Eleven Madison Park

 I apologize for my brief hiatus from writing reviews, I needed a post graduation writing break but I’m back and I thought I would start with a bang and review my favorite meal of the year.... I can say that with complete confidence and it's only March. Eleven Madison isn't just about incredible food; it’s about putting on a show. They want you to walk away satisfied by every aspect of the dinner. For every table, 6 or more people are highly attentive to your every need. The menu was 13 courses of incredible and strategically planned flavors.

I'm going to do this in sections, starting with the “black and white cookie” that is waiting for you at the table; the twist is its savory and made of cheddar… I mean does it get any better??

This was followed by a few small bites, an egg in an eggshell, oysters done two ways, since once isn’t enough for EMP, one under a bread crumb shell and one in the form of a delicate broth. Preceding this was leeks stuffed with a cream and covering a raw scallop. Followed up by “breakfast for dinner”, but slightly more decadent then my typical Sunday brunch; with homemade biscuits, and a tin, first layer an egg, second ham, third caviar, and finally a light foamy hollandaise sauce. They wanted you to make little “egg sandwiches” of sorts, fun and overwhelming all in one course.

 Next you get a little break, and have their fresh bread, which is worth every carb in the world, still warm and accompanied with fresh butter, one just plain, but homemade so amazing, and one made with duck fat, because EMP cant just let you have one butter. This artery clogger is trailed by another heart attack. Each person getting a choice of foie gras, cooked or chilled, mine being the cooked option. Not something I typically jump at on a menu, given what foie gras is, but EMP somehow made me want an entire plate of this perfectly cooked delicacy.

We were thrilled, and our stomachs were even more excited, when they gave us a quick break for a kitchen tour, meeting the head chef and having a charming man who’s only job is to give this short tour to select tables, charm you with the details of this impressive empire of a restaurant. They give you a treat in the kitchen, while your jaw drops at how clean the space you are standing on, and your ears bleed from the chef screaming out orders and the entire kitchen responding in French at the same time.

The next few courses were fun but not memorable enough to drag this review out longer, but each creative in their own nature. The next course that grabbed me was the lavender roasted duck which, had the consistency I crave with duck… lightly cooked in the center, and with a crispy life changing skin, you wanted to ask for 2nd and 3rds but we still had 3 courses to get through, and believe it or not I was beginning to feel full!

 The butternut squash roasted with cheese in the center and accompanied with homemade pretzel sticks was a clever cheese course, and something I will try for guests in the future. Two desserts followed this, one being a caramel ice cream alongside a dessert wine, which was taken from the bottle with a glass stem “wine thief” tableside. The last was milk and honey, with this honey center shell, that you cracked into this milk flavored ice cream. We took the last course of chocolate home; “Mast Brothers” Name that Milk Chocolate game! Taste and determine is the milk from a cow, buffalo, sheep or a goat. And so you won’t wake thinking of this audaciously delicious meal and be hungry for more, we were sent home with a “doggie Jar” of homemade granola for breakfast since 13 courses isn’t enough EMP wants you to remember them long after you are gone.

 And that is exactly what I will do; to say this was a meal that would stay with me for an eternity is an understatement. Part of me never wants to eat anything again, because it might erase the flavor memory of each and every crumb that came with this meal. From start to finish they had me on the edge of my seat, almost better then any Broadway show I’ve been too. And price wise, you could probably see Hamiltion front row for the cost per person that Eleven Madison charges, God forbid you want a drink alongside this meal other then water, you then mortgage your house a second time. But if you are a foodie and want to feel like you are at a food museum then this is worth it. Not something you can do every Friday night, but for a special occasion, splurge, make a reservation two month in advance, and jump on the NQR to Madison Park for the experience of a lifetime.