World Class Tennis Players Enjoy Evening at Polish Consulate before U.S. Open Tournament in New York
Chef Czenczek of Brooklyn’s Amber Steakhouse Wows Guests
On the eve of the start of the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament in Flushing Meadows, it became the perfect time to celebrate the heritage of the Polish tennis players on the professional tour.
Front and center was world ranked number one, Caroline Wozniacki. After coming off another win at The New Haven Open, Wozniacki has garnered world attention and regained the glamour gal title.
Despite a brief rain delay and threatening weather from Hurricane Irene, she won her fourth straight Connecticut championship on the Yale campus. Wozniacki defeated Petra Cetkovska 6-4, 6-1. After the win, Wozniacki, 21, celebrating with her new boyfriend, golfer Rory McIlroy, 22, they did an improvised photo shoot with the Yale football team.
Then it was on to New York for the Republic of Poland Consular reception. Wozniacki had McIlroy as her guest. McIlroy has received some of the same world-wide attention after winning the U.S. Open Golf title in June by eight strokes. He is still basking in that glow after such a prestigious title win at the Congressional outside of Washington, D.C.
The couple was front and center at the dinner catered by the celebrated Amber Steakhouse of Brooklyn. The fine dining restaurant is located in the center of the Polish Greenpoint area and anchors the corner on Nassau Avenue near a number of Polish purveyors.
The evening was hosted by the Polish Consulate General in New York and a sports video presentation was shown to the guests. Sports photo-journalists Andrzej Kentla and Wojciech Kubik produced the short production.
Golf promoter, Pawel Gasiar of Forum Travel in Brooklyn finalized the itinerary for the evening. He will be hosting the Polonia Open Golf and Tennis Tournament in West Palm Beach next February.
Amber Steakhouse general manager Andrzej Dynisckiewicz explained about the food preparation. “Our head chef, Patryk Czenczek only picks the finest cuts and ages the beef. We get the best American beef from longtime and distinguished provider Henryk Skrodzki of Greenpoint. His Podlasie Market is an institution for providing the best products in Brooklyn.”
Chef Czenczek was enthusiastic when talking about the strolling dinner. He explained, “The gazpacho in martini glasses was well-liked as it was convenient to handle. The smoked salmon tartar along with the tuna and scallop ceviche was popular.”
It was apparent that the chef was pleased with his selections. He added, “Most popular was the mini-fillets of beef with parsnip puree and port wine reduction. We had pulled pork sliders as the comfort food. Some of the girls shied away from deser (dessert) but many tasted the creme brulee. It is one of our signatures. I shared many recipes. These are international travelers with adventurous palettes.”
Said INGLOT Cosmetics representative Marek Skulimowski, “The evening gives the players a chance to relax and socialize in comfortable surroundings. When the tournament starts everything will be intense.”
Joining Wozniacki in the receiving line was Marta Domachowska, Urszula Radwanska, Agnieszka Radwanska, Klaudia Jans-Ignacik, Alicja Rosolski and Angelique Kerber. Consular spokesperson Przemyslaw Balcerzyk pointed out the historic items and art in the building to the. Most were amazed at the authentic period fixtures in the Consulates’ Beaux Arts De Lamar Mansion on Madison Avenue. It was a chance for the young players to catch up on history and heritage.
McIlrory was comfortable talking about golf, tennis and being the ‘It’ couple. “I think we definitely spur each other on.
She’s number one in the world and that’s a big goal of mine. I want to become the best player in the world also,” added McIlroy. After the consular function he was off to the European Masters in Switzerland. The Northern Irishman said that the stunning alpine course at Crains-sur-Sierre is a favorite. “My focus is gaining enough qualifying points to make the 2012-Euro Ryder Cup Team.” After Switzerland he will be at the KLM Open in the Netherlands just when the U.S. Open Tennis will be concluding.
McIlroy added, “I got to watch tennis in Cincinnati and in New Haven and she (Caroline) is remarkable. She’s got a great work ethic and it’s something I can probably learn a lot from. Tennis is a lot more physically demanding than golf. They do put the work in, they really do. It’s just amazing how they can get up each morning and keep doing the same thing, putting their bodies through that. It’s pretty impressive.”
McIlroy has been nursing a sore arm from hitting a tree root during the PGA Championship. He has been sensing some shoulder discomfort from compensating for the wrist injury.
The evening also gave time for Wozniacki to socialize with her best friend on the tour, Agnieszka Radwanska, 22. Radwanska, a Krakow native, is ranked # 12 in the WTA. All of the world class players at the reception received a welcome bag of gifts from the Polish-American sponsors. Front and center were the cosmetics from renowned international manufacturer INGLOT Cosmetics. The younger Radwanska sister, Urszula, 20, immediately started a lively fashion conversation. She said smiling, “This will help my style game.”
Just Perfect Jewelry, Zywiec Beer, DONNAY Racquets, Amber Steakhouse and Johan Kriek Tennis Academy supported the event.
For New Yorkers and visitors alike, the U.S. Open tennis show isn’t just on the court. In addition to world-class play, the U.S. Open features free concerts and live music all week on the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
http://ambersteak.com/
