Historic U-turn at Eleven Madison Park: from October, a menu with fish and meat

Meat returns to Eleven Madison Park: Daniel Humm’s U-turn after 4 years of vegan cuisine. It was 2021 when Daniel Humm – Swiss-born, US-based – announced to the world the green shift at Eleven Madison Park, after the tough Covid period: “We could not reopen the same restaurant we had been in the past, so every dish will be composed of plant-based elements, from the land and the sea, such as fruit, legumes, mushrooms, grains, and much more” he said. A record-breaking restaurant, both in terms of revenue and ability to communicate (just think of the Netflix film 7 Days Out, which documented the final week before reopening to the public after major renovation works).

Eleven Madison Park is one of the temples of haute cuisine worldwide, named best restaurant in the world in 2017, and for over a decade the only three-Michelin-starred restaurant in New York. It remained at the top even after Humm’s split from long-time partner Will Guidara in 2019, and after the green shift. A record-setting place, in short, capable of influencing the course of fine dining around the world, legitimising what was at the time a radical choice: an entirely plant-based menu. All of this, of course, combined with the legendary EMP hospitality. Reactions came quickly, ranging from scepticism and fierce criticism (such as from Pete Wells, then restaurant critic for The New York Times), to high praise for a choice that paved a path previously unthinkable.

The plant-based menu

It was a decision that caused a great stir, one that Humm himself playfully referenced when he decided not to use the term “vegan” so as not to alienate his clientele. Instead, he chose to speak of “plant-based”, aware of the role words play in shaping perceptions, and continued along that path. His choice was political as well as culinary, although some suspected it was a publicity stunt. He wanted the world – the whole world, given the reach of his every move – to reflect on the need to adopt a more sustainable diet, conscious of the environmental impact of meat consumption.

He also demonstrated that plant-based cuisine was not inferior to that which includes animal proteins, nor less important or luxurious (with the tasting menu costing nearly $400). His was a conviction reiterated on multiple occasions, such as when, a couple of years ago, he told Time magazine that it was necessary to rethink luxury and, more broadly, our approach to food, elevating vegetables and recognising them as noble products. “It’s not the cost of the ingredients you use, but the human thought, the manual labour… The experiences that can only be had in a handful of places in the world” he said, placing courgettes and cabbages on the same level as caviar and lobster.

The Eleven Madison Park U-turn: the return of meat and fish

Now the announcement: starting from 14 October, on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, EMP will have a menu with meat and fish, including the iconic honey and lavender glazed duck. A decision that comes after much reflection by chef Humm. The first reason – it seems – concerns the desire to be more inclusive, with the (also economic) need to attract more guests by giving them the option to choose: “We will offer a plant-based menu, naturally, but we will also select animal products for some dishes”. A way – he says – “to continue to promote plant-based cuisine”. After all, he explains: “Eating together is the essence of who we are, and I have learned that in order to truly support plant-based cuisine, I must create an environment where everyone feels welcome around the table.”

In the past year – he later confided – the restaurant has struggled to maintain the same level of creativity and staffing, and private events – a crucial source of revenue – have been particularly scarce: “It’s hard to find 30 people for a corporate dinner in a vegetarian restaurant”, he said. And even on the wine front, the absence of meat doesn’t help: “grand cru pairs with meat”. Hence the decision to soften the green stance by introducing meat and fish options – oysters, duck or lobster, and perhaps even chicken – into the menu: from seven to nine courses (priced at $365), which can still be made fully plant-based for those who prefer. “For me, this is the most contemporary version of a restaurant: we offer choice, but our foundation remains plant-based.” After all, Humm explains: “Change is fundamental to who we are and to the way we grow.”