Gourmet Food Complements Gourmet Tennis

By Donna

Pacific Life Open tenis fans will savor the flavors of the West Coast in a new menu using the products of local California farmers in an exquisite light cuisine. Gilbert Verdugo, the Regional Chef of Levy Restaurants has created this west coast-inspired menu focusing on regional specialties to be served at the unique concessions, the luxury suites, and the Garden Club Restaurant.

Levy Restaurants was founded in Chicago in 1978 and is the leader in premium sports and entertainment dining concessions, including the USTA events in New York's National Tennis Center, Walt Disney World Resort, baseball, football, and basketball venues, the Super Bowl, World Series, Kentucky Derby, and the Grammy Awards.

New this year, themed concession stands will take you beyond traditional sports-dining experiences with fresh local ingredients and a variety of culinary choices. Chef Verdugo has touched base with California farmers and ourveyors of seafood, chicken, and cheeses. For your sweet tooth, more than 13,000 jumbo cookies will be baked on site. Be sure to check out The Fish Market for baja shrimp burgers, Dungeness crab cake sandwiches, fish tacos, and sushi. Mamacita's Cantina for light dishes with a Mexican flair and a new outdoor grilling area serving shrimp and lobster tail, and Melissa's Marketplace offering fresh salads to order, as well as specialty salads, house made sandwiches and wraps.

The Luxury Suites present a high-end dining aura with the Ultimate Raw Bar, featuring fresh oysters, top neck clams on the half shell, lobster tails, crab claws, mussels, and jumbo shrimp, smoked salmon, halibut, and ahi tuna sashimi. Plus, a complete menu will be offered. All this while enjoying the tennis matches without missing an overhead smash!

For those that want a break in the action, head for the Garden Club Restaurant and enjoy a traditional sit-down meal that features a fresh menu of a la carte specialties including the ahi tuna appetizer and a grilled tri-tip entree. The outdoor patio offers sandwiches, salads, and a signature dessert table (including a decadent Chocolat Paradise Cake!).

Great tennis with great food, get your tickets now, 2008 looks like a winner in every way. Call the box office at 800-999-1585 or 760-200-8000 or order online at PacificLifeOpen.com.