Eleven Madison Park

On Friday afternoon, I had the pleasure of joining a couple of friends for lunch at Eleven Madison Park. EMP is one of those restaurants I've long wanted to visit but never had the occasion. Since learning they offer a daily lunch special, three of us ventured to give it a shot.

The space was beautiful, with double-height ceilings and panels of stained glass above the bar. It had remnants of old, art-deco New York, and light poured in from their enormous windows facing Madison Square Park (home of Shake Shack).

To start the meal, we were brought an amusé bouche: a carrot marshmallow, foie gras with strawberry geleé, warm gougers (a baked cheese dumpling), and fresh baked bread.

As an appetizer, I had the scallop, and Jess and Michelle had the taboule and the composition of young vegetables.

As my entree, I chose the "Lobster Lasagna," which was not really, exactly, a lasagna. It was a beautifully prepared lobster with handmade pasta sheets with pressed herbs. There were also thin pieces of baby zucchini, summer squash, herbs, and flower petals. It was truly amazing.

On our way out, the waiter handed us each a small box containing the most precious macarons I've ever seen! The were each tiny, barely the size of a quarter, and were very inventive flavors. One was an interpretation of a traditional japanese dessert, with hints of soy and red bean. Antoher, chamomile tea with lemon and honey. They were brilliant!

I'm already dying to go back!

Eleven Madison Park
11 Madison Avenue, at 24th Street
New York, NY 10010
212.889.0905