Taste of Tennis Ambassador John Isner being interviewed at the main stage and serving it up along with Chef Jerome Grant.
Photo Credit: Getty Images for AYS Sports Marketing
The 2nd Annual Citi TASTE OF TENNIS Washington, D.C.
at The Hamilton Live!!!
Writer: Yerelyn Cortez Hidalgo
The sport of tennis and delectable food were on the menu the week of July 29th in Washington, D.C. We experienced a memorable one as we had the pleasure to attend a fantastic evening in the nation's capital with Citi Taste of Tennis DC at The Hamilton Live. The annual event dubbed the Tennis Players Party and 20th anniversary of the launch of the Citi Taste of Tennis series kicks off the tennis tournament at Citi Open in Washington, D.C. The event benefits the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation. The event welcomed tennis stars Sloane Stephens and John Isner along with Executive Chef, Jerome Grant as the event's headliners.
As a premier lifestyle event on the tennis tour, Citi Taste of Tennis offers foodies and tennis fans an evening of incredible cuisine prepared by top local chefs and "served" by the top pro tennis players. It truly was one of the best events for anyone to attend in Washington, D.C this summer. The flawless execution of AYS Marketing to create such a perfect marriage between the sport of tennis and bringing tennis players together along with recognized chefs and restaurants from the Washington, DC area is truly spectacular. The attendees were not only captivated to meet some of their favorite tennis players, savored upon some deletectable food but had tons of fun enjoying the music from Walker Entertainment Group "The Rakiem Walker Project". If you didn't have the pleasure to attend Citi Taste of Tennis DC this year, there's always next year. Who says you have to wait? Head on over to New York City as Citi Taste of Tennis will be held on Thursday, August 22, 2019 at Cipriani in Midtown Manhattan.
Sweet Home DC with Sloane Stephens: Tennis all-star Sloane Stephens and executive chef, Jerome Grant turned up the heat with an onstage cooking demonstration. Check it out below:
Cookin' it up Citi-style: Pro tennis players and many more sampled incredible cuisine including Gazpacho by John Mooney of Bidwell, Chicken Red Curry Basil Tikka and Lemon Rice courtesy of Punjab Grill's Jassi Bindra, Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Pineapple Syrup by Leo Harvey, and various gelatos by Dolci Gelati.
The VIP Experience: The Citigold Lounge, VIP guests, kicked off the night at an exclusive Q&A featuring John Isner. Guests danced the night away to energetic beats by DJ Mad Linx and The Rakiem Walker Project, while enjoying Zonin Prosecco, Oban Whiskey, and Diplomático Rum.
Pro Tennis Players in attendance:
John Isner, Sloane Stephens, Chris Eubanks, Marcelo Melo, Jan-Lennard Struff, Matthew Ebden, Medvedev Daniil, Treat Huey, Shelby Rogers, Monica Puig, Kevin Krawietz, Rohan Bopanna, Denis Kudla, Francessca Di Lorenzo, Rosalie Vanderhoek, Alison Bal, Beatrice Gumulya, Jessy Rompies, Elixane Lechamie, Ingrid Neal, Quinn Gleason, Nikola Mektic, Mate Pavic, Franko Skugor, Brayden Schnur, and more.
Chefs whom participated in the event:
Jerome Grant (Sweet Home Café), Erik Bruner-Yang (Spoken English), John Mooney (Bidwell), Jaspratrap “Jassie” Bindra (Punjab Grill), Leo Harvey (Ocean Prime), Neil Cline & Brent Lettsome (British Virgin Islands), Paola Velez (Kith and Kin DC), Chris Kombou (Compass Rose), Gianluigi Dellaccio (Dolce Gelati), Dan Kennedy (Estuary), Michael Rafidi(Albi), Victor Albisu (Taco Bamba), Zach Smith (The Hamilton Live), and Adam Greenberg (Coconut Club).
Sponsors:
Citi (Title Sponsor), The Hamilton Live, The British Virgin Islands, Oban Whiskey, Zonin Prosecco, Zonin Rose, Roca de Montemassi, Diplomático Rum, VOSS, Chefworks, Volki, Tossware, Front of the House, KIND, Eat Me Guilt Free, Aneciet Foods, Kasadrinos, Truly Good Foods, Goodwipes, Lolli&Pops, Flathaus Fine Foods, Bakeology, Rocklands Real Barbeque, Rosebud Perfumes, Smash Mallow and Washington Tennis and Education Foundation (Charitable Sponsor).
About AYS: AYS is a woman-owned event management and marketing company founded in 1995. AYS provides customized event solutions and consultation services that help our clients maximize marketing initiatives. AYS also founded and produces the Taste of Tennis, a one-of-a-kind food and tennis experience.
About Citi: Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.
About Washington Tennis & Education Foundation: WTEF is dedicated to building life champions through tennis and academic excellence. WTEF works to give underserved kids a safe environment they trust and where they can excel. WTEF empowers their students to achieve their highest potential by developing meaningful values and critical life skills that will lead them to success.