Heaven Eleven: Eleven Madison Park

We began our anniversary weekend with dinner at Eleven Madison Park.

The restaurant has garnered many accolades, including a four-star New York Times review, a spot on S. Pellegrino's World's 50 Best Restaurants, and a Michelin Star.

The James Beard Foundation also crowned Chef Daniel Humm the Best Chef in New York City this year -- an especially impressive accomplishment for a 33-year-old!

Chef Humm paid every table a short visit. I took this paparazzi shot a few minutes before he stopped to talk to us. Too bad we'd only just started our meal and didn't have much to discuss yet!

Pimm's Cup -- Pimm's No. 1 Cup, mint, cucumber, citrus, ginger ale ($13) and Oaxacan Cup -- ginger, agave nectar, cucumber, orange ($8).

Such a great summer drink. Mr. Monkey got the non-alcoholic version.

We chose the 11-course Gourmand Tasting ($189). Did you have any doubts?

Hors d'oeuvres.

As good as they look. Every tiny bite was perfect.

Sterling Royal caviar composed with variations of buttermilk and buckwheat.

A masterpiece for the eyes and for the mouth, packed with many textures.

Heirloom tomato lollipop, Heirloom tomato aromatic tea, Heirloom tomato gelee, Heirloom tomato salad with mozzarella ice cream and basil granola.

How many ways can you use an heirloom tomato? If this had been variations on a mushroom, I think I would've died. Lucky for me, I like tomatoes when they're fresh and beautiful and done right. Incredibly creative. Incredibly awesome. Can you believe all that was considered one course?

Organic rabbit rillettes with foie gras, cherries, and pistachio bread.

A little bit of salty. A little bit of sweet. A little bit of tart. And a nice chunk of rich, creamy decadence. A lot of yum yum yum.

Atlantic cod, olive oil poached with sweet peppers and piment d'espelette.

Like a painting! The fish was so delicate!

Nova Scotia lobster lasagna with heirloom squash and lemon verbena.

Favorite of the night. So flavorful. So luscious. I wanted to lift the dish to my mouth and slurp it all up.

Poussin roasted with sweet corn, chanterelles, and farro.

Some of the best damn chicken I've ever had. Juicy, tender, and slightly crisp outside.

Milk-fed veal variations with greenmarket beans, violet mustard, and savory.

The description confused me, but everything on this plate was marvelous. (I discovered later that "savory" was a type of mint, in case you're confused, too.)

Fromage, a selection of artisanal cheeses.

We asked for mild and soft cheeses and were very pleased with our selection.

Milk & Honey flavors and textures.


Crazy and weird! It was a pile of powder and snow with a honey surprise!

Bing cherry sundae with pistachio ice cream.

This was like the dessert version of our earlier rabbit dish. Eleven Madison Park really makes good use of its seasonal ingredients!

Mignardise + digestif.

The cognac nearly killed me because it was so strong. (Mr. Monkey had sparkling apple cider.) But the tiny macarons were among the best tiny macarons I've ever had. Tiny macarons often suffer from dryness, but these were great -- we could taste each distinct flavor!

When you dine at Eleven Madison Park, you may leave with an empty wallet, but you won't leave empty-handed.


We enjoyed these tasty gelees the next day.

This meal was exquisite -- undoubtedly one of the best meals we've ever had.

Happy anniversary indeed!