Jul 2011

Eleven Madison Park – New York City

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

Following our wonderful travels in Montréal, The Astronomer and I headed stateside to New York City! The moment we stepped off the train at Penn Station, we booked it to Eleven Madison Park for dinner. I would’ve preferred a later reservation in order to freshen up at the hotel, but the first seating was all I could snag a few weeks in advance. We arrived at the restaurant slightly sweaty from the heat, but ready to be swept away by one of the city’s finest establishments.

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

Opened in 1998, Eleven Madison Park is owned by restauranteur extraordinaire Danny Meyer. Chef Daniel Humm was brought on board in 2006, and under his care, the restaurant received four stars from The New York Times in 2009. Chef Humm was named “Best Chef: NYC” by the James Beard Foundation in 2010.

We were seated promptly upon our arrival along the row of tables situated toward the back of the restaurant. Our seat offered lovely views of the room’s grand windows and larger than life floral arrangements.

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

At Eleven Madison Park, diners can choose either four courses ($125) or a tasting menu ($195). Since I had to fit into a bridesmaid dress at the end of the week, we played it safe and went for four courses.

In place of a traditional menu, diners are presented with a 4×4 grid containing 16 ingredients. Each row represents a different course, and diners are asked to choose the ingredient that fancies them most. After years of eating tasting menus where my preferences were never considered, I appreciated this innovation greatly.

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

Before the “official” courses began, a series of small nibbles were sent out from the kitchen. First up was a dish of bite-sized gougères, served warm with the lightest sprinkling of salt.

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

The next bite to arrive was a petite saucer filled with chilled English pea and mint velouté. The smooth and refreshing soup was topped with buttermilk snow. For crunch and contrast, a slightly cheesy toast adorned with peas rested along the rim.

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

A duo of seafood preparations came next. Ceviche-style Massachusetts day boat scallops were served on the half shell with fennel, citrus, and orange.

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

Served in tandem were airy rice crackers topped with fluke, basil mayonnaise, and a teeny Meyer lemon sphere. Both bites were well-balanced, fresh, and bright.

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

The fifth little dish to grace our table was the most adorable goat cheese croquettes ever. The thumbnail-sized bites paired deliciously with the zippy watercress vinaigrette served alongside.

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

The final amuse bouche was a pair of charming beet and goat cheese lollipops. I liked how the savory ‘pops contained a buttery layer in between the cheese and beet powder. Mmm, boy.

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

Bread service signaled that our four course feast was about to begin. The warm rolls arrived tucked inside a burlap pouch along with two butters, goat and cow. Even though the flaky rolls were rich in their own right, we couldn’t help slathering on a little more decadence with each bite.

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

From the first row of ingredients, I selected “foie gras” while The Astronomer chose “trout.”

Foie gras in terrine form is my absolute favorite, so I was stoked to it see it prepared just so. The picture perfect terrine was adorned with rhubarb, pickled ramps, and pools of sauternes that had a gel-like consistency and tasted like honey. On the side was a rhubarb espuma and foie gras pudding, as well as black pepper brioche.

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

Of all the elements canvasing the plate, I found that the slightly tart rhubarb partnered best with the terrine. The rhubarb espuma with the foie gras pudding was a frothy and luscious bonus. EMP’s foie gras was the most exciting preparation I’ve ever encountered.

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

The Astronomer’s smoked trout platter contained a smattering of peanuts, asparagus, lemon, trout roe, rye crisps, and creme fraiche. The flavors were wholly familiar, while the presentation was thoroughly modern.

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

For our second course, I chose “egg” while The Astronomer chose “lobster.”

My “egg” came softly poached with snappy English peas, frog legs, ramps, and shrimp. The flavors were mild and harmonious, with the runny yolk effectively coating every element with its velvety richness.

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

While my dish was elegant and understated, The Astronomer’s butter poached lobster was bold and exciting. The lobster was served with a citrus foam, spring vegetables, carrot puree, and poached carrots. Chef Humm topped the succulent tail with a fabulously crunchy and spicy vadouvan granola that made The Astronomer swoon. Rumor has it, the chef has a thing for granola

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

For our third course, The Astronomer and I bypassed the “eggplant,” “chicken,” “pork,” and “lamb” and went with the duck for two. Dry-aged for two weeks and roasted with honey and lavender, the Muscovy duck arrived at the table looking positively glorious. I’d never laid eyes on a more beautiful bird.

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

A dining room manager carved into the duck’s taut, golden, and crackling skin tableside to extract the choicest morsels for our consumption. Everyone in the dining room turned their heads to admire the pomp and circumstance. The remaining carcass was returned to the kitchen to be made into duck confit.

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

Splayed just so, the slices of duck were served with a celery and rhubarb compote and a rhubarb puree. The meat was perfectly tender with a succulent ring of fat, while the skin was caramelized and crisp. This is a must-order for duck lovers.

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

Served alongside the duck was a small dish of duck confit smothered in buttery potatoes.

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

In between our meaty mains and sweet desserts, we were served fizzy glasses of egg cream. Made tableside by another dining room manager, the egg cream was comprised of vanilla malt, whole milk, seltzer water, and a few drops of olive oil.

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

The tall glass of egg cream cleansed our palates and readied them for the final stretch.

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

For our fourth and final course, I chose “strawberry” while The Astronomer chose “pear.”

My dessert was a vacherin accented with lemon, basil, and strawberry. The bits of meringue added an element of crunch in an otherwise gooey and creamy landscape.

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

The Astronomer’s pears were poached with honey and ginger and were served with a honey crumble and a creme fraiche sorbet. When it comes to desserts, we lean toward the fruitier end of the spectrum. These two creations satisfied our sweet tooths without sending our blood sugar levels into overdrive.

Eleven Madison Park

After we polished off our desserts, The Astronomer and I were invited into the kitchen for a brief tour and liquid nitrogen cocktails. We couldn’t believe our good fortune!

Eleven Madison Park

Made right before our eyes, the cocktail was comprised of champagne solidified in liquid nitrogen, orange juice, and bits of fruit. As we drank our cocktails, we learned about the restaurant’s history, philosophy, and the importance of Miles Davis in the kitchen. Our meal was already brilliant, and this special detour made it even more so.

Eleven Madison Park - New York City

As if taking a peak behind the curtains and being treated to cocktails wasn’t enough, The Astronomer and I were led to the Flatiron Lounge to enjoy our mignardise and a digestif. We were each poured a splash of the Guillon-Painturaud Cognac V.S.O.P. and invited to drink as much as we pleased. A jar full of granola was presented to us on the way out. I told you the chef had a thing for granola.

Eleven Madison Park is my kind of fine dining—phenomenal and interesting food complemented by friendly and professional service. Best of all, the “pick an ingredient” format allowed me to customize my experience from start to finish. From here on out, I cannot imagine visiting New York City without sitting down for dinner at Eleven Madison Park.

NEW YORK CITY - MAY 2011

Eleven Madison Park
11 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10010-3643
Phone: 212-889-0905

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24 thoughts on “Eleven Madison Park – New York City

  1. Such gorgeous dishes! You’ve just reminded me that I really REALLY need to plan a trip to New York soon. Eleven Madison Park has been on my mind for too long.

  2. Wow, I love the personalization of the meal! Such an awesome fine dining experience.

  3. In awe. Of the amuse bouches, of the ability to select courses by ingredient, and by that amazing beastly duck. Take me to that place! Major swoon.

  4. Really enjoyed your nice & vivid description of the food and the overall experience. 11MadisonPark is one of my favorites in Manhattan. Indeed, a wonderful culinary experience!

  5. well I’m glad you had an early seating, the lighting is so lovely and bright. from the croquettes to the cognac, it all looked just grand…

  6. wow, those pictures are superb! also, it sounds and looks like the experience and service were quite extraordinary. i definitely must visit EMP next time i visit the city.

  7. This looks to be a truly special dining experience. I go to NYC once a year; last time I went to JG, but this time I’ll be going here. Based on my research, it looks better than JG.

  8. Great review, so much that it has persuaded me to book this restaurant on a trip that I am planning to NY in December. I am very much looking forward to this amazing experience! I am also now going to follow your blog as I enjoy your reviews. I am also a food blogger but very new to this and I do enjoy reading finding other food blogs to read.

  9. Oh, I always wanted to go to new york and now I have one more reason – delicious food! The pictures and the food looks gorgeous, I can only imagine it must taste delicious too!

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