Eleven Madison Park
January 16, 2013 § Leave a comment
Finally, exactly six months later, I’ve managed to post about Eleven Madison Park. This was without a doubt the longest (by the time Cindy and I finished this most expensive date ever, it was 1:30am), most extravagant, most memorable meal of Summer 2012 and going through the photos felt like I was reliving it over and over again. Apparently, a lot of the menu has changed since we visited – Daniel Humm, the chef, and the kitchen have revamped the menu twice, I believe – but I can’t imagine that the attention to detail, the warm service (unlike my initial impression of extreme fine dining restaurants, EMP’s staff was very friendly, un-pretentious, and patient, given our very late conclusion to the meal), and the exquisite food has gotten anything but better. I’m too lazy to go into detail about every dish, so just believe me when I say that every single course actually felt necessary (if that’s the right word) towards the overall progression of the meal and distinct in its own right, whether it was the concentrated flavors of the tomato tea, the nostalgia of the clambake, or the sheer unique-ness of the whey with curds and gnocchi.
Beautiful arrangement in the dining room
Beginning with savory miniature black and white cookies
A bit of New York City to start
And a lemony, gin cocktail
Tomato tea with parmesan lavash and lemon thyme
Mackerel and Scallop – horseradish and mustard; chip with pickled daikon and sesame
Yogurt lollipops with curry
Chickpea panisse with yogurt
Trout roe marinated with dashi, cantaloupe, zucchini and watermelon snow
The clambake – one of my favorite courses of the evening
Clam with chorizo, corn and zucchini
Pouring the most velvety clam chowder ever
The extra bread course – with goat and cow butters
A gorgeous plate of couscous smoked with tomato, yogurt, and olives
Foie gras marinated with nepitella and blackberry
Our wine for the evening, recommended by the sommelier
Whey with fresh curds, caraway gnocchi, and spring herbs – very different yet still delicious
Lobster poached with zucchini, avocado, and amaranth
Lamb roasted with artichokes, freekah, and lovage – another favorite and eye-opening course of the evening
Chevre meridian with strawberries, pistachio, and garlic
Our server preparing an updated classic tableside
Egg cream – orange, cocoa nib, and seltzer
Cheesecake – goat cheese, chamomile, and raspberry
Chocolate sorbet with lavender, orange and Maldon sea salt – everything I love in a dessert
Cognac, of which we could enjoy as much as we wanted
Additional mini desserts
And the bookend the meal, sweet black and white cookies
An empty dining room, 1:30am
The bar
Entrance
Our menu – July 16, 2012
A gift to take home – literally the best granola I’ve ever had. I’ve already tried making this at home using Humm’s own recipe but it never comes out nearly as good.
There’s been a trend lately for high-end dining chefs to explore rustic, comfort food at a friendlier price point (chalk it up to the recession or whatever you want) but there’s still something to be said about taking the time (and money) to sit down and enjoy a long meal that lets you forget about everything else. It’ll be a while before I get to return to EMP (I’d love to try the duck course that everyone raves about), but I do think that, if you manage to get the hard-won reservation, it’s definitely well worth the splurge. Thank you to Daniel Humm, the EMP kitchen, and the amazing EMP staff for a truly unforgettable meal, and to Cindy for being crazy enough to go with me and spend so much on a single meal.
Eleven Madison Park
11 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10010
212.889.0905
Notes on Food 
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