by Neal Acito

Created on: June 09, 2008   Last Updated: August 06, 2008

Because people have seen me compete on the court, they automatically think that I play hard in my down time as well. Nothing could be further from the truth. When I relax, I truly like to relax. It's not about doing a lot of activities. When my wife and I entertain, we keep it simple. It's the best way. We try to create a laid back atmosphere where friends and family can take it easy and just talk.

Most of the time, we do the informal thing. You know, a barbeque with some steaks and wings. Some people like to pan fry and steak but, to me, there's nothing like grilling outdoors after a good day at the golf course. It doesn't get any better than steaks hot off the grill with Portobello mushrooms, tomatoes, and a baked potato. I suppose that, deep down, I'm still a meat and potatoes man.

I'm not anything close to an expert wine taster or connoisseur, but I truly love a good bottle of wine. My wife is better at choosing wine than I am and so I usually let her choose what goes best with a meal. But years ago, I fell in love with Bordeaux and there's always some around when we entertain.

As the sun goes down and the night gets cooler, I go with a good cigar to top off the evening. It's important that you take a moment when everything is coming at you. For me, a good cigar is a way to relax. Everything fades after that. I forget about the aggravation of business and sitting in traffic. Sometimes it's good to just have a few laughs with close friends and get back in tune with where everyone's at in their lives.

Anyway, that's how I approach entertaining. Good wine, good steaks, good friends. I feel that entertaining should be a laid back respite from the world where friends and family can truly enjoy themselves. It's not about playing hard, it's about kicking off and relaxing.

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