kids to Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day every year when she was a young divorcee.
The timing is especially meaningful since August is National Black Business Month. “To be here as concessionaires is beyond anything I could have imagined,” she said.
Located in Backyard 17 near Stadium 17, their US Open menu includes highlights like a Berry Acai Bowl that Kelly calls “refreshing,” the Tropical Dream smoothie she describes as “a vacation in a glass,” and the Thankful Turkey Salad, “which feels like Thanksgiving in every bite.” Many of the recipes have been influenced by Duncan's travels to 72 countries, as she also serves as their chef.
Kelly’s personal favorite is the Berry Crazy smoothie with blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and honey. “It’s a delicious burst of antioxidants and refreshment, especially on a hot day,” she said, anticipating the steamy weather in Flushing Meadows this week.
“We know that our menu and mission resonate on a global scale because, like athletes, everyone deserves to be nourished and hydrated with fresh, wholesome fruits, vegetables, and proteins,” she said.
Coqodaq
Making its debut in Arthur Ashe Stadium this year is a young, but mighty, newcomer to the New York dining scene, Coqodaq, from Korean American restaurateur Simon Kim of Michelin-starred COTE Korean Steakhouse. Famous for its decadent take on chicken nuggets, the Flatiron restaurant, which opened in January, is one of the hardest reservations to get in Manhattan. But here in Queens, the suite-level concessions stand is within reach.
“Coqodaq was born from a universal love of fried chicken and what’s more loved than chicken nuggets?,” Kim told USOpen.org. “We like to say we’re taking the nostalgic, guilty pleasure dish and making it a little less guilty.” That includes its trademark “Better Fried Chicken” recipe, using pasture-raised chicken, cultured non-seed oil, and gluten-free batter, making it “the perfect Open bite, fit for athletes and fans,” he said.
The restaurant's menu also includes an elevated fried chicken bucket and raw bar, but when it came down to whittling down the selections for the courtside eats, Kim decided to spotlight Coqodaq's star attraction, its Golden Nuggets.
Tennis fans can choose from two luxurious varieties, the 24K Nugget, topped with creme fraiche and Petrossian's Golden Daurenki caviar, and Black Gold, garnished with seasonal truffle from Solex Fine Foods. While replicating the menu for the concessions stand, they’ve upgraded the menu on the latter, adding truffle in the batter and crème fraiche for a “triple truffle effect” that Kim called a “delicious flavor bomb.”
“The Golden Nuggets are our high-brow-low-brow approach to food, offering diners something accessible and delicious with the opportunity to indulge as well,” Kim said.
The Coqodaq stand also serves coleslaw, mac and cheese, as well as frozen yogurt with blueberry sauce from its "Serve Bot" — yes, that’s right, named after American tennis player Reilly Opelka, who returned to the US Open this year, facing off against Lorenzo Musetti in a Round 1 match Monday.
“Our team is full of tennis fans—I am an avid player myself—and with Reilly Opelka as a close friend, investor, and athlete, we’ve been eager to be part of the Open for a while, and this year just felt like the perfect moment,” Kim said. “It's an electrifying time in New York, and I am so happy to be part of it this year.”
He’s also excited to be part of the US Open’s wide array of dining options this year, naming Josh Capon of Fly Fish @ Oyster Bar 7 as a good friend, as well as being a fan of Fare by Chef Alex Guarnaschelli and Hill Country’s Josh Capon.
“As a Korean American, it is always important for me to find ways to represent both my Korean and American roots in the concepts I open,” Kim said. “It's an absolute honor to be part of the US Open this year, where people from all walks of life gather to watch the world's best players compete—and eat food from some of the best chefs and restaurateurs in the business. When tennis meets great food, it's bound to be a great time.”
