I went to 11 Madison twice during my recent trip – a Tuesday and Saturday. Neither meal was overly impressive but it’s the potential that is even more frustrating. These meals weren’t an improvement over Daniel Humm’s San Francisco tenure at Campton Place but the flashes of brilliance were still there. It sounded like he may have been realizing this potential during the summer when many reviewers on varied online forums could do nothing but rave. However, these meals, while pleasant, were solidly in the second tier of US dining.

I will return on future NYC visits w/ my fingers crossed.

Both meals were largely the same (I should have made it more clear on the 2nd visit that I’d dined there 4 days earlier) and the results more or less the same. Below are the various dishes I had.

1. 3 Radishes w/ Persimmon & Lemon Sauce (no picture)

A first-timer they claimed – an understated, but still powerful, amuse. The sauce was a bit cloying to me but this could be easily refined into a very nice amuse. Good.

2. Beet Salad

(from memory) The red beet was quite tasty. Good.

3. Langostine w/ Bouillabaisse Gelee & Peekytoe Crab

Harmony of flavors – a sweet sea taste followed by the salty sea. The delivery was great too – the gelee melts in your mouth and leaves you w/ the seafood. The crab probably isn’t necessary (what does it really add?); this is the lack of refinement that differentiates the 2nd tier from the top tier in my mind (addition by subtraction.) Very Good.

4. Knoll Krest Farm Egg w/ Uni, Sterling Royal Caviar, & Scallop

My egg was slightly overcooked and I think that resulted in the uni getting “lost”. Admittedly, this dish looks great on paper and I’ll have to give it another go in the future. The scallop was quite bright in flavor. Good.

5. ???

I can’t remember this dish.

6. Slow-Cooked Turbot w/ Mussels, Clams, Scallops, & Spicy Nage

Fish was slightly overcooked and fairly tasteless. The nage was quite tasty – spicy w/ lots of cumin that had a nice body and finish. I remember having the same reaction in SF – pretty presentation, dull fish, and flavorful nage. Maybe he should just ditch the fish and/or incorporate it in a different manner. Good.

7. Nova Scotia Lobster w/ Orange-Broth Poached w/ Chantenay Carrots & Gewurztraminer

Undercooked (yes!) – this is his signature dish IMO – it’s the one I craved back in the SF days. This variant had the carrots which were unncessary – this dish just needs lobster & the gewurztraminer. And that’s what you get in a small side dish (not pictured) – lobster, gewurztraminer, and butter – mmmmm. Excellent.

8. Wild Scottish Partridge w/ Sauteed Foie

Partridge bland, foie ok, a very forgettable dish. Ok.

9. Foie Gras Creme Burlee

(no picture) This was part of an alternate dish the first night and it was so good I requested it on the 2nd visit. Creamy foie w/ an excellent sweet shell that cuts the richness. Excellent.

10. Four Story Hill Farm Veal Cheeks Glazed w/ Coffee & Meyer Lemon

Completely forgettable, bland, dull… Not Good.

11. Honey/Lavendar Duck

My dining host assured me *this* was the signature dish While the lobster hit a higher high, the sweet & floral crispy skin requires this to be ordered next time. Very Good.

12. Lynnhaven Chevre w/ Capezzana Olive Oil

Lighter, tangy, refreshing, if not a tad busy. Good.

13. Concord Grape “Shake” (my words)
Very sweet but intense grape flavor. If they could reduce the sugar by 50%, I’d rate it higher. Good.

14. Pumpkin Cheesecake w/ Gingerbread & Rum Raisin Ice Cream

I’m not a pumpkin fan….

15. Take Home Cherry Brioche

They should hire a new baker. I had a sore throat and this did a great job of scratching it for me. Not Good.

I’ll return but Humm hasn’t entered the top tier w/ Kinch, Keller, Ludo, Jean Georges, and Ripert. He already has some iconic dishes (the lobster and duck) but their brilliance doesn’t carry over into the rest of this menu. The summer reviews were raves but a top tier chef should be comfortable with every season. I’d guess that Michelin would rate this 1 star.

If you’re in NYC and want a fancy, yet unpretentious, dinner – this is your place. If you have just one – go to Kuruma Zushi, Le Bernardin, or Jean Georges instead. If you have a few dinners, include it on your itinerary.

- chuck

Other Reviews

• Opionated About
• Amateur Gourmet
• Veal Cheeks
• Chez Pim was equally frustrated by the obvious signs of brilliance followed by mediocre dishes. And this was back in early 2005.