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Eleven Madison Park


donbert

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I believe his name is Bibendum.

“Watermelon - it’s a good fruit. You eat, you drink, you wash your face.”

Italian tenor Enrico Caruso (1873-1921)

ulteriorepicure.com

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ulteriorepicure@gmail.com

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Oh this is a magical day. They should now accept Relais & Chateaux dining certificates available using Amex points. I'll have to confirm this fact, but, to me, this is the most exciting of the city's Relais & Chateaux restaurants.

Congrats to the restaurant.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Had a pretty slammin' thanksgiving meal at EMP Thursday. Menu available here:

http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2008/10/tha...dison_park.html

When the veloutte arrived, I was a little concerned about whether the Chef was gonna deliver on the sense of bounty that thanksgiving is meant to represent (my polite approach of saying Americans are pigs year around, but turn into downright feeding troughs during this one day). A tiny segment of pear, a small section of an intensely flavorful prawn and a small pour of a delicious soup left me with an "uh-oh, I might be leaving not stuffed" sort of a feeling. In fact, it was right around here that Chef Humm came out to speak to our slim well dressed Euro male couple neighbors who were teasing him about "so much food!" despite not having been served their entrees yet. "Nooo!!! Ignore them!!" I felt like adding, but of course didn't.

The foie was a nice portion, although not as creamy and technically perfect as the Per Se, or even a recent Craft version. The accompaniments were the best though, small raw apple cubes, apple julienne,, drips of apple jelly in spheres, cinnamon meringue crumbles, coarse salt and cinnamon raisin brioche really brought amazing elements to the foie. So far all the taste elements were really on point.

When the turkey arrived my worst fears were confirmed temporarily. Two slices of turkey breast, a shot glass worth of stuffing and a schmear of butternut squash looked pretty stingy. Further digging however revealed a substantial quantity of some sort of darkmeat forcemeat turkey mash buried under the breast meat, almost doubling the size of the dish. And when the sides arrived, there was no questions left unanswered, turkey coma was in my very near future. Cranberries were outstanding, the difference between an ecrasse and a mouseline well taught, and really only the brussel sprouts disappointed.

What REALLY surprised me was the cocktail program. Holy schnikes, there is a serious cocktail menu here, and each drink was incredibly well thought out and balanced. I don't mean in the trendy/hot bar sort of a way, more of a high level restaurant sort of a way. I even left myself in the hands of the bartender for the final drink, receiving an incredible take on Irish Coffee for my efforts. It arrived in two layers, with some sort of new/fancy frozen coffee layer on top and the whiskey beneath. The captain explained the frozen coffee machine is a new thing and all the rage apparently. Anyways, when you take your first sip, the top layer collapses into the whiskey and you get what I can only call a Guinness effect happening. Really pretty looking.

I'd say my only other possible complaint was that we left with nothing in hand. At $135/pp this was (outside of Per Se) amongst the very highest charges of all restaurants on this day, pricing it at the 4 star level (competition wise - Daniel/JG were 135 for eg) for what is currently a 3 star joint (I know people here disagree, general perception aside). Thanksgiving would have been the perfect opportunity for the hospitality group to provide something thoughtful for their guests to take home and nibble on in the evening, since clearly no one was eating dinner that day! (we went for a 2pm lunch). More of an opportunity missed than a complaint I guess.

In all, very happy days, I'm more anxious than before to return for a full dinner tasting, perhaps paired with cocktails (which they said their bar staff would eagerly arrange with advanced notice).

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  • 2 weeks later...

BTW, EMP has recently changed their lunch menu structure: prix fixe or Gourmand only.

Now it is a two course prix fixe for $28, with desserts an additional $12. And of course you also receive an amuse bouche and mignardes (no hors d'oeuvres like those served at dinner).

Lunch is served Mondays through Fridays.

"I'll put anything in my mouth twice." -- Ulterior Epicure
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Yeah, I saw this too. I wonder what they'd charge to add courses a la lunch at JG. I really really want to go back, but the tasting menu hasn't changed completely from the fall. Hmmmm.

And ETA: According to the woman who answered the phone one can order extra courses for $14 each. Interesting. Obviously the next question is if one diner orders the tasting menu, can the other build a tasting menu from the a la carte options assuming the number of courses is the same. Of course the tasting menu is supposed to be for the whole table, but I wonder if that's because of the portioning of the dishes (a la Babbo) or because they just want to make sure both diners are eating at the same time.

Edited by BryanZ (log)
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Yeah, I saw this too.  I wonder what they'd charge to add courses a la lunch at JG.  I really really want to go back, but the tasting menu hasn't changed completely from the fall. Hmmmm.

If so, I wonder if they're also $14.

ETA: Oops, our emails crossed. I guess so!

Edited by ulterior epicure (log)

“Watermelon - it’s a good fruit. You eat, you drink, you wash your face.”

Italian tenor Enrico Caruso (1873-1921)

ulteriorepicure.com

My flickr account

ulteriorepicure@gmail.com

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  • 3 weeks later...

Took advantage of the day off to stop by EMP for lunch today. The menu is up on their website, although there was a change or two here and there.

I inquired if I could add courses, and was told "certainly". Given that the menu is divided between appetizer and entree, I asked if it mattered whether I added one or the other, "no difference at all".

Great!

First off, apologies for the quality of the photos - they were taken on a blackberry storm.

gallery_61507_6225_27670.jpg

Octopus Salad with Avocado, Fennel and Satsuma Tangerine

This dish was really great. The octopus was incredibly tender and intense, guessing this was wrapped up and cooked sous-vide. You can see the "roll" on the left there, a bunch of tentacles rolled up somehow and sliced horizontally. Great start.

Next was the lobster roll (no photo posted), which frankly was a miss. The lobster, while exquisite when tasted, was buried under too much brioche bread and wrapped up in lettuce. It's always dangerous when a restaurant dives into the lobster or burger pool, cause the bar is set so high - I've eaten plenty at Mary's Fish Camp and Pearl Oyster Bar (my #1), and this didn't live up. The pommes were delicious though.

gallery_61507_6225_7304.jpg

Seafood Chowder with Potatoes, Leeks and Chorizo

The piece of black bass in the middle there is really quite stunning. This was another simply delicious dish. You can spot a couple nantucket bay scallops at the top and a piece of squid on the right. Very satisfying.

I finished with the boudin blanc (no photo posted) which was huge, this was another slam dunk. The seckel pear is red wine poached, and once again, all the flavors were really in sync.

gallery_61507_6225_9203.jpg

Cheese Course

This was served compliments of the house, and was very good. The piece on the top is a goat's milk cheese (didn't catch the name), beneath that is a swiss gruyere, and beneath that is a pistachio-fig bar. On the right is a delicious Roquefort "butter", and it came with fruit & nut bread.

For dessert I ordered the souffle in an attempt to let them hang themselves at the end by serving some sort of bastard cake version. Instead they brought out a beautifully fluffy and elegantly risen souffle, the real deal! The passion fruit get's poured into the middle at serving, which is a first for me (usually they leave whatever sauce on the side for you to help yourself). To be fair, this was just a good souffle, but I was pretty excited none the less.

Service was fantastic as well, it was a slow day and the staff were definitely able to focus (and did) better on everyone. Supposedly things got a little crazy right before their break (they were closed 24/25), as the waiter said the place was packed to the gills. Was happy to catch the place on a quiet day.

In a continued search for why this place didn't "star", I can really only take fault with the decor, which seems badly dated. The leaves painted around and the rest of the detailing on the wood around the room look amateurish and the walls/ceiling look a little faded, the room could use a little freshening up I think. But that's a pretty minor complaint given the bounty of light flooding into the room.

Oh, and yes - the bill for the food was $28x2 :-)

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This might completely be conjecture, but it seems to me the "old" a la carte lunch offerings were more lunch-y, while the lunch tasting menu was nearly an exact copy of the shorter dinner tasting menu. Now, it seems like the the prix fixe lunch offerings are, perhaps obviously enough, mimicking the style of the lunch plates at JG. We see a mix of dishes that would seem at home on the dinner menu, just slightly tamed by perhaps a half-step with regard to components or complexity.

I'll see if I can stop by in the next week. The last time I tried to go, I was shut out because they don't serve lunch on Saturday.

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In a continued search for why this place didn't "star", I can really only take fault with the decor, which seems badly dated.

I seriously doubt that's the reason. I don't find it dated at all...but even if I did, that wouldn't suffice to take away a star it otherwise deserved. If you search the boards, you'll find reports of sub-par meals here, from people who know what they're talking about. I have to assume it happened to the Michelin inspectors. Let me hasten to add that it hasn't happened to me: my visits have been excellent.
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sickchangeup inspired me to get back to try the new prix fixe lunch offering at EMP today. As usual, I really enjoyed the food, and feel it's a good value, but it lacks some of the extra touches that make lunch at JG feel like such a special dining experience.

So, to begin, with this prix fixe offering they've dropped offering any kind of amuse. On the balance sheet, +1 to JG. The plates at EMP follow a more traditional appetizer then main format, with progressive portion sizes to match. For some, this could be a pro, for others the limited flexibility might be a con. A wash on this point, then. JG always offers various petits fours, but these have also been dropped at EMP. Mignardises are available to order from the dessert menu for $12, but, if the comped trays we received are the same as what is offered on the dessert menu, one order is large enough to share. Another +1 to JG, assuming most diners won't get these sweet bites as part of the prix fixe.

With service, both restaurants are excellent, but I'd have to give the slight nod to EMP, if only because the runners seem to know the food better and are more friendly. I do prefer the room at JG, however, if only because it's smaller. So, among non-food facets, another wash.

What I found interesting at EMP is that the the mains were more enjoyable than the smaller starters. The opposite is usually the case at most restaurants, and is probably even more true at JG where the top and middle sections of the menu reign. The main courses at EMP are more elaborate than those at the bottom of the menu at JG. There are more components, and the presentations of the large dishes are more striking. If, like me, a meal can be made or broken upon receiving just one beautifully orchestrated and arranged plate of food, then the +1 has to go to EMP on the strength of its main dishes alone. Furthermore, EMP is the safer choice. JG's affinity for citrus and spice means that new dishes can be out of balance and even alienating. No such issue here. However, while the lows at JG are lower, the highs are also arguably higher. So, in summary, a bonus +1 to EMP for the obvious effort put into their main dishes, but a wash across the rest of savory board depending on one's mood and how one orders.

With regard to value, another +1 to JG, as any course can be added for $14 and desserts are only $8. Additional entrees here are $20, desserts $12. Don't get me wrong, this is a totally fair price for beautiful plates of food, but from a absolute dollar amount, you'll spend more here than at JG. I did like the cool/gimmicky $28 page in the wine list. Here are a few bottles, half bottles, glasses, and a one-ounce taste of Chateau d'Yquem, each for, you guessed it, $28.

So, in the long run, it looks like JG comes out ahead, and I'd have to agree with (my own, largely subjective) numerical assessment. With that said, there is the intangible warmth that EMP's staff offers and it's more convenient location. The fact that both restaurants now accept Relais and Chateaux dining certificates is just icing on the cake.

Oh, yeah, we ate some food, too. Parnsip veloute with sweetbreads and truffle oil was the favorite of the apps. This was very, very nice. We weren't super impressed with the octopus salad. It bordered on oversalted, and had too much fennel on the plate for me. Suckling pig agnolotti were quite nice; they reminded me of something one might get at Fiamma or a contemporary starred restaurant in Italy. I just wanted a bit more porkiness throughout.

My favorite of the mains was the duo of lamb I ordered. A smart, technically proficient plate of food that showed just enough inspiration to keep it above the masses of other similar lamb dishes in the city. Not as good or innovative as the Corton lamb, but seemingly more rooted in classical cooking. Also, really liked the stuffed skate wing. A Madras curry oil lent a taste of the exotic, as well as some orange, braised endive. Not sure what the color was from. Lobster risotto with a couple slices of black truffle was perhaps the simplest dish but totally satisfying in a lux-comfort food way. Finally, the seafood chowder was topped with a nicely cooked piece of bass, but my favorite parts of the dish were the nuggets of squid and bay scallop strewn throughout. As I'm recalling all these main dishes, they were all excellent and I'd happily eat any of them repeatedly.

Edited by BryanZ (log)
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I agree with almost everything you wrote. In a vaccum, I'll take JG - in reality, I'll take JG, but it's much closer. Convenience/location is a heck of a thing :-) (although the Saturday lunch thing sways it all waaay back to JG again).

One thing: I ordered one app and three entrees and was charged $28x2. You mentioned them charging $20 for an extra entree? This wasn't my experience.

And yeah, I didn't have a shot at finish all that fennel, but too much of anything easily left uneaten didn't strike me as a complaint :-)

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Yeah, the $20 charge was a bit strange to me too, but totally makes sense when you see the difference between the starters and mains with regards to size and complexity. I was told $14 over the phone a few weeks back and your experience suggested similarly, but we actually asked them to pull the john dory off the tasting menu first, were told $28, so then bumped it down to the similar skate which was quoted at $20.

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sickchangeup inspired me to get back to try the new prix fixe lunch offering at EMP today.  As usual, I really enjoyed the food, and feel it's a good value, but it lacks some of the extra touches that make lunch at JG feel like such a special dining experience.

So, to begin, with this prix fixe offering they've dropped offering any kind of amuse.  On the balance sheet, +1 to JG.  The plates at EMP follow a more traditional appetizer then main format, with progressive portion sizes to match.  For some, this could be a pro, for others the limited flexibility might be a con.  A wash on this point, then.  JG always offers various petits fours, but these have also been dropped at EMP.  Mignardises are available to order from the dessert menu for $12, but, if the comped trays we received are the same as what is offered on the dessert menu, one order is large enough to share.  Another +1 to JG, assuming most diners won't get these sweet bites as part of the prix fixe.

With service, both restaurants are excellent, but I'd have to give the slight nod to EMP, if only because the runners seem to know the food better and are more friendly.  I do prefer the room at JG, however, if only because it's smaller.  So, among non-food facets, another wash.

What I found interesting at EMP is that the the mains were more enjoyable than the smaller starters.  The opposite is usually the case at most restaurants, and is probably even more true at JG where the top and middle sections of the menu reign.  The main courses at EMP are more elaborate than those at the bottom of the menu at JG.  There are more components, and the presentations of the large dishes are more striking.  If, like me, a meal can be made or broken upon receiving just one beautifully orchestrated and arranged plate of food, then the +1 has to go to EMP on the strength of its main dishes alone.  Furthermore, EMP is the safer choice.  JG's affinity for citrus and spice means that new dishes can be out of balance and even alienating.  No such issue here.  However, while the lows at JG are lower, the highs are also arguably higher.  So, in summary, a bonus +1 to EMP for the obvious effort put into their main dishes, but a wash across the rest of savory board depending on one's mood and how one orders.

With regard to value, another +1 to JG, as any course can be added for $14 and desserts are only $8.  Additional entrees here are $20, desserts $12.  Don't get me wrong, this is a totally fair price for beautiful plates of food, but from a absolute dollar amount, you'll spend more here than at JG. I did like the cool/gimmicky $28 page in the wine list. Here are a few bottles, half bottles, glasses, and a one-ounce taste of Chateau d'Yquem, each for, you guessed it, $28.

So, in the long run, it looks like JG comes out ahead, and I'd have to agree with (my own, largely subjective) numerical assessment.  With that said, there is the intangible warmth that EMP's staff offers and it's more convenient location.  The fact that both restaurants now accept Relais and Chateaux dining certificates is just icing on the cake.

Oh, yeah, we ate some food, too.  Parnsip veloute with sweetbreads and truffle oil was the favorite of  the apps.  This was very, very nice.  We weren't super impressed with the octopus salad.  It bordered on oversalted, and had too much fennel on the plate for me.  Suckling pig agnolotti were quite nice; they reminded me of something one might get at Fiamma or a contemporary starred restaurant in Italy.  I just wanted a bit more porkiness throughout.

My favorite of the mains was the duo of lamb I ordered.  A smart, technically proficient plate of food that showed just enough inspiration to keep it above the masses of other similar lamb dishes in the city.  Not as good or innovative as the Corton lamb, but seemingly more rooted in classical cooking.  Also, really liked the stuffed skate wing.  A Madras curry oil lent a taste of the exotic, as well as some orange, braised endive.  Not sure what the color was from.  Lobster risotto with a couple slices of black truffle was perhaps the simplest dish but totally satisfying in a lux-comfort food way.  Finally, the seafood chowder was topped with a nicely cooked piece of bass, but my favorite parts of the dish were the nuggets of squid and bay scallop strewn throughout.  As I'm recalling all these main dishes, they were all excellent and I'd happily eat any of them repeatedly.

Though I have not been to EMP for lunch, I can totally understand (and appreciate) your assessment, BryanZ. Great report. I can't wait to check out EMP's lunch menu sometime.

“Watermelon - it’s a good fruit. You eat, you drink, you wash your face.”

Italian tenor Enrico Caruso (1873-1921)

ulteriorepicure.com

My flickr account

ulteriorepicure@gmail.com

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I was at lunch with BryanZ today. I continue to have a conflicted relationship with this restaurant- which I've just never had that revelatory experience at. While I thought our lunch was excellent value and I also really enjoyed the skate and the veloute, none of the other dishes really stood out for me. Although the food is often beautiful and universally tasty, it just doesn't EXCITE me. When I compare that lamb dish to the dish at Corton, I'm never going to crave the one at EMP, though it was delicious. It's not that the food here lacks soul- the accusation that one might make of the technically perfect dishes served at Per Se- but I think that it feels TOO familiar. The lobster risotto, while perfectly lovely, was just entirely expected. The octopus salad was something that could be served at any number of two or three star restaurants in this city. While, as BryanZ said at lunch today, JG has more misses, the hits are just much bigger hits for me. The places where the food at EMP shines in my mind are the times that the approach is slightly less expected- fried sweetbreads in a creamy veloute or skate with a flourescent curry sauce and braised endive- flavors that shine together but don't feel like excellent execution of something I've had many many times. Perhaps it's haute fatigue, but I'd rather take the risk of a big JG miss (inexplicable amounts of citrus) on the chance that I'll find a hit or turn to a classic preparation that never fails to excited (chateau chalon sauce). I'm thrilled to eat at EMP for lunch, but I'm not sure I'm motivated to blow the budget on a tasting menu dinner.

On the other hand, I'm in LOVE with the $28 wine menu. The two half bottles we had- a Crozes Hermitage and a Menetou-Salon- were an absolute delight. I think any wine lover would love the opportunity to try the Chateau D'Yquem (I believe it was 1995) without buying a bottle (even at an admittedly steep amount for a few sips). I think many of those options were always on the wine list, but it was nice to have them drawn together on one list and the price point is entirely non-threatening.

All in all, I think this lunch is a great option for anyone looking for great value in fine dining downtown.

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Interesting how this restaurant elicits different reactions from different people. I was really impressed with the lunch tasting menu on a recent visit. Three outstanding courses (heirloom beets, foie gras mille-feuille, and suckling pig), one very good course (John Dory), and a somewhat lame dessert. A great value at $68, especially since it includes some courses not offered on the prix fixe (e.g. suckling pig) and comes fully tricked out with an excellent amuse and petits four.

I also got a kick out of the $28 wine list - it's a fun concept, and with a bottle from that list our bill was significantly lower than our most recent lunch at JG (although we do tend to spend a little more on wine there, so it's not a perfect comparison). Also, as someone who has carped about portion size here in the past, I should point out that the suckling pig course in the lunch tasting menu was equivalent to (or maybe even a bit larger than) the portion I received as part of the dinner prix fixe on a previous visit.

I love Humm's food - he is the only New York chef who reminds me of Jamin-era Robuchon - but if you judge a meal by the number of culinary fireworks delivered I can see how you might feel somewhat ambivalent about EMP. As much as I loved this meal I can't say that it delivered any surprises - just a series of classic ingredients and flavors perfectly executed.

Edited by Robin Meredith (log)
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Has anyone done the "Eleven" menu for dinner?  At $175 it's far, far from cheap, but some interested parties in my family are curious to see how the place has evolved over the past couple of years and want to go.

I have, but not since the price structure change. So, I'm not sure I can be of much help to you.

“Watermelon - it’s a good fruit. You eat, you drink, you wash your face.”

Italian tenor Enrico Caruso (1873-1921)

ulteriorepicure.com

My flickr account

ulteriorepicure@gmail.com

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Bruni has a mini-report on Eleven Madison Park today:

Its gifted chef, Daniel Humm, no doubt has a four-star restaurant in him. But my experience during a return meal in the fall was that one in every three dishes didn’t measure up to the others (though nothing — nothing — was wholly undistinguished). Additionally, portions were too small, amplifying a tendency toward preciousness in some of the cooking and plating.

Some of these portions would have been fine for a six-course tasting menu, or even for a four-course prix fixe. But for a three-course prix fixe they risked leaving a diner less than adequately sated — and they forced various amuse bouches (fantastic here) and petit fours to carry too much of the load.

I think Bruni is itching to write another four-star review, and I thought EMP was one of the few places where it could happen, but apparently not yet.
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  • 3 weeks later...

Well, I had an very uninspiring meal at EMP last night.

I started with the Russet Potato: Gnocchi with Hawaiian Prawns, Calamari, and Meyer Lemon. It was dressed tableside with EVOO and an impossibly small amount of 25 year balsamic. I do not exaggerate when I say that maybe 2 drops made it to the plate. Upon eating the dish, I found it completely devoid of salt and pepper, and so did my brother, who had the same. The prawns were a little tough, and the Meyer lemon was virtually undetectable. I will give credit for very well-made gnocchi.

Next came the Four Story Hill Suckling Pig: Confit with Cipollini Onions, Plum Chutney and Five Spice Jus. To put it lightly, this was an utter disaster. I don't recall any sort of jus being on the plate, which was unfortunate because the plate needed a sauce so badly that I almost asked for a portion of the sauce that accompanied the beef. It's possible that one of the servers forgot to sauce the plate, which I hope is the case, because if I ate the dish as it was intended by Humm...woooooo boy. With the absence of sauce, the over-crisped skin helped achieve a level of dryness previously reserved for your aunt's grilled chicken breast. The cipollini onion (emphasis on singular) and plum chutney were afterthoughts. I struggled to finish the 3 oz. portion of pork.

For dessert I chose the cheese plate, and that was fine.

I hope it was just an off-night, but I can't say that I will recommend this restaurant to anyone.

edit for a typo

Edited by whatsaMcGee (log)
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  • 3 weeks later...
Yeah, I've done the Gourmand I think a few times now under Humm, but I wonder if the Eleven, with the price hike and without listed courses is any different or better or what.

I had the Eleven last Friday:

hors d'ourvres (5)

gateau of salmon, caviar, and (I think) creme fraiche w/ little crepes

spheres of chevre and beet juice (the former in OO, the latter in a vinaigrette)

ceviche of fruits du mer in Tsatsuma dressing, w/ tarragon and blood orange caviars

mille-feuille of foie gras, chicken, black truffle; mushroom brioche

Coconut poached turbot w/Madras curry shellfish nage, peanuts, ginger

Orange-butter-poached lobster, crustacean sabayon, pures of celery and Meyer lemon

Sous vide pheasant breast, verjus jus, riesling poached grapes, granola, celery root (I think) puree

Beef tenderloin w/glazed shortribs, jerusalem artichoke (shaved, pureed, red-wine-poached, and one other way), guanciale tuile, bordelaise sauce

cheese cart

Miso sorbet, shiso foam, pineapple puffed rice

Chocolate cake w/gianduia mousse and espresso sponge; hazelnut ice cream and praline

mignardises (7)

That tracks the shorter tasting menu pretty closely, though there are a few items that aren't anywhere on the menu.

On the whole, I thought it was a very impressive performance. The turbot was particularly good, and the constrast between the flesh and skin of the pheasant was spectacular. Service was first-rate.

Andrew Riggsby

ariggsby@mail.utexas.edu

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Yeah, I've done the Gourmand I think a few times now under Humm, but I wonder if the Eleven, with the price hike and without listed courses is any different or better or what.

I had the Eleven last Friday:

hors d'ourvres (5)

gateau of salmon, caviar, and (I think) creme fraiche w/ little crepes

spheres of chevre and beet juice (the former in OO, the latter in a vinaigrette)

ceviche of fruits du mer in Tsatsuma dressing, w/ tarragon and blood orange caviars

mille-feuille of foie gras, chicken, black truffle; mushroom brioche

Coconut poached turbot w/Madras curry shellfish nage, peanuts, ginger

Orange-butter-poached lobster, crustacean sabayon, pures of celery and Meyer lemon

Sous vide pheasant breast, verjus jus, riesling poached grapes, granola, celery root (I think) puree

Beef tenderloin w/glazed shortribs, jerusalem artichoke (shaved, pureed, red-wine-poached, and one other way), guanciale tuile, bordelaise sauce

cheese cart

Miso sorbet, shiso foam, pineapple puffed rice

Chocolate cake w/gianduia mousse and espresso sponge; hazelnut ice cream and praline

mignardises (7)

That tracks the shorter tasting menu pretty closely, though there are a few items that aren't anywhere on the menu.

On the whole, I thought it was a very impressive performance. The turbot was particularly good, and the constrast between the flesh and skin of the pheasant was spectacular. Service was first-rate.

Sounds wonderful! My sister has been promising me a visit to EMP. With this menu, I think I'll let her.

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