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Eleven Madison Park - 2012 National James Beard Award Winning Executive Chef - Co-Owner Daniel Humm on 11 Madison Avenue in Flatiron


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58 minutes ago, Steve R. said:

They need the price increase to pay for a better pr team.  Maybe one that can write less transparently.

Agree.  When reading it I couldn't decide if I was insulted that they thought I was that stupid, or embarrassed that they were.  I've been a big fan of what I felt was a uniquely special experience provided by the EMP team over the years, but between the faux altruism of "going vegan" while serving beef to your private event clients to hiding a jaw-dropping price increase behind improving staff compensation equity while making tipping optional, it feels like this restaurant in living on borrowed time.  I did notice they also sent out a message well after the usual reservation availability date for open slots in February - while no doubt also impacted by omicron, certainly a fair cry from a waiting list thousands of patrons long just a few months removed.

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As a big fan of the old, old EMP it appeared to me that, when the partnership dissolved and Humm took ownership, the business sensibility went out the window.  Then he seemed to get bored with chef’ing one of the best kitchens in NYC and started the first of many “gimmicks” — like that mix and match menu.  In my opinion, it’s been a steady descent ever since.  I’m waiting for a “you bring your own ingredients & we’ll cook it” (at full price of course) or a “pick what you’ll eat tonight from a grab bag” concept.

(maybe I shouldn’t give him any ideas).

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A year ago at this time, a reservation at EMP was the hottest, hardest-to-get ticket in town.  After receiving a few marketing emails recently I checked this morning and you can get a prime time reservation any day this week, and it there was one time you could eat at a vegan restaurant, I would think late August would be ideal for seasonality.  Between the terrible Times review, the mixed ethos of offering meat to private clients while standing on a moral vegan high ground (if that's such a thing) and a dramatic price increase by removing gratuity from the price, Humm may have broken what once was a truly remarkable experience.

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22 hours ago, Bob Wells said:

The recent price hike is probably making reservations easier to come by too. https://ny.eater.com/2022/7/7/23198636/eleven-madison-park-tasting-menu-price-increase-august

Holy conspicuous consumption, Batman!! This is a ludicrous price to pay for fine dining without any of the traditional ingredients of luxury dining. Is this all ego driven? Imagine paying a month's worth of grocery shopping for 1 meal. I don't get it. 

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39 minutes ago, Mark Slater said:

Holy conspicuous consumption, Batman!! This is a ludicrous price to pay for fine dining without any of the traditional ingredients of luxury dining. Is this all ego driven? Imagine paying a month's worth of grocery shopping for 1 meal. I don't get it. 

Evidently it's those pesky organic vegetables: "The pricing change will help the restaurant offset higher vegetable and vendor costs, in addition to providing for higher wages for back-of-house workers, according to a spokesperson for Eleven Madison."

You wouldn't believe how much more sunlight and dirt cost these days....

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1 hour ago, Mark Slater said:

Holy conspicuous consumption, Batman!! This is a ludicrous price to pay for fine dining without any of the traditional ingredients of luxury dining. Is this all ego driven? Imagine paying a month's worth of grocery shopping for 1 meal. I don't get it. 

Snowballing off Pete Wells's (no relation, nor is Patricia Wells) classic review from last year, $365 can buy a buttload of beets. For comparison purposes, the current price of a meal at Inn at Little Washington is $328.

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On 8/17/2022 at 8:46 AM, zgast said:

Evidently it's those pesky organic vegetables: "The pricing change will help the restaurant offset higher vegetable and vendor costs, in addition to providing for higher wages for back-of-house workers, according to a spokesperson for Eleven Madison."

You wouldn't believe how much more sunlight and dirt cost these days....

Unfortunately for both Humm and the workers he's underpaying, this wouldn't be the first time a price increase has occurred with the excuse being to raise wages, but the wage hike doesn't happen.

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On 8/16/2022 at 9:50 AM, Bob Wells said:

The recent price hike is probably making reservations easier to come by too. https://ny.eater.com/2022/7/7/23198636/eleven-madison-park-tasting-menu-price-increase-august

The Inn at Little Washington’s menu is now $328 ($556 with wine pairings), independent of additional beverages, service (20% is $110), and tax (5.3%) is $30).

Dinner for two, with pairings, will cost about $1,400. Stay overnight, and you’ll spend over $2,000.

Monday nights may be the way to go here, as hotel guests get a complimentary dinner for two at Patty O’s (the main restaurant is closed).

 

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On 9/6/2022 at 3:25 PM, DonRocks said:

The Inn at Little Washington’s menu is now $328 ($556 with wine pairings), independent of additional beverages, service (20% is $110), and tax (5.3%) is $30).

Dinner for two, with pairings, will cost about $1,400. Stay overnight, and you’ll spend over $2,000.

Monday nights may be the way to go here, as hotel guests get a complimentary dinner for two at Patty O’s (the main restaurant is closed).

 

FWIW, that dinner all inclusive cost is about 10% higher than what the same cost at Le Bernardin last month.

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On 9/6/2022 at 3:25 PM, DonRocks said:

The Inn at Little Washington’s menu is now $328 ($556 with wine pairings), independent of additional beverages, service (20% is $110), and tax (5.3%) is $30).

Dinner for two, with pairings, will cost about $1,400. Stay overnight, and you’ll spend over $2,000.

Monday nights may be the way to go here, as hotel guests get a complimentary dinner for two at Patty O’s (the main restaurant is closed).

 

Not sure what any of this has to do with EMP, which has somehow maintained 3* for another year. Weekend reservations at both EMP and IALW remain hard to find or nearly impossible less than several months in advance.

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On 10/12/2022 at 5:47 PM, Keithstg said:

Not sure what any of this has to do with EMP, which has somehow maintained 3* for another year. Weekend reservations at both EMP and IALW remain hard to find or nearly impossible less than several months in advance.

I think it was for comparison purposes.  BTW I just checked and there are EMP reservations available for 2-3 weeks out on weekend nights, days after the renewed 3* Michelin rating, which would have been unheard of 2 years ago.

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14 hours ago, genericeric said:

I think it was for comparison purposes.  BTW I just checked and there are EMP reservations available for 2-3 weeks out on weekend nights, days after the renewed 3* Michelin rating, which would have been unheard of 2 years ago.

Agreed that the vegan bit limits customers. Does seem as though EMP may now be the easiest 3* reservation to secure in NY, so should probably have tempered my timeline, which holds for IALW, btw, which is still a vastly different restaurant hundreds of miles away.

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On 1/26/2022 at 7:15 PM, Steve R. said:

As a big fan of the old, old EMP it appeared to me that, when the partnership dissolved and Humm took ownership, the business sensibility went out the window.  Then he seemed to get bored with chef’ing one of the best kitchens in NYC and started the first of many “gimmicks” — like that mix and match menu.  In my opinion, it’s been a steady descent ever since.  I’m waiting for a “you bring your own ingredients & we’ll cook it” (at full price of course) or a “pick what you’ll eat tonight from a grab bag” concept.

(maybe I shouldn’t give him any ideas).

i think it’s time danny meyer made him an offer he can’t refuse and buy the restaurant back. then we can return to normal.

if i had scheduled our upcoming trip a few years ago, i would have been proud to tell my husband that this restaurant is amazing but now i cringe whenever i re-read about them. oh what might have been.

On 10/11/2022 at 6:57 AM, Tweaked said:

Announced via IG, Kajitsu closing chef Hiroki Abe is joining the Eleven Madison Park team.  They don't say what his specific role will be.   

probably won’t be beet tempura

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14 hours ago, TrelayneNYC said:

 

probably won’t be beet tempura

After it was announced that Hiroki Abe would be joining Eleven Madison Park, there doesn't seem to have been much follow through.  He appears to be doing pop ups these days and doesn't appear to be affiliated with the restaurant.  Maybe he was doing consulting...unknown.    

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