Eleven Madison Park
11 Madison Ave.
New York NY 10010
(212) 889-0905
Official Site
New York City has the most diverse food scene on the planet; here you can find every imaginable type of cuisine, from high end to casual dining. The city’s dining landscape is an image of the melting pot of its residents. Unlike other gastronomic power houses like San Sebastian in Spain, Paris and Tokyo, where their best restaurant serves local cuisine, New York City has never had a dining establishment that it can call its own. For years the top restaurant were French, Italian or Japanese but that all changed in 2012 when Eleven Madison Park transferred ownership from Danny Meyer to its Executive Chef Daniel Humm and General Manager Will Guidara. They transformed it into a restaurant synonymous to the Big Apple.
With three Michelin stars and four stars from the New York Times, Eleven Madison Park was already beaming with accolades but being on the top echelon was not enough for the duo. They had to push the envelope. They made drastic changes that were very risky, including replacing the set menus with one tasting menu that would showcase the culinary history and local ingredients of New York City and the surrounding area. The price was also increased to $225 per person making it one of the expensive in the city. They also decreased the number of seats from 100 plus to 80 in order to provide a more personal dining experience for the guest. As a result of these changes, Eleven Madison Park is recognized globally as one of the best restaurant in the world.
Located in the lobby of the Metropolitan Life North Building, the Art Deco interior of Eleven Madison Park is reminiscence of the roaring twenties. The stunning dining room and its high ceilings are supported by mighty pillars. Large windows with Madison Square Park as a backdrop allow ample natural light to enter. Wooden panels with the restaurants four leaf pattern runs throughout the space and the antique terrazzo floorings adds to the beauty of the dining room. The wooden seats with black leather to go with spacious tables are made to provide each guest with maximum comfort and relaxation for this monumental meal. There is no menu and up to the end when the printed menu is presented each plate is a surprise.
Before this epic feast begins, each guest is required to open a small envelope on the table containing a ticket and must choose an item that will eventually show up during the course of the meal. On this particular day I chose maple.
The tasting started with a small bag of smoked paprika seasoned almonds made to mimic the ones that are being sold on every street corner along 5th avenue, followed by a bite size black and white cookie that was founded here in the city. Not a bad opening act. The first official course was served thereafter.
Tasting Menu:
Scallops marinated with apple, pine and water crust, served in the shell. This was an excellent intro in preparing the palate. Then the sturgeon course was served in two parts; the first was the smoked sturgeon sabayon with chive oil served in a perfectly cut egg shell. It was a lovely combination of creaminess and smokiness. The second part was pieces of sturgeon smoked in a dome glass with a side of thinly sliced toast, caviar with cream cheese, home-made pickles and a plate of quail egg with bagel crumble. This was paired with maple soda. Everything about this dish is terrific!
Bread was snuck in between courses that came along with two types of butter, one being made with duck fat that will be used with the duck dish later on according to the server. The bread was freshly made and served at room temperature and its texture was similar to a croissant.
At the beginning of the meal I was presented with a choice of seared or cured foie gras. Choosing the first option, I was served a wonderfully seared foie gras with sun chokes, hazelnut, and solera vinegar. The buttery foie gras was well complimented by the sourness of the vinegar.
The next course was the Waldorf Salad made with fresh apples, celery, cranberries and walnuts prepared table side by one of the kitchen staff. While the apples are peeled, sliced and put together an opened book is placed on the table detailing the New York salads history. Served in a wooden bowl that when finished the top was removed, an element of surprise of granola with yogurt lay hidden underneath. At first this did not make sense, but after a few tastes this was actually a palate cleanser.
The lobster course was also served in two parts. The first is a bowl of ice with a lobster claw stuffed with lobster salad, razor clams with kale puree and sliced of pears that is both appetizing and light. The other was elegantly poached with razor clams hidden beneath a piece of kale, slice of pear and urchin foam.
Celery root with black truffle sauce and celery puree was the next course. The ball of celery root doused with truffle sauce had an earthy taste and the puree was delicious. A simple dish but very flavorful.
For the main course, I had the famous Duck that was presented whole before being brought back to the kitchen and sliced. I was served a duck broth packed with flavor to sip on as I waited. Tasty duck meat was carved handsomely; the skin was crispy and layered with herbs and spices while the inside was delicate and soft.
The restaurant had some fun with the cheese course and served a picnic basket inspired by Madison Square Park. It contained cured meat, dried fruit, figs, cheese from Murray’s Cheese store and a bottle of beer from upstate, brewed specifically for the restaurant.
The desserts were highlighted by another dish invented in New York City, Baked Alaska. It was flambéed table side before going back to the kitchen for plating. Prior to serving there was the pre-dessert course of sweet potato curd with espresso meringue and orange sorbet. Finally the Baked Alaska with rum, raisin and cranberries, portioned accordingly. It was both rich and sweet.
Just when I thought the tasting was done, a chocolate pretzel covered with sea salt was placed in front of me along with some brandy, the bottle left on the table. To end the meal a sweet version of the black and white cookie made with cinnamon was served. Before leaving a parting gift of a mason jar filled with granola along with the menu for that day was given.
Eleven Madison Park has an extensive global wine list as well as local wines. And believe it or not a $40 bottle is available. There’s also a page dedicated to wines of New York. Since I wanted the New York experience I went for a bottle of Pinot Noir from Finger Lakes that I enjoyed with my meal.
After four hours of dining, I had one of the best meals (if not the best) I’ve ever had in my life. I was also educated in “New York” cuisine, as a lot of the food that we eat every day was founded here and in the surrounding areas.
I returned to Eleven Madison Park a few weeks after with two other companions for a modest dinner at the bar. The bar has a limited menu that offers select dishes from the tasting menu and is available a la carte. Once again I had the poached lobster with razor clam and sea urchin that tasted better than before. I also had the perfectly pan seared striped bass with watercress and the earthy freekah risotto. Each dish was cooked with excellent consistency. The attention to detail, with an innovative and playfulness, was cooking perfection.
I also had the pleasure of taking a kitchen tour where I was able to go behind the scenes and witness the brigades in their whites moving in synchronized motion, seeing what makes Eleven Madison Park runs.
The restaurant prides itself not only with their food but also with their hospitality. They redefined the meaning of service, going extra mile by Googling every guest to find out more about them in order to provide the best dining experience. The staff is young, professional and without the stuffiness. It’s not uptight as most fine dining, but rather more of a personal approach with a fun atmosphere. There were different faces that came by my table and all of them very welcoming and warm.
New York City and the surrounding area have a rich culinary history that is untapped and Eleven Madison Park is leading the way in showcasing “New York’ cuisine to both locals and travelling gastronome. As a lifelong New Yorker, I am proud to have a restaurant of this stature that we can call our own.
For individuals who are ordering medicines online, there are several significant factors that must be mature. Internet is an ideal practice to get medicaments. Several medicaments are antifungal medicines. There are at least some medicaments for each sicknesses. Levitra is a medication prescribed to treat few ailments. What do you have to consider about cialis vs viagra? When you buy remedies like Levitra you should ask your druggist about viagra vs cialis. Many drugstores describe it as viagra or cialis. Many probably sure the forcefulness of Levitra is well documented. In addition, there are some of explanations and pharmacists are mostly able to pinpoint your problem through biological tests. Ordinarily the treatment options may turn on erectile disfunction medicaments or counseling. Your generic is for you only. Never give your drugs to other men even if their status appears to be the same as yours.