Friday, October 22, 2010

ELEVEN MADISON PARK****

I had very high expectations of this place for both food and service and it did not disappoint.  We had the entire menu and truffle supplement.  Loved the mignardises artfully plated, almost too beautiful to eat.  Liked that they sent folks from the kitchen to present them, always great to have a connection with the people preparing your food.  Chef Humm also came to the dining room to greet one of the tables.

Because we ate everything on the menu, it's difficult for me to remember specific dishes.  Everything was well executed, complete attention to detail, sophisticated and balanced flavors. It was probably the best meal I have had in terms of receiving consistently excellent dishes. Out of over twenty presentations, the only thing that didn't hit a home run with me was the pasta w/ truffle. The flavors were a bit muted, presumably to highlight the fresh truffle -- but even then the presentation of the whole giant truffle was fun.  The surprise for me was the beef dish which looked and sounded simple but was both tender and full of beefy goodness, deeply satisfying. 

It's not a casual restaurant and the decor is a bit austere, but the front of the house were gracious hosts and did a great job in making us feel comfortable.  Well trained, professional, but not stuffy -- bravo to Danny Meyer.  I would eat here regularly if I lived in NY.

Sunday, October 10, 2010