Serena Williams spices up US Open

Dave Rodney, Contributor

Imagine walking into a hot New York City reggae party with 20 of the city's finest chefs representing some of the most celebrated restaurants on the planet, competing for the attention of your palate. They all want you to sample their signature culinary creations that have made them and their establishments famous.

They want you to fall in love with the dishes that have put them on New York's much-revered food map where wait times for choice tables can run into several weeks.

This was the vibe at the W Hotel on Lexington Avenue at Taste of Tennis - the opening party kicking off the US Open tournament currently under way at Flushing Meadows in Queens.

The jam-packed party was hosted by the world's top-ranked singles player Serena Williams and was part-sponsored by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB). Williams showed her prowess in the kitchen during the evening as she did a cooking demonstration with Marcus Samuelsson, New York's most sought-after award-winning chef, restaurateur, and best-selling author.

But while Williams chopped and prepared her ingredients, all eyes in the room were fixed not on her creation, but on her form, some wondering aloud if she can win yet another slam.

The Jamaican presence at the party was hard to miss. The JTB created a seductive and strategically positioned One Love Luxury Lounge. From there, the Ruff Stuff reggae band belted out an impressive catalogue of rock steady, reggae and dancehall hits, to the delight of the crowd who couldn't get enough of the vocal acrobatics of Ras Droppa.

Right next to the JTB, boosting Jamaica's visibility, were Secrets St James and Wild Orchid Montego Bay, where chef José Alias prepared jerk chicken drumsticks with orange-glazed sweet potatoes. The JTB's Marcia Bullock Jobson and her team did a superb job in perfecting every detail for the luxury lounge.

Among the evening's numerous hit creations were Crudo of Montauk Fluke with watermelon, lime, and jalapeño, snow crab with salmon eggs and sushi cups from Nobu, barbecue Berkshire pork belly with green papaya salad, watermelon salad with hearts of palm, arugula, fried capers, and mint oil. There was also chicken satays in a tamarind sauce, goat cheese cake parfait, sweet corn chowder with cashew cream, and the inevitable Key Lime tennis balls.

Photos by Dave Rodney