Wonder Opens First NYC Location in UWS
Wonder brings celebrity chef restaurant concepts conveniently to the UWS.
For those that haven’t heard of Wonder before, it started as culinary concepts from celebrated chefs prepared in mobile restaurants right outside your home. What it has evolved to is making these concepts available for pick-up, dine-in or delivery still within close proximity to ensure the integrity of the dishes.
InvitedNYC was lucky enough to be on site for Wonder’s Sneak Preview leading up to their official launch on February 15th. We were welcomed into a beautifully decorated space with catchy taglines, to try some of the restaurant concepts. Chios Taverna provides authentic Greek cuisine from celebrity chef, Michael Symon. The Mainstay, celebrity chef Marc Murphy’s restaurant, is an American menu with a strong seafood presence. Tejas Barbecue, brings Texas BBQ from owner Scott Moore to the UWS. Barrio Café, a Mexican concept from Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza, is available in NY from Phoeniz, AZ thanks to Wonder. Last but not least, the brick & mortar is also offering up Di Fara Pizza, one of the quintessential pies in NYC.
We were able to try Spicy Feta dip from Michael Symon’s concept, which was creamy and flavorful with pillowy soft pita bread. We snacked on Cocktail Shrimp from the Mainstay with complimentary fresh accoutrements on top. and piping hot Di Fara NY Slices. Tejas offered up Crispy Pork Belly with tangy Carolina Gold Sauce and one of our favorite dishes of the night, the BBQ Pork Rib with Sweet Sauce and Pickles. Do not attempt these without a wet wipe nearby! Our other favorite dish is Marc Murphy’s Lobster Mac & Cheese with huge pieces of lobster and breadcrumbs for crunchy texture. It is not to be missed! Our something sweet to end our meal with were perfect Churros Bites with Dulche de Leche sauce from Barrio Café.
We can’t wait for you to try Wonder for yourself and hear what you think! For more information on how to order these cuisines or one of their many other options, please visit https://www.wonder.com/. And if the UWS isn’t nearby, Wonder is expected to expand to more locations in NY and NJ this year.
Citi Taste of Tennis 2019
Photos courtesy of Citi Taste of Tennis
On Thursday, August 22, Citi Taste of Tennis celebrated their 20th anniversary. As a premier lifestyle event on the tennis tour, Citi's Taste of Tennis has been offering foodies and tennis fans amazing experiences of incredible cuisine prepared by top local chefs and "served" by the top pro tennis players for 2 decades.
Photos courtesy of Citi Taste of Tennis
Photos courtesy of Citi Taste of Tennis
The tennis world gathered at the iconic Cipriani in New York City to kick off the 2019 U.S. Open. The evening featured gastronomic dishes from the New York’s leading chefs and appearances by beloved tennis stars, who took time from their busy pre 50th US Open Championship game schedules to meet, nosh and greet fans.
Photos courtesy of Citi Taste of Tennis
Photos courtesy of Citi Taste of Tennis
Photos courtesy of Citi Taste of Tennis
Also making an appearance at the event was Tennis Royalty: Venus and Serena Williams traded in their tennis gear for a chef's apron and kitchen utensils as they showcased a friendly onstage cook-off. After a close contest, the sisters "tied" for best dish. But The biggest surprise of the night was when Former Heavyweight Champ Mike Tyson showed up. Mike was there to promote his most recent venture of a new line of CBD-enhanced beverages under the name DWiiNK.
Photos courtesy of Citi Taste of Tennis
Photos courtesy of Citi Taste of Tennis
The event was the perfect blend of tasting plates, signature cocktails, and bouncing beats (provided by DJ MadLinx).. But it also had an underlying cause: the smash up of US Open tennis stars and celebrity chefs was a benefit for New York Junior Tennis & Learning. NYJTL is dedicated to developing the character of young people through tennis and education by offering All NYJTL community and after-school programs at no cost to young people in all five NYC Boroughs. .
Atheletes
Venus Williams, Serena Williams, John Isner, Coco Gauff, Andy Roddick, Milan Tyson, Gaël Monfils, Daniil Medvedev, Felix Auger Aliassime, Marc Murphy, Belinda Bencic, Abi Spears, Vania King, Jamie Loeb, Monica Puig, Donna Vekic, Bethanie Mattek Sands, Kristi Ahn, Danielle Collins, Mike Tyson, and Alexander Zverev.
Chefs
Richard Blais (Juniper and Ivy), Masaharu Morimoto (Morimoto), Sujan Sarkar (Baar Baar), Edward Lee (Milkwood), Chef Bao Bao (Boaburg), Lamar Moore (The SwillInn), Rory MacDonald (Chanson Patisserie), Kerry Heffernan (Grand Banks), Michael Han (Ortzi), Julian Medina (Toloache), Mina Newman (Sen Sakana), Cedric Tovar (Lotte NY Palace), John Stage (Dinosaur BBQ), Neil Cline (British Virgin Islands), Sani Hebaj (Dabble @ The Conrad), Mike Viola (Boars Head), Anastacia Song (American Cut)
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 New York Junior Tennis & Learning
NYJTL is dedicated to developing the character of young people through tennis and education for a lifetime of success on and off the court. All NYJTL community and after-school programs are offered in all five boroughs at no cost. Having served 85,000 youth of NYC in 45 years, today NYJTL is the largest non-profit youth tennis program.
Photos courtesy of Citi Taste of Tennis