Made it to Eleven Madison Park

2015-11-02

I’ll keep this short. The food at Eleven Madison Park was fucking good. 

Honestly, I was surprised at how modest the interior and atmosphere was. It was warmly lit with high, expansive ceilings. Tables were perfectly prepared with the napkins folded more neatly than anything I own will ever be. But still, nothing was too overwhelming. It was kind of the minimum for what you’d expect from one of the best restaurants IN THE WORLD. Not disappointing, but not as over-the-top as I had expected.

But as it always is, the little things were perfect. I still can’t get over the fact that after dinner, my mom and I had literally just gotten up from our table, when I saw that one of the hosts was already holding my coat for me by the door. I’m pretty sure I didn’t see earpieces on anybody, so it’s just that level of attention and service that sets these experiences apart from anything else.

Okay, I’ll stop talking. Service: Exceeds Expectations. Food: Outstanding. Here’s what we ate:

Greeted by a little gift filled with the classic New York “Black and White cookie” with a savory twist – Cheddar cookies with Apple ChutneyL1010177 Sorry for the terrible picture but I was overwhelmed and hungryL1010178First wine of the night and definitely my favorite. The production of this wine actually marks the beginning of harvest, so what better way to start our meal than something that marks the beginning 😀L1010179Sturgeon Sabayon with Chive (crack cocaine)L1010180L1010181Oyster Pie and Velouté – fun fact: I really like oysters, so this was also crack cocaine L1010182L1010183L1010184Scallops marinated with Black Truffle and LeeksL1010185L1010187Caviar Benedict with Egg, Cauliflower, and HamL1010189L1010190L1010192The butter in the back is Duck Fat Butter L1010191Foie Gras marinated with Cabbage and Red AppleL1010193I actually really can’t do sweet wines, or anything too sweet for that matter, but this Riesling was surprisingly light and deliciousL1010194Waldorf Salad with Apple, Celery, Grapes, and Walnuts, prepared right in front of us 🙂 + a soup right stacked in a bowl below the salad … sorcery!L1010196L1010197L1010198L1010199Lobster poached with Butternut Squash and Chestnuts – one of my mom’s favorite dishes from the nightL1010200L1010201Hen of the Woods Mushroom roasted with Horseradish – This epitomized fine dining for me: a portion so small that in any other setting if somebody served that to me, I would hate them forever. But for such a small thing, it packed a flavorful punch, so you can’t get mad. L1010202L1010204Duck roasted with Collard Greens and Apple – my mom’s other favorite dish from the nightL1010203L1010206L1010208Cato Corner Cheese Fondue with Squash and Mustard – Probably one of my favorite dishes from the night other than the first few. The cheese reminded me a lot of raclette L1010212L1010211Botrytis Ice Cream with Bitter Almond and Ginger Crumble – the first of many desserts, “If you thought we would only give you just one dessert after elevent savory dishes, you were wrong.”  Also, if you knew what Botrytis was off the bat, congratulations you hoL1010214L1010215Milk and Honey Custard with Bee Pollen Ice Cream – (elegantly placed off to one side of the plate, might I add)… also holla at my Koreans … basically Softree!!!! L1010216Chocolate “Name that Milk” and Pretzels with Sea Salt – this was literally a game to match each mystery milk chocolate with the type of animal milk. We didn’t win. L1010220Lavender Mint TeaL1010219L1010223

So thankful and very happy that I got to try this place out before making moves out of the city. Such a special experience with unbelievable food and service.

And that’s all she wrote… (not really but like that was the end of the meal and we were really full and I’m still full. I also could probably write and talk about this experience a lot more, but that burn your eyes, so ask me personally if you want to hear more about it. )

 

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Eleven Madison is a wonderful place. I actually really love the space. Daniel Hume and Will Gudiera are a great team- fron and back of the house and gracious and talented. Good guys. So glad that you made it there. A Bernstein family favorite! Kim From: le hungry otterSent: Monday, November 2, 2015 10:57 PMTo: kimbern@comcast.netReply To: le hungry otterSubject: [New post] Made it to Eleven Madison Park

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kleeball posted: “I’ll keep this short. The food at Eleven Madison Park was fucking good. 

Honestly, I was surprised at how modest the interior and atmosphere was. It was warmly lit with high, expansive ceilings. Tables were perfectly prepared with the napkins folded mo”

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