Umami Mushrooms and Caviar Cheesecake at the New Eleven Madison Park

Last week was a big week for partners Will Guidara and chef Daniel Humm. Not only was their cocktail counter in The NoMad hotel named the third best bar in the world according to William Reed Business Media’s “The World’s 50 Best Bars” list (and also the best bar in this country), but last night the duo threw open doors for the first official night of service at Eleven Madison Park, their grand and newly retooled tasting menu engagement, which also happens to claim the number one spot on S. Pellegrino’s controversial World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

Gary He/Eater NY

Grub Street shares a full look at the restaurant’s new minimalist menu, priced at $295 for eight to 10 courses (resys for this month have already been snapped up), which still includes a couple signatures, like Humm’s savory black-and-white cookies and his beloved lavender and honey roasted duck. Humm says he also reworked a celery root dish that was previously cooked en vessie in a pig’s bladder.

Gary He

Eleven Madison Park’s tasting menu begins with those black and white cookies plus “a series of hors d’oeuvre that are all based on fall traditions,” like roasted chestnuts, explains Humm. Then the meal progresses into a choice of three (or, technically four) appetizers: a salad of marinated clams and fennel, an umami-rich mushroom carpaccio, and foie gras — either hot or cold. Afterward comes a family-style cheesecake made from smoked sturgeon that’s garnished with caviar. Guests then pick from a lobster or tilefish prep, which is followed by a whole roasted kabocha squash that’s wrapped with bacon and seaweed. For entrees, there’s Humm’s signature duck, dry aged veal, or his new celery root approach — all of which are served with seasonal sides.

Gary He/Eater

EMP’s cheese course is now a sort of savory pretzel bread topped with cheese fondue, which leads into desserts: an apple donut, a play on cranberries, “cookies and cream,” and chocolate pretzels. As of today, both the EMP Instagram account and Humm’s own page show off a couple of preview dishes, and if you click on EMP’s top posts, there’s even more to see.

Gary He/Eater

After four months of nips and tucks, this renovation marks the first significant aesthetic upgrade since iconic New York restaurateur Danny Meyer conceived of Eleven Madison Park in 1998. While back then he built the place to feed 400, today Eleven Madison Park’s kitchen is equipped to serve 80. But beyond the dining room, post remodel there’s now a reconfigured and expanded bar which serves a shorter $155 tasting menu as well.

• Eleven Madison Park Reopens With a Stark, Striking New Menu [Grub Street]
• All Coverage of Eleven Madison Park [ENY]