One of my favorite ways to celebrate iconic tennis events is to “eat the tournament” by attempting to duplicate the food and flavors offered to fans onsite. Paradoxically, this ritual has not included Roland-Garros ever since I started writing this blog. That glaring omission is explained by the fact that I am usually busy competing in the USTA Level 2 Westwood Championships in Austin as the red clay Grand Slam gets underway. That particular tyranny of the calendar leaves little room for culinary side quests. However, this year, I can’t play Westwood, which allows me to finally turn my attention (and taste buds) to Paris.
In a “Tips for Enjoying” Roland-Garros column written for Sports Illustrated this year, sportswriter Jon Wertheim made the following observation about the fare:
The food on site is … fine. Not embarrassing, not extortionately priced. And the croque monsieur draws rave reviews. But you might want to bring your own sandwiches. Room for improvement here, especially for a city known to have a decent restaurant. Or 10,000.
While that isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement, it does highlight the “croque monsieur,” a French version of the ham and cheese sandwich made with gruyere, parmesan, ham, and a béchamel sauce, toasted in the oven. I have no idea if it is authentic, but I have gathered ingredients for this recipe from the site “Tastes Better from Scratch” for our early tournament viewing noshing. Additionally, that recipe is an easy and scalable way to feed a house full of people, which we happen to have today and tomorrow as the tournament gets underway.
Waffles with Nutella chocolate-hazelnut spread are frequently referenced in the sports media in association with the tournament. In 2017, several sources ran an article (with no byline) on the foods that tempt the tennis players during Roland-Garros. That piece features Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who claimed it is impossible to avoid the sweet aroma in the stadium, and related to readers how she made a beeline to get some for herself immediately after winning the ladies’ doubles championship with Lucie Safarova.
“We are going to the waffles!’ I didn’t want anything else,” Mattek-Sands recalled with a hearty laugh. “So I had the trophy in one arm and was just eating a Nutella waffle from the other. I was still in my match gear.”
That’s a ringing endorsement. I must confess that Nutella-smeared waffles have already been served in the Fiend at Court household this weekend.
The Roland-Garros app is somewhat sparse when compared with the other majors. Additionally, it suffers from language translations for English speakers that the other sites don’t have to deal with. However, there is a function on the app where tennis fans onsite can order a basket of food from a “Click and Collect” kiosk. That part of the site is only offered in French, but with the assistance of Google translate, the “Chic” sharing platter which is intended for two people includes dark chocolate truffles, radishes, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, carrots, mustard greens, white grapes, dried apricots, strawberries, Comté cheese (PDO), dry Cantal sausage (PGI), sourdough baguettes, pan bagnat-style puff pastry roll, spicy chicken rillettes, olive purée with figs, and a chocolate-hazelnut-filled madeleine. That basket is also a featured picture on the “Click and Collect” web page. Armed with the list of contents, I think most US tennis fans could recreate a close facsimile of the “Chic” by shopping at an upscale market.
There’s something undeniably festive about watching the red clay drama unfold while indulging in Roland-Garros-inspired food. It adds texture and depth to the viewing experience, transforming it from passive spectating to something more immersive and participatory. If you can’t make it to Paris for the tournament, recreating a few signature flavors at home is the next best thing. It is a delicious way to feel connected to the action on the court.
