Michelin-star restaurant turns vegan.
After more than twenty years at the top, Eleven Madison Park continues to reinvent itself.
Eleven Madison Park is a culinary rarity. Having opened its doors more than 20 years ago, the restaurant has only gotten better with age.
Known for his decadent tasting menu, Chef Daniel Humm, who became the owner in 2011, has elevated Eleven Madison Park to a global sensation. Among other accolades, Eleven Madison Park has retained 3 Michelin stars since 2012. It was also among the top restaurants in the world by Food & Wine in 2016 before claiming the number one spot the following year.
Along with 8–10 courses, Eleven Madison Park also offers its diners a meticulous dining experience. As the Michelin Guide notes:
“This modern, elegant dining room displays the virtues of symmetry, with not so much as a single chair pushed out of its proper place…it’s all evidence of Chef Daniel Humm’s masterful precision that extends through the cuisine as it artfully unfolds before each guest.”
When the pandemic hit, it appeared that Eleven Madison Park might close for good. Instead, Humm and his team channeled their renowned creativity and attention to detail into creating new dining experiences.
They launched a Michelin-worthy meal kit that is (almost) as good as being there. For $275, diners received a 3.5 lb chicken, stuffed with brioche, foie gras, and black truffle. They also offered a variety of side dishes and desserts, and created special kits for the holidays.
Along with an amazing meal, each kit purchased resulted in ten meals being donated through the Eleven Madison Truck — a philanthropic initiative launched this year in partnership with Rethink Food. The truck serves up to 2,000 meals to those experiencing food insecurity in neighborhoods across New York.
As the world patiently waited for news about when Eleven Madison Park would again open its doors, Humm threw out his latest curveball: the restaurant will be completely vegan (with the exception of milk and honey for coffee and tea, of course) when it reopens in June.
While plant-based meats are becoming increasingly popular, this move is certainly risky. Only one of the world’s 135 three-Michelin-starred restaurants doesn’t serve meat or seafood, and the Michelin guide gave its first star to a vegan restaurant just this year.
There is also the question of whether diners will be willing to pay more than $300 for fruit, vegetables, fungi, and grains.
But, Humm is looking forward to the challenge. He also credits the pandemic with giving him the time and space to think about his legacy — not just on the culinary scene, but the planet. And in-restaurant dining will also supplement the Eleven Madison Truck with donations for every guest served.
Over the years, Eleven Madison Park has been a lot of things to a lot of people. But, can it be fine-dining, expensive, philanthropic, and vegan? We’ll soon find out.
Danilo Diazgranados is an investor, collector, and lover of fine wines and a member of the prestigious Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, a fraternity of Burgundy wine enthusiasts.
