Day 7: Sushi from Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto
Where: Aces restaurant (Arthur Ashe Stadium, Club Level)
Cost: Varies
Over the past few years, U.S. Open foodservice provider Levy Restaurants has assembled a Justice League of celebrity chefs founded on the triumvirate of David Burke, Tony Mantuano, and Masaharu Morimoto, known to millions via his involvement on the competitive cooking television show Iron Chef. Like many of that show's regulars, he seems to have legally changed his name to affix the term "Iron Chef" at its fore, and, sure enough, there it is on top of the menu of Aces restaurant: "Sushi from Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto."
The sushi card is fairly tame as contemporary menus go, comprising mostly by-the-numbers offerings such as salmon, toro (tuna belly), and crab available as sushi or sashimi; spicy tuna roll ($14), salmon avocado roll ($13), and a vegetarian roll ($12). There's a rainbow roll for $25 and a vegetarian roll for $12, and an Aces Special Roll featuring Softshell Crab at the tail end of its season for $18. There are also combinations such as a gargantuan platter billed as the Morimoto Ultimate Combo featuring 12 pieces of sushi, 8 pieces of sashimi, and 2 rolls; at $148, the menu says it's meant to serve two.
The restaurant also offers a full menu of non-sushi fare, ranging from an heirloom tomato salad ($13) to grilled filet mignon from Creekstone Farms—served with buttermilk onion rings, potato puree, and shallot cabernet butter—($40), to sides such as sautéed asparagus ($12) and chile sea salt fries ($12).
Click here for more Dishes of the Day from the 2013 U.S. Open.
In addition to his duties as an editor at-large for TENNIS, Andrew Friedman writes about food, chefs, and the restaurant industry. He has written or co-written more than 25 chef-focused books and cookbooks and chronicles his travels in the culinary world on his website, Toqueland.