Tag Archives: best restaurant in new york

The New Champion: Eleven Madison Park- Part 2

13 Dec

Welcome back to our incredible meal at Eleven Madison Park. If you haven’t read Part 1 of our number one meal of all time, please go back there and come back here when you’re done!

So where were we?

Oh yes… we had just had some salsify and realized our cocktails were, sadly, empty.  So it was time for wine (while I was tempted by the wine pairing, I was nervous that I would be too drunk at the end to really enjoy and remember the meal… so we went for a bottle instead).  We told the sommelier that our favorite white wines were Vouvray and Russian River Chardonnay.  He mentioned that we had diverse flavors and we discussed trying something that was interesting. He recommended we try a WHITE Rioja. I hadn’t heard of a white Rioja, but we were game.  It came in netting. How fun!  

The wine tasted great and complimented the whole meal well. Must keep white Rioja in mind!

DSCF2244

But now… back to the meat grinder!

DSCF2246

We were soon given a tray of a whole bunch of mini bowls.  From left to right and top to bottom, there was an apple mustard, sunflower seeds, quail egg, dried blue fish, chives, whole grain mustard, horse radish, apple, and salt (the same special salt as before). In the little squeeze bottles were an apple oil and the other was a horse radish oil of some kind.

DSCF2248

It was also served with slices of rye bread.

DSCF2249

But what was going into the meat grinder?  Never would have expected this…

DSCF2250

Fresh New York carrots were ground for us right at the table into “carrot tartare.”

DSCF2253

It made a great consistency that was neither mushy nor crunchy, but exactly the same texture as tartare. How interesting!

DSCF2255

You then mix in however much of anything you want and enjoy.

DSCF2259

I really enjoyed the taste of the quail egg with the carrot.

DSCF2260

Our next course was one of my absolute favorites. It was lobster with poached leeks, black onion, and a shellfish bisque. I also think one of the waiters mentioned it had black garlic in it (one of my favorite flavors). This was everything right.  The leeks had a delicious char flavor and the lobster was so sweet and flavorful.  It all went so well together and I couldn’t believe how elevated this dish was. (Come on! How do you possibly elevate LOBSTER?! Amazing!)

DSCF2262

As we were finishing up, we were presented with our 140 day aged beef.

DSCF2264

And we saw the duck (that we didn’t choose) presented to the table next door. It was lavender and honey coated.

DSCF2266

While we awaited our beef, we were presented with a roasted parsnip with sesame, parsley, and dijon.  It had a parsnip chip on top.  I am not a huge parsnip fan, but this was a really fantastic presentation and all the textures made it very interesting. I was impressed that a parsnip could be made to taste this good.

DSCF2269

Once we finished our parsnip, a bowl of magic was put in front of us.  I cannot do justice to the smell (and taste) that came from this bowl. It was an introduction to the flavors we would be having next, a beef broth made with the same seasonings as our next course. It was a nostalgic flavor that brought me immediately back to my Great Grandmother’s kitchen. It was a memory I didn’t even know I had. Smell is a magical thing.

DSCF2271

After our incredible broth, we were given our beef course.  It was grilled with mushrooms (the likes of which was a variety I have never seen), amaranth, and arugula.  The amaranth is a tiny North American grain that was toasted and added a perfect little crispiness to this dish.  It was served with a sauce with the same flavors as the broth.

DSCF2273

On the side was a braised oxtail with foie gras and potato.  The oxtail was the texture of short ribs and incredibly rich in flavor.  The foie gras and the potato had such a great flavor, and it was all a bit reminiscent of a (brilliant) shepherds pie with that potato/meaty combo.

DSCF2275

The rib eye steak itself was absolutely incredible.  Charred and perfectly cooked, with an amazing sauce.  Every bite made me do the “happy belly dance.”

DSCF2274

What came next was one of my favorite parts of the whole meal. It started with a porcelain plate that perfectly resembled a paper plate.

Import December 2012 iPhone 607

And then out came a mystery basket they called a “Greensward.”  

They said everything we would need was in the basket, except we may need a bottle opener, which they provided.

DSCF2278

We took a peak

DSCF2280

Inside was a beer, a soft pretzel, cheese, grapes, and plum mustard.  

I commented that the restaurant was like Christmas, because you just got to keep opening up presents.

Import December 2012 iPhone 606

The beer was a special brew from Ithaca Beer Co. and we really enjoyed it. It was perfect with everything.

DSCF2285

I went to Ithaca College and always liked this brewery. I’m so glad it’s growing and now showing up all over the place in NYC!

DSCF2295

The plum mustard was a bit much for me (not a mustard fan), but Mike liked it.

DSCF2287

The cheese was served inside a mystery box…

DSCF2289

… and the cheese smell when you opened it was awesome.

DSCF2291

The grapes and pretzel went perfectly with the cheese and beer.  It was just a perfect picnic basket and totally FUN!

DSCF2293

After we were done with our picnic, they wheeled over a cart and started mixing up their take on the egg cream.  It was made with vanilla malt and fresh seltzer right in front of us.

DSCF2298

I’m not sure if I’ve ever had a real egg cream, but I can tell you that I never have had, nor probably will ever have again, an egg cream as good as this. It was a little glass of heaven.

It was a great conversion from our savory courses to our desserts. 

DSCF2306

Our first dessert came out and looked like autumn on a plate. It was poached pear with honey and acorn. (Acorn?) I don’t know what acorn tastes like, but if that was what we ate, I think I want to be a squirrel.

This was perfect. Everything I could possibly want. Totally my kind of dessert. I absolutely loved this combination.

DSCF2308

And then we had some excellent coffee.

DSCF2313

DSCF2317

And started our last course: sheep’s milk cheesecake and port with walnut ice cream. I really loved the walnut ice cream. It was very mildly walnut flavored, but identifiable so.  The port and the cheesecake mixed so well with everything.

DSCF2315

And then Mike cheated.

He noticed that the plate below his dessert was moving around and he lifted it to find a little chocolate in a dish below.

At which point our poor waitress (noticing he made this discovery) ran over (with grace) and asked us to cut a deck of cards. She spread them out and then did some magic and gave us each a card.

DSCF2318

Mike’s card was blackberry… 

DSCF2321

…which was MYSTERIOUSLY the chocolate he had discovered.

DSCF2323

Mine was espresso…

DSCF2320

…which was my chocolate (surprise!)  What a novel and fun way to end such a novel and fun meal!

DSCF2322

And then our meal ended just how it began… with a perfect little pastry box all tied up.

DSCF2325

And inside was another set of black and white cookies, but these were of the sweet variety.  They were apricot and something else, but Mike’s handwriting (he was the note taker for this meal while I photographed) is unreadable at this point (I’m blaming the booze!)

DSCF2326

But then… there was one more.

It started with this homemade apple brandy being placed on our table, with the comment that we could drink as much of it as we wanted… I really enjoyed it, but damn was it STRONG! I only had a couple sips, but I enjoyed it.

DSCF2334

And then out came two perfect chocolate covered pretzels to end the meal.

DSCF2335

We marveled over the incredible adventure of a meal we just had. It was such a journey filled with fun surprises and every single bite was fantastic.  Usually tasting menus are filled with a few memorable bites and some other things you don’t remember.  Even the best ones.  Even a couple days later, we still have moments where we recall a whole bunch of courses from the meal and marvel at how amazing they were.

When the bill came, our server informed us that they had taken the drinks off the bill because they were late. I was really impressed that they went to this level of service to remove the cocktails.  But upon reflect, I think they might have taken the cocktails AND the bottle of wine off the bill.  I almost feel bad about it, because I’m not sure if they meant to do that. I have no idea! 

The service from start to finish was fantastic. There was only the 2 little blips with the cocktails being delayed a bit and then the one egg dish coming out without a description, but I can hardly remember those when put in light of the rest of the meal. Our server, specifically, was impeccable in every way.

As we stood up to go, we were given two cute little boxes to take home.

DSCF2338

In our little boxes was a sweet note for a Happy Anniversary.

DSCF2341

And 2 chocolates to take home. (We ate these a few days later and HOLY CRAP! They were so insanely good. It was like a spark of the meal we had and brought back all those awesome memories).

DSCF2343

Then a final bag with a jar of the chef’s favorite breakfast granola for the next morning.  (It is probably the best granola I’ve ever had and I just love when a restaurant sends me home with something awesome for the morning)

DSCF2340

What an amazing meal! I don’t know if I could say it enough. It was just freakin’ fantastic.

And we had no doubt as we left that it was the best meal we’ve ever had.

WD-50 has been our Number One restaurant for 4.5 years (even after a 2nd try!) and I really didn’t think anything could possibly top that.

But Eleven Madison Park topped them all.

Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. Go immediately to Eleven Madison Park for the meal of a lifetime. (Okay… maybe save it for a special occasion, but GO!)

And I am giving it a perfect 10.

Total Nom Points:  10 out of 10

nomscale- 10

The New Champion: Eleven Madison Park- Part 1

11 Dec

I really love the tradition that Mike and I have of treating each other to really awesome dinners for special occasions.  I took on our anniversary this year and made sure to get a reservation 30 days in advance (I set my alarm for midnight to do it) at Eleven Madison Park. I took the day off of work (and Mike a half day) to be able to have a 16-course, 4 hour lunch here.  (Yes! 16-courses!)

Mike had no idea where we were going until we pulled up in front of the restaurant. 

I had been wanting to visit Eleven Madison Park for a long time, having read about the amazing meals there. I was hoping it would be in the top 10, but I didn’t expect what we got… the new NUMBER ONE. This was the meal of a lifetime. The best meal of my lifetime.  In fact, it was so grand, it wouldn’t fit in 1 post. So I had to split it into two parts.

We arrived to greetings by name and a warm wish for a Happy Anniversary (they had asked if it was a special occasion when I confirmed the reservation a few days prior).  They took our coats (and we realized a bit later that they didn’t give us a tag for them) and showed us to our table, which had a card sitting on it, wishing us a Happy Anniversary and thanking us for choosing EMP for this special occasion. 

DSCF2168

The restaurant itself is quite grand, with very high ceilings. It looks like it has not changed in forever, yet was somehow modern.

DSCF2169

I loved the murals on the wall and the general clean aesthetic of the dining room.

DSCF2170

And I’m glad we went for lunch, when we had a lovely view of Madison Square Park right next door.

DSCF2177

The sixteen courses are all a surprise, and you only get one choice.  Beef or duck.  We chose beef.

And then… the adventure began…

With a classic pastry box.

DSCF2171

Inside was EMP’s take on the classic New York Black & White Cookie. This one was a savory version made with apple and cheddar cheese.  The moment I took a bit, I knew we were in for an amazing treat. These were the perfect balance of everything, and in such a novel delivery.

DSCF2174

Bite number two was a Long Island oyster with wood sorrel and mignonette snow and crispy buckwheat.  A perfect treat of an oyster, with things that complimented it without taking away from the flavor of the oyster.

DSCF2176

Bite number three was a cranberry snow with beets, goat cheese, Greek yogurt, and caraway.  It was very refreshing and a nice balance of tart and sweet.  As a beet lover, I enjoyed this dish, but Mike said it was his least favorite dish of the meal… not that it was bad, but just because everything else was that much better.

DSCF2180

Course number four was sea urchin custard with shellfish ragout and apple espuma (foam).  It was a great balance of flavors, with a seriously seafood taste balanced perfectly with the apple.

DSCF2183

We were starting to get curious where our drinks were, since we ordered them when we first sat down and we were now already 4 courses in.  They came with sincere apologies that the bar got slammed, and we were soon sipping away on a Lafayette for Mike (Scotch, Cynar, East India Solera Sherry, Chambéry Dry Vermouth, Maple Syrup). Mike thought it was extremely well balanced with a nice oaky nose.

DSCF2186

And a Sleepy Hollow for me (London Dry Gin, Amaro Abano, Chambéry Blanc Vermouth, Apple Cider, Spiced-Pumpkin, Lemon, Egg White). I thought it was an awesome drink, with a perfect balance of sweetness and alcohol, with that excellent egg white foam.

DSCF2187

Course number five was, at first, a big mystery. This was a strange misstep in service. Since the full tasting menu is a surprise, you don’t know what you are getting until they put it in front of you and describe it. We had a server (who we only saw once during the meal) put these lovely eggs in front of us and then… leave. Not a word.  We sat for a few moments, not knowing what to do, taking in a delicious smoky smell.  It became too much, so we had to dig in with our little spoons.   The egg was creamy and delicious, and we got a smoky flavor that we were trying to identify before we heard the description… we thought it might be smoked ham, but we weren’t sure. We stopped a server to ask what we were eating, and she told us what it was: egg sabayon with chive oil. It had pieces of smoked sturgeon in the bottom. Delicious.

DSCF2192

This little blip in service was quickly recovered.  As we tried to get every morsel out of that egg shell, a beautiful cloche filled with smoke was put on our table with the instructions that it was still cooking and not to lift the lid.

DSCF2195

At this point, they put in front of us a plate with everything bagel crumbles, quail egg, and a baby romaine salad.

DSCF2196

They then put down a jar of homemade mini pickle spears.

DSCF2198

Two slices of thin rye toast.

DSCF2206

And a jar of caviar and cream cheese. 

DSCF2200

DSCF2204

And then, they lifted the lid.

The amazing smell of wood smoke took over all my senses and Mike and I immediately said to each other that it is one of our most favorite smells.

On top was smoked sturgeon (complimenting the egg course before).

DSCF2201

We scooped out the cream cheese and caviar and made our own little bites of deliciousness.

DSCF2207

At this point, the Maitre D’ came over to say hello and then… invited us into the kitchen for a quick tour and a drink.

Don’t mind if I do!

DSCF2231

We walked into the front part of the kitchen where a little table was set up. He told us about how the kitchen operates (they use no computers, everything is figured out by the Executive Sous Chef and Expediter and they write down the times of every course to determine the pace at which people are eating.  We discussed how good service should mean that you never notice its there. You should never wait too long nor feel rushed.

DSCF2221

He then told us about how the pastry and cocktail teams came together to figure out a fun cocktail for this kitchen service. One of the pastry chefs came to make it right in front of us (WHAT FUN!)

They came up with a new spin on a 1920s, Prohibition style cocktail. It had gin, grapefruit, and pop rocks in it.

First, she used liquid nitrogen to freeze the gin.

DSCF2213

DSCF2214

Then more liquid nitrogen to make a ball of grapefruit foam into a ball that resembled a meringue consistency (but cold).

DSCF2218

Then she added some grapefruit.

DSCF2222

Some other stuff that I don’t remember but tasted damn good.

DSCF2224

The frozen gin.

DSCF2226

Then pop rocks. (YUP! Pop Rocks!)

DSCF2227

And then the ball of frozen grapefruit foam.

DSCF2228

You “drank” this with a spoon, that you used to crack into the grapefruit ball.

DSCF2229

It all mixed together so well, and the pop rocks made for such an interesting and fun experience. (I can’t call it a drink… it was really an experience)

DSCF2230

The Executive Sous Chef, Bryce Shuman, also came by to chat with us for a bit.  He told us that they have nearly a 2 to 1 ratio of staff to diners during lunch and nearly 1 to 1 during dinner. This helps make the service totally flawless.

It was so exciting to be in that kitchen.  

DSCF2211

They even offered to take a picture of us in there (while joking that we probably would only want pictures of the food… which I couldn’t argue with… but figured we would make an appearance for this special occasion).

DSCF2232

On the way out, I took a photo of the butter station, which the Maitre D’ appreciated that I appreciated.

DSCF2233

And just like that… we came back to butter on the table.

On the right was a cow’s milk butter and on the left they mixed that same butter with beef compound.  The salt in the center was a special salt that the chef loves (it was very, very good).

DSCF2234

I was so curious about the meat butter.  It was actually similar in taste to bone marrow (which I jokingly call “meat butter”) and it was something I was very curious to try.  

DSCF2236

I loved the flavor but it needed the salt to cut through the greasiness a bit. I liked it in small doses, but wound up using more of the regular butter.

DSCF2239

The bread was almost a roll, almost a croissant.  It was the best of both worlds.  Buttery and flaky. We enjoyed making a mess of crumbs with that bread. It was delicious.

DSCF2240

Our next course (at this point… I don’t even know what number we hit), was salsify roasted with bulgur wheat, mangalitsa ham, and hazelnuts.  They told us that the ham was a special ham… and it certainly tasted special.  This was a nice combination of textures and flavors and had a nice freshness that went well after the bread and butter.

DSCF2243

What was next? The table next door was a hint since they were 1 course ahead of us.  What on earth was a meat grinder doing on the table?

DSCF2247.jpg

You will just have to read Part 2 to find out!