11 mad
- Thread starter scottreiner
- Start date
kirk wallace
kirk wallace
scottreiner
scott reiner
but, like i just typed off line to fass, "i suppose i'll live. but, no more bar menu. no more a la carte. no more wine by the glass. i may no longer be allowed in wearing jeans and flip flops!"
Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
Well. This is really ambiguous news.
On the one hand, I know someone who actually talks like this: "We realize that people come here for more than to be fed or have a business meeting, Mr. Humm said. When they walk into the door they basically say, Take me for a ride. "
For a destination restaurant, this makes some sense. I am reminded of a recent excursion to Alinea, during which I had exactly that mindset.
But that is "special occasion" dining. That visit to Alinea may be the only one I ever make. But I've been to 11 Mad many times.
Note the past tense! How can one proceed there for a normal meal with this sort of nonsense being spoken now:
"Until last week, it was possible to order one or two courses for lunch, but Mr. Guidara and Mr. Humm believed that was a disservice to the diners who make a gastronomic pilgrimage to the restaurant."
I'm sorry but lunch is not a pilgrimage.
Good luck to them. I hope, in these economic times, that there are still lots of gastro tourists to fill their tables.
On the one hand, I know someone who actually talks like this: "We realize that people come here for more than to be fed or have a business meeting, Mr. Humm said. When they walk into the door they basically say, Take me for a ride. "
For a destination restaurant, this makes some sense. I am reminded of a recent excursion to Alinea, during which I had exactly that mindset.
But that is "special occasion" dining. That visit to Alinea may be the only one I ever make. But I've been to 11 Mad many times.
Note the past tense! How can one proceed there for a normal meal with this sort of nonsense being spoken now:
"Until last week, it was possible to order one or two courses for lunch, but Mr. Guidara and Mr. Humm believed that was a disservice to the diners who make a gastronomic pilgrimage to the restaurant."
I'm sorry but lunch is not a pilgrimage.
Good luck to them. I hope, in these economic times, that there are still lots of gastro tourists to fill their tables.
Sharon Bowman
Sharon Bowman
You should really have driven the nail into the coffin and said, "I went to 11 Mad many times."
Alas, I never made it there. It's interesting, as I was reading the new review, it made me think about Anthony Bourdain's latest book and how he skewers the whole tasting menu paradigm, saying chefs hate it and people should (or seem to), too. Something about not being able to have hot sex after ten courses, belching and farting the night away, etc. (Yes, this is AB.)
Though his view is that more and more restaurants are moving away from the tasting menu. If only! Set "menus" are much more frequent in France, and I don't like them, American anarchist that I am.
scottreiner
scott reiner
per se is booked well in advance; i'm sure there are plenty people to fill the emp seats. my complaint was mostly personal, i fear i've lost my local.
Sharon Bowman
Sharon Bowman
Per Se has gone in the opposite direction and whipped up a lower-key bar menu!
scottreiner
scott reiner
i've never tried the bar menu there, reeeeeeeally want to.
Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
Is 11 Mad on a par with Per Se?
kirk wallace
kirk wallace
I went back and re-read and even control+F'd; I see no mention of killing the wines by the glass program.
I loved their lunch prix-fix for business meetings; best bargain in town PQR-wise, but I can see why it doesn't make sense for them, especially with fewer tables. I don't buy the bit about it affecting other diners who were their for a full gasto-pilgrimage; I've had many 4 hour lunches at Taillevent while other Ameircan tourists ate 2 course in 90 minutes and French business folks had 3 in 2+ hours and i don't think any of us were impeded in pleasure or purpose by the others.
scottreiner
scott reiner
i went to the website, whereas they used to list the by the glass program, it is no longer there. There is a far larger half bottle section and everything else mentioned in the piece has been updated on the site.
scottreiner
scott reiner
no. but, then again, ps is much more expensive. my point was simply that there are many people to fill the seats, and at the level at which emp is performing, the seats will be filled.
lars makie
lars makie
It's funny. I just got into town last night and went in as I walked around. It was after 11pm, so they had stopped serving at the bar, but I asked to see the list because I had heard raves about the wines BTG. They still had some listed. In fact I really want to go back and get a glass of the '00 Puffeney Vin Jaune. They also had a couple sherries I was curious about. I had dinner there once a few years ago a few months before the Bruni review came out and thought it was really good; if I remember correctly we had the three course menu which was plenty (and a great value). I'm bummed that if I do go back, there'll be no bar menu or a la carte to pick from. It's too bad. I don't know why you'd consciously cut customers out.
Levi Dalton
Levi Dalton
No stop by 11 East 53rd?
What's up with that?
Keith Levenberg
Keith Levenberg
Eleven Madison is/was superior to Per Se in my book, but you had to go all the way (i.e., not the 3 course menu) to experience it at that level. I definitely don't like the ring of the article that the retooling is meant to cater to food tourists. But that may be the article speaking and not the restaurant's intention. Shame about the loss of the back room - I always found those tables especially cozy. Anyway, I look forward to going back and seeing the new concept.
Jeff,
Off the subject a bit, what were/are your thoughts on Alinea? Despite my proximity, I haven't yet made it there (and may pass on it in favor of Grant Achatz's Next venture). These changes to EMP won't affect me greatly since it remains high on my list of "destination dining" for NYC.
Mark Lipton
Keith Levenberg
Keith Levenberg
One other thought is that this whole story really gives me a whole new reason to hate the New York Times, as if I needed one. One damn four-star review works a complete turnover in a restaurant's clientele, which seems to have the secondary effect of inducing a complete turnover in the restaurant's concept to serve the new clientele.
lars makie
lars makie
I'm in town for two weeks. I'll def be swinging by.
kirk wallace
kirk wallace
Tristan Welles
Tristan Welles
My thoughts run close to yours. I could happily go back to 11Mad seveal times a month.
No more.
But then they were already on that path in the last several years, especially as things like the corkage fee increased.
Happily Chicago still has several BYOB restaurants that come very close to the quality delivered by Humm in his first 2 years at 11 Mad.