Eleven Madison Park in Pictures
My relationship with Eleven Madison Park caused a little bit of a ruckus once. The first time I dined there, I thought the meal was generally fantastic but not as life-altering as I’d expected. I gave it meal 4 out of 5 donuts without an ounce of malevolence intended. But the restaurant wanted me to be completely happy, so they invited me back for a meal on the house and the opportunity to be wowed. People on the food-related message board where I posted the review called me a whiner, and donuts4dinner got mean comments for the first time in its history. But I didn’t care, because my second meal at EMP was so phenomenal that I regretted my first review and became an EMP fan for life. My third visit was also excellent and had me asking if this was the best restaurant in NYC.
I went back for the fourth time almost a year ago and had a meal that easily bettered my third and may have been more delicious than even my second. I had decided after my third time at EMP that while I loved it, it wasn’t the best fine dining experience in all of NYC. My fourth meal there changed my mind. Everything was so exciting and new, so amazingly delicious, and coupled with such perfect service that there was no question anymore. I never posted a review back then, but feeling the effects of EMP withdrawal recently, I pulled my pictures out and decided I at least wanted that much of a record of the meal here. I’ve heard that the menu is totally different at EMP these days, so don’t use this as any indication of what you might see there now, but you can bet the food is still just as incredible.
Bereche & Fils, Brut Reserve, Ludes, Champagne, France
CHEDDAR: savory black and white cookie with apple
OYSTER: wood sorrel, buckwheat, mignonette
SEA URCHIN: custard with apple, scallop, and chervil
Bodegas El Maestro Sierra, Jerez, Spain
SURF CLAM: morcilla sausage, pear, and celery root
LITTLENECK CLAM: clambake with whelk, Parker House roll, and chowder
Francois Villard, Les Terrasses du Palat, Condrieu, Rhone Valley, France 2009
FOIE GRAS: terrine with bitter greens, pear, and achovy
Pichler-Krutzler, Gruner Veltliner, Loibner Klostersatz, Wachau, Austria 2011
Whole carrots, ground tableside.
CARROT: tartare with rye bread and condiments
What’s more exciting than a whole tray of fresh ingredients to play with?
The kitchen tour always includes a liquid nitrogen cocktail.
Schlossgut Diel, Riesling, Dorsheim, Trocken, Nahe, Germany 2010
LOBSTER: poached with rutabaga, pear, and lovage bisque
Domaine Comte Abbatucci, Rouge Frais Imperial, Sciacarellu, Corsica, France
SALSIFY: roasted with apples and black pudding
Tenuta Sella, Nebbiolo, Lessona, Piedmont, Italy 2006
They presented the 140-day aged ribeye to us and then took it back to the kitchen to prepare it.
BEEF: grilled with mushrooms and bone marrow, braised oxtail with foie gras and potato
Ithaca Beer Company, Picnic Basket Ale, Ithaca, New York
GREENSWARD: pretzel, mustard, and dried fruit
MALT: egg cream with vanilla and seltzer
J.J. Prum, Bernkasteler Lay, Auslese, Mosel, Germany 1998
J.J. Prum is my absolute favourite wine, and it just appeared at our table out of nowhere. I wouldn’t put it past EMP’s amazing customer service to have researched the wine we liked.
CELERY ROOT: creme cake with apple sorbet, walnut, and white pepper
SHEEP’S MILK: cheesecake with earl grey and honey
At the time, EMP was known for its magic trick. The server brought our dessert plates to us and then asked us to pick a card from a deck. Each card had a different ingredient printed on it, and I chose a card with a rose. When I lifted my plate, the top separated from the base, and underneath was a rose-flavored chocolate that had been there all along. I’m weirdly a fan of magic tricks, so I thought this was the coolest. Other people thought it was gimmicky, but other people are curmudgeons.
PRETZEL: chocolate covered with sea salt
CHOCOLATE: sweet black and white cookie with apricot
So now you see why I can’t wait to go back.
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ellenost
Great photos (as always). Had another terrific dinner at EMP a few weeks ago for the new spring menu. A number of my favorite courses have been replaced. Still one of my top 3 restaurants (along with Ko (had lunch this past Saturday; it was AMAZING!) and Atera (rocket climb to the top of my favorites)). Hoping to return to EMP for my birthday in August.
donuts4dinner
Thanks, Ellen! So great to hear from you, and so glad to hear all of my favourite restaurants are still going strong. I’m dying to go back to all three of them! I’d love to hear what your favourite thing at Ko was.
Andrew
I never tried that iteration of the New England clam bake (sigh). Looks like a fantastic meal!
donuts4dinner
Oh, too bad! It was more novelty than anything, but I sure did love it. Your recent meals there looked so incredible, though. I was going through your pictures again today on Flickr and posted that amazing baked Alaska on Facebook for my friends to enjoy.
Ttrockwood
What an epic meal!!
I am also a huge fan of JJ Prumm wines- especially the reislings! All of those pairings sound thoughtful and interesting, I’m so curious about the sherry you had….
donuts4dinner
I’ve discovered so many wines I like by just leaving it in the restaurant’s hands. Neat to find someone else who likes Prums! Did I have a sherry with this meal? Or do you mean the apple brandy?
Ttrockwood
Oooh!! That was apple brandy ?!? Haha, I just assumed it was sherry since it came from Jerez….. But apple brandy sounds even more amazing.