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Tara Lazar Dishes on All Things Delicious at Citi Taste of Tennis

You Won’t Want to Miss This Amazing Event

Written By: Ashlee Polarek

When it comes to delicious food and being surrounded by some of the best players in tennis, Citi Taste of Tennis is the place to be. The evening offers attendees the opportunity to mingle with tennis stars and enjoy signature food and drinks from local restaurateurs kicking off the BNP Paribas Open in The City of Indian Wells. The popular foodie event benefits United Way of the Desert, a charity focused on ending poverty in the Coachella Valley.

Tara Lazar brings brightness to Palm Springs, much like her favorite ingredient lemon juice, which brings brightness to any dish. The Citi Taste of Tennis regular and founder of F10 Creative—a collection of four restaurants, a bar and a catering service—chatted all things entrepreneurship, food and tennis with us gearing up for the event.

Before she was a restaurateur, this Palm Springs native spent her days playing tennis at Mission Hills. Now, she’s started her own business, and even with the workload that comes with it, Lazar believes it’s worth the squeeze: “The gift of having a vision and seeing it through is worth all the stress and work.”

Her business model is simple. Lazar thinks about what she wants to eat that day and then works it into her menus. “Our business looks like 75 percent being surrounded by yummy food, 22 percent fun coworkers and a three percent serious work time,” she says.

When she’s not enjoying a poolside cocktail or camping in Joshua Tree, she can be found at Citi Taste of Tennis, sharing a bite and enjoying the company. “It’s nice to participate in activities that bring the community together that also have a charitable benefit,” says Lazar. “So many of our regulars are there, so many fellow chefs, and tennis is in our DNA.”

Located at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa, Citi Taste of Tennis gives attendees the chance to talk with their favorite pros from the BNP Paribas Open while enjoying delicious food and drinks from various restaurants in the greater Palm Springs area.

Penny and Judi Lerner, the producers of Citi Taste of Tennis, are a female power duo that Lazar speaks highly of. “Penny and Judi use their gut, expert networking and compassion to create these smoothly run events that give back to our favorite charities,” says Lazar. “I think women add a different perspective to decision making. Women seem to have better intuition and as an entrepreneur—you wing it quite a bit, so it’s really helpful to have a good gut.”

So what does Lazar suggest filling that gut with after a long night of tennis? “A margarita, on the rocks, salt on the rim—it does wonders for your second serve.”

What’s Your Flavor? If Lazar described Palm Springs in a flavor it would be Candied Lemon Zest.

#DailyInspo: Lazar’s advice to an aspiring chef? “Cook what you would like to eat, not what you think others want to eat.”

Citi Taste of Tennis

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Ashlee is a freelance writer with a focus on travel, lifestyle and food. After obtaining her degree in Journalism she took the world by storm teaching in South Korea and giving motivation speeches across the United States. She can often be found on road-trips, plane rides and cooking up her favorite meal from her most recent travels. The anti-homebody loves a good hike, good book and a day spent with friends.

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