Eleven Madison Park

[Ochowie]

In that case you should go try the dish at Jean Georges.    They've got it paired with strawberries and balsamic right now- very good.  Also the best lunch deal in the city at two courses for $28.  I'd be curious to hear your comparison afterwards if you go.

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Yeah I've been meaning to go to Jean Georges for lunch. Maybe I will sneak out on Friday. I usually have to eat lunch in the office (the life of a consultant ).

[Jesikka]

In that case you should go try the dish at Jean Georges.    They've got it paired with strawberries and balsamic right now- very good.  Also the best lunch deal in the city at two courses for $28.  I'd be curious to hear your comparison afterwards if you go.

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Yeah I've been meaning to go to Jean Georges for lunch. Maybe I will sneak out on Friday. I usually have to eat lunch in the office (the life of a consultant ).

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Well, I recommend grabbing your blackberry and heading there. It's definitely worthwhile. Their foie is on brioche and the top is caramelized (they call it foie gras brulee). Would you call the EMP dish savory or did it have some sweetness to it?

[Ochowie]

In that case you should go try the dish at Jean Georges.    They've got it paired with strawberries and balsamic right now- very good.  Also the best lunch deal in the city at two courses for $28.  I'd be curious to hear your comparison afterwards if you go.

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Yeah I've been meaning to go to Jean Georges for lunch. Maybe I will sneak out on Friday. I usually have to eat lunch in the office (the life of a consultant ).

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Well, I recommend grabbing your blackberry and heading there. It's definitely worthwhile. Their foie is on brioche and the top is caramelized (they call it foie gras brulee). Would you call the EMP dish savory or did it have some sweetness to it?

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It definitely had some sweetness to it that came from the cherry syrup and the cherry brioche they brought. I really liked the contrast between the more savory foie and the sweet syrup.

[Sneakeater]

The one disappointing aspect was the mousse that accompanied it (which the waiter suggested was a good entry into the dish) was a little bland.

A HINT: Mix the mousse up, or at least spoon it from the bottom. That's where the foie component is. It's like the fruit in Dannon yogurt.

[ulterior epicure]

The one disappointing aspect was the mousse that accompanied it (which the waiter suggested was a good entry into the dish) was a little bland.

A HINT: Mix the mousse up, or at least spoon it from the bottom. That's where the foie component is. It's like the fruit in Dannon yogurt.

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Sneakeater: you eat Dannon yogurt? How healthy of you.

[tupac17616]

I know it's been said before, but damn, Humm's duck is good. Finally got to try it last week. Only my second visit during Humm's tenure. So nice to be back.

The duck is friggin' huge, might I add. My mother, having just had the suckling pig as a middle course, passed about 3/4 of hers my way. Which, now that I think about it, means that I ate essentially an entire duck as part of a four-course meal. Dude.

[ulterior epicure]

The prix fixe is still at $88, but EMP has added a "Seasonal Tasting" at $125.

The "Eleven" tasting menu has now scaled up to $175, and the courses are no longer listed.

[BryanZ]

I'm almost apprehensive each time I visit EMP for fear that my upcoming meal will fall short of the very high expectations I have for the restaurant. Surely, it will be good, but will it maintain its position as perhaps my favorite fine-dining restaurant in the city? At this most recent visit, I was not let down culinarily, and the service my dining companion and I received was truly exemplary.

My former roommate was in town for the weekend from San Francisco and was fresh from a redeye flight into Laguardia when we met at noon in Madison Square Park on Friday. We debated visiting Jean Geroges (too obvious) and wd~50 (too expensive given our other dining plans for the weekend) for this lunch, and I must say EMP fit our needs perfectly. We opted for the lunch tasting menu, which is effectively the same as the shorter of the dinner tasting menus, for $58. Considering many of the courses are the same and all you lose out on is the canapes and perhaps an amuse or pre-dessert, this lunch tasting menu is a great value.

So, here's what we had. Sorry for the quality of the pictures. They were taken using an iPhone.

Amuse - Parsnip veloute, Hawaiian prawn

Very tasty, but perhaps the weak point of the meal. I say this because one of the courses on the tasting menu had prawns in it so this was a bit redundant.

Variations of garden potatoes with Balik salmon and watercress

I thought serving potatoes was a rather bold move to open up the meal. Usually one thinks of something lighter to accompany a raw fish first course. Nevertheless, I really liked this dish. The potatoes were more creamy than starchy, and the puree and "loaded baked potato" foam added further complexity. This whole dish suggested an almost brunch-like flavor profile.

Foie gras terrine with golden pineapple, pickled pearl onions, and rum-raisin brioche

I've had variations of this dish before, but this one was truly excellent. Rather than pairing the foie with a cooked, cloying fruit, the pineapple here was light and fresh. The pineapple foam atop the foie custard served to the side is always a welcome addition and fun to eat.

Hawaiian prawns with Maine diver scallops, cauliflower, and crustacean jus

A very nice, classical tasting dish. The cauliflower puree in this was so laden with cream or some dairy product that we at first mistook it for some kind of light cheese.

My roommate thought he had had this on a previous--it turns out he hadn't--so instead opted for the crab cake salad off the a la carte menu. This dish reminded me of the peekytoe beignets/fritters that occasionally show up on the menu at Jean Georges. This dish was simpler, served atop a bed of lightly dressed salad greens. Quite tasty, but more of an a la carte-type of of dish.

Vermont suckling pig confit with cipollini onions, plum chutney and five spice jus

For all the times I've been to this restaurant, I think this was the first time I've had this signature dish. It's awesome. I don't see how one couldn't like this dish. I'm sure the lamb dish that's currently on the dinner tasting menu is great, too, but I'd happily eat a few plates worth of this.

Cheese course

We were generously comped this cheese course. My favorite part was the whipped blue cheese on the right side of the plate. Throughout the meal we were treated wonderfully by both our captain and John, but this went above and beyond. I should also note that the wine selected for us was quite nice, especially considering our epic wine budget of $45. Rather than $45 meaning $60 in sommelier-speak, we were offered a sylvaner for a whopping $37. Yes, that's for a full bottle.

Milk chocolate palette with bosc pears and chestnuts

The listed dessert on the menu. My roommate had this one. I tasted it, and it was very autumnal, just a bit heavy for me. The pear sorbet was very nice.

Black mission fig pastilla with sheep’s milk yogurt sorbet

I instead asked for something a bit lighter and was brought this dessert. A dense fig mash of sorts is surrounded by crispy sheets of phyllo pastry. The sorbet and lemon-pepper gelee at the bottom of the plate added acidity.

Mignardises

Half of the tray is seen here. We were also given a short pour of brachetto d'acqui, another show of the restaurant's generosity.

So another great meal that just left me feeling warm and fuzzy after. Good to catch up with my friend, but even better with so much great food. Now, in my mind, it is a crime against the hospitality industry that this restaurant goes yet another year without a star. What is even more puzzling is that this food is the kind that seems to play into the inspectors' tastes. To me, this is a two-star restaurant. I may be a bit biased given my recent spate of "good luck" here, but my roommate offered that this lunch was better than a full-on degustation with wine pairings at a two-star restaurant in San Francisco.

[docsconz]

Bryan, what is "Balik" salmon?

[BryanZ]

I asked the same question, and supposedly it refers to a particularly involved method of smoking salmon. The method was a secret or something to that effect but recently (past couple decades) more people have been using the process. I believe this product is purchased rather than made at EMP.

[docsconz]

I asked the same question, and supposedly it refers to a particularly involved method of smoking salmon.  The method was a secret or something to that effect but recently (past couple decades) more people have been using the process.  I believe this product is purchased rather than made at EMP.

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Interesting. Thanks, Bryan. What did the fish taste like? Was it particularly distinctive?

[BryanZ]

The smoking was subtle, a feature I liked since too much smoke ruins good fish for me. If anything, I would liken it to the lightly cured salmon belly one sometimes can get at good sushi-ya. Although the flavor profile is somewhat different, I think the ethos is the same.

[docsconz]

The smoking was subtle, a feature I liked since too much smoke ruins good fish for me.  If anything, I would liken it to the lightly cured salmon belly one sometimes can get at good sushi-ya.  Although the flavor profile is somewhat different, I think the ethos is the same.

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Thanks again for the follow-up, Bryan.

[DutchMuse]

Great report, Bryan. This remains my favourite place, too, in the City.

I must ask--in all candor--does Michelin have an 'agenda' against EMP? If this were in Europe, it would have one or more **.

[sickchangeup]

Is there seating for one (in a comfortable manner - 95% of restaurants the answer is no) or preferably seating at a bar available readily here?

[BryanZ]

Nathan posted a story about how one can't order the normal menu at the bar. There is a menu of bar snacks.

I don't see what the issue with dining at a table alone is, though. And at a place like EMP, they'll definitely take care of you. It's worth eating at, even if you have to go alone.

[AEK]

Is there seating for one (in a comfortable manner - 95% of restaurants the answer is no) or preferably seating at a bar available readily here?

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At lunch they do serve the full menu (including the gourmand) at the bar.

[Fat Guy]

I asked the same question, and supposedly it refers to a particularly involved method of smoking salmon.  The method was a secret or something to that effect but recently (past couple decades) more people have been using the process.  I believe this product is purchased rather than made at EMP.

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I've seen the term used here and there. They sell something by that name, for example, at Russ & Daughters. It's also a brand name, though I have no idea whether EMP is using the brand or is just referring to the method (whatever the method is).

http://www.balik.ch/en/products/rauchlachs.htm

http://www.russanddaughters.com/pr_salmon.html

[oakapple]

I must ask--in all candor--does Michelin have an 'agenda' against EMP?  If this were in Europe, it would have one or more **.

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I can't conceive why they would. Two of DM's other places (Gramercy Tavern and The Modern) are starred. On the Michelin thread, numerous people mentioned sub-par meals at 11MP. That doesn't comport with my own experience, but obviously it does happen.

[ulterior epicure]

I must ask--in all candor--does Michelin have an 'agenda' against EMP?  If this were in Europe, it would have one or more **.

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I can't conceive why they would. Two of DM's other places (Gramercy Tavern and The Modern) are starred. On the Michelin thread, numerous people mentioned sub-par meals at 11MP. That doesn't comport with my own experience, but obviously it does happen.

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... or against Humm, personally, although I can't see why since the boy did earn a star in Europe. I can't imagine that skipping the Continent would be the reason either; many others have and have earned their star(s) here.

[rdnkchef]

I dined at EMP when I was in the city for Star Chef's and I had the grand tasting menu. In all close to 13 courses and the meal, while excellent, did have misses. The foie torchon was lacking seasoning, the Foie brulee was over seasoned on the same course. The highlights were certainly the lobster with bacon pana cotta and the awesome "signature" pork dish. I enjoyed the fish course as well as the other starters and desserts but nothing really wowed me except the lobster and pork.

My experience with service was that the meal was extremely long 4.5+ hrs and it was just 2 of us dining. The service was excellent and very friendly (although service at Picholine the next night was by far better and much more welcoming). When I left EMP I was exhausted after the experience and just wanted to walk. This did leave a sour note on the experience.

I am also at a loss to why EMP seems to be shunned by Michelin. I read the early reviews on Eater and was blown away by it not receiving a single star.

I have dined at most, if not all of the one star restaurants and most of the two and three star as well and I must say EMP deserves a star if not two. You really have to look at the whole picture of EMP and together this restaurant is certainly one of the top 25 in the city. Humm is a very talented chef and deserves more recognition for his efforts.

[anthonybishopric]

Finally getting a chance to follow up on this meal with Bryan a few weeks back; I'd been to EMP once before, but this meal was really quite exceptional. Again, along with most others on the thread, I am confused by why this place hasn't received even a single Michelin star.

Looking at that pork again makes me want another plate of it. Same for the foie dish.

[sethd]

I must ask--in all candor--does Michelin have an 'agenda' against EMP?  If this were in Europe, it would have one or more **.

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I can't conceive why they would. Two of DM's other places (Gramercy Tavern and The Modern) are starred. On the Michelin thread, numerous people mentioned sub-par meals at 11MP. That doesn't comport with my own experience, but obviously it does happen.

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... or against Humm, personally, although I can't see why since the boy did earn a star in Europe. I can't imagine that skipping the Continent would be the reason either; many others have and have earned their star(s) here.

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Perhaps consistency is the reason EMP does not have a star from the michelin guide. I have read enough negative reports of meals at EMP, including my own that ranks as one of the worst 5 meals I have had in new york over the last 7 years, to believe that EMP deserves such an honor.

[Adrian3891]

Off topic for a second. I was in Russ and Daughters the other day and asked about the balik salmon. The counter-guy was sketchy on the details, but did say that the "loin" cut was smoked with the skin-off. However it's smoked, it's delicious.

[sickchangeup]

Take THAT Mr. Michellin! :-)

http://www.the-feedbag.com/news/emp-induct...-chateaux-group