Eleven Madison Park (New York, NY) [2]

Eleven Madison Park
11 Madison Ave
New York, NY 10010
Dining date: 9/26/16

This was my second time dining at Eleven Madison Park. There aren’t many restaurants more highly regarded – the Michelin three star restaurant continues to climb the list of the world’s best restaurants, currently at #3 in the 2016 list. I think my expectations were a little too high in my first visit and have been wanting to give EMP another try.

Black and White savory cookie with apple and cheddar

The meal started off with a black and white savory cookie with vibrant cheese notes.

Cucumber with Cream Cheese and Rye
Melon Variations with Tomato and Goat Cheese
Cucumber with Honeydew and Mint
Cantaloupe with Smoked Watermelon

The next course was this variety of small bites. Cantaloupe with smoked watermelon and the cucumber-ginger “salad” were highlights.

Bread and butter were both excellent.

Foie Gras seared with strawberry and onion

Smoked and fresh strawberries paired very well with the rich foie gras with texture from the earthy crisped quinoa.

Caviar picnic with pickled mackerel and ratatouille

The next course took me on a picnic centered around smoked sturgeon and caviar. This was accompanied by bright pickled tomatoes and a ratatouille. A bottle of tomato champagne paired with the food.

At this point in the meal, I was invited into the kitchen to get a view of the behind-the-scenes action.

Blackberry Ice

While in the kitchen, they whipped up this refreshing treat.

Corn with fresh and smoked clams

The corn had a great sweetness, paired up with the salty but sweet clams. Not a whole lot of the smokiness came through, though.

Lobster Boil with beans, bacon, and potatoes

The next course was a tableside lobster boil with lobster, clams, shrimp and a bean salad. It was a fun presentation, though wasn’t the most interesting of dishes, food-wise.

Beef dry-aged ribeye with eggplant

Tomato roasted and compressed with bread

Potato smoked with pommes souffle

The 140 day dry aged ribeye was nutty, grassy and beefy with the savory jus. Tomatoes with basil were vibrant and full of flavor while the potato mousse was creamy with varying textures.

Plum grilled with ricotta ice cream and oats

Moving into the sweet side of the menu, plum with honey was grilled at the table and finished with a ricotta ice cream. I loved the layers of sweetness and textures in this one.

Chocolate ganache with orange cream

A milk and dark chocolate ganache with orange blossom cream and a cocoa nib ice cream highlighted the orange-chocolate pairing.

Chocolate “Name That Milk”

4 bars of milk chocolate (cow, bison, sheep, goat) made for a fun tasting/guessing game.

Chocolate Pretzel with Sea Salt

The meal ended with chocolate pretzels and a bottle of apple brandy.

Lastly, out came a bag of the restaurant’s signature granola and a tin filled with this evening’s menu.

I enjoyed this meal at Eleven Madison Park more than my last. It was less whimsical, but still playful – it was just fun to follow every step of the way. The food was strong as expected, executed well with a nice balance of flavors and textures.