Eleven Madison Park

The democratization of the food world is in many ways a good thing. An appreciation of taco trucks, Chinatown pastry shops and country barbecue stands has trickled up from the populace to food authorities like the NYT and Food and Wine Magazine, which expanded its circle of “Best New Chefs” to include not just Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller (both class of ’88) but Roy Choi of LA’s Kogi Korean Barbecue trucks (class of ’10). A more level playing field has encouraged restauranteurs and chefs to strive for greatness, no matter how small or casual the venue.

But what’s been lost in the transition from “gourmand” (farewell, Gourmet) to “foodie” (hello, Yelp) is an appreciation of truly excellent food and service. When seeking out the latest “it” food, be it a pig roast or a roving dessert truck, diners are now willing to endure long lines for bad cuts of meat while Josh Ozersky snacks in the background. Just as it’s important to study the cut and feel of designer clothing to see what H&M should approximate, you have to visit a four-star place like Eleven Madison Park every once in a while to understand what lesser dining experiences lack.

When D. and I stepped into the art deco interior of this behemoth, the first thing we felt was relief. A team of hosts checked us in right away. There was a place to sit in the cocktail lounge, where we were plied with the deeply refreshing Beau Four cocktail ($14) of bourbon, dry vermouth, amaro and cucumber. We were led to our table almost exactly at the time we had reserved it. If it hadn’t been for the classic New York interior – clean, geometric lines and soaring ceilings, 1920s wood paneling and granite tiles, huge bouquets of flowers and twigs – it would have been hard to believe we were still in the same city as that pig roast.

Another sign you’re somewhere special: once you’re seated, little treats keep arriving out of nowhere. First, it was the gougeres, with their light texture and sharp cheese. Chef Daniel Humm worked a magic trick, burying crunchy crystals of fleur de sel in the middle of the biscuits.

Next came a tray of amuse bouche, the presentation almost Japanese in its obsessive attention to detail: a cube of marshmallow flavored with squash, tuna carpaccio with a tofu base and a Lilliputian buttery pastry cone cleverly tied to look like a carrot, stuffed with mushrooms inside. This was followed by another unexpected treat, a crenelle of Hawaiian shrimp with fava beans, lemon and mint in a wide flat bowl, over which our server poured a delicious spring garlic broth from a silver decanter.

While the technique here is French, Humm, like Boulud, occasionally turns it up a notch with Asian inflections, as with the superb appetizer of peekytoe crab topped with paper-thin slices of pickled daikon radish, the first course of a three-course prix fixe ($95). It’s a dash of creativity that takes crab from standard fancy-restaurant fare to something haute.

But before getting too cerebral, Humm swings the menu in the other direction, as with the earthy, Italian goat’s milk ricotta gnocchi with artichokes, taggiasca olives and bacon. It turns out that artichokes and bacon make for a great combination, the slight acidity of the artichokes balancing the fattiness of bacon. These gnocchi stuffed with cheese are the pasta equivalent of the gougeres – gourmet comfort food.

We nicknamed the rich, succulent Colorado lamb with sucrine lettuce, garden peas and Oregon morels “lamb three ways”: a braised leg, seared chop, and sausage. The morels are roasted in lamb fat and pan juices, giving them a crispy texture and meaty taste. But there’s a hint of an Asian flavor like oyster sauce in the mix, which adds a note of exoticism to the whole.

Surf and turf? They do that here too, in the form of a gorgeously presented veal blanquette with spring vegetables, tarragon and crayfish. Swimming in a  delicate sauce with real oomph, the veal was a bit fatty in parts but nicely contrasted with the saline crawfish and blanched seasonal vegetables.

Though it’s not known for cheese, there’s an excellent cheese cart at Eleven Madison Park that rivals Picholine’s in variety and quality. In fact, the restaurant sources many of the cheeses from Artisanal, which aged one French cow’s milk cheese an extra five weeks for the restaurant.

Another little extra something arrived at the end of the meal: a plate of pristine macaroons in every creative flavor you can imagine, and then some.

A sommelier is readily available, and he comes to the table without you having to flag him down. Ours read my mind by selecting this excellent 2005 Clos Rougeard Cabernet Franc ($125) when I asked for a light but structured red – not fruity! – that would go with either fish or lamb.

Another mark of fine dining: all the servers should be very knowledgeable and deft, delivering and clearing the meal without interrupting or disturbing diners – think Gosford Park, not “are you done with that?” Our server knew the history of the building’s design and architecture (it was originally planned to be 100 stories tall, but then came the crash of ’29) and could answer any question we threw at him. The noise level is muted, not cacophonous, which is especially surprising in such a large space. Around us sat titans of industry, families celebrating birthdays, and regulars. Ah, to be a regular here.

The price of this exquisite food, wine and service? Not cheap. But Yelpers, it’s worth saving up a month’s worth of ramen lunch money to experience it. You will like you’re living in the Gilded Age, if only for the duration of one meal.

Eleven Madison Park
11 Madison Avenue at 24th Street
(212) 889-0905
elevenmadisonpark.com

All menus can be found online.