Bun Boy Eats NYC - Archives for 2014 June

ELEVEN MADISON PARK

June 13, 2014 4:43 am

Eleven Madison Park is one of NYC’s top restaurants. It often competes with Le Bernardin, Per Se and Daniel for the top spot.

I had no business going here so soon after Daniel. And this place was much more expensive. They don’t offer any other choices but to get the full on 16 course extravaganza. And it’s gonna cost you big time.

I can eat ramen for two weeks after this, I told myself.

There were so many differences between Daniel and Eleven Madison Park.

First of all, the server’s attitude is much more pleasant here.

Still, it’s a super expensive, upscale restaurant. They’re not going to great you with BBQ sauce stained menus and a “How ya’ll doing?! We gonna need a high chair this evening?”

At Daniel, the servers behaved as if they could have their fingers removed for any missteps in their performance. Much more relaxed here.

A meal at EMP is an epic, wonderful, delicious, whimsical experience. Seriously. Worth every penny. All million of them.

Plan at least three hours, even for lunch.

Each course arrives with a little bit of theatrics and a touch of drama. Boxes to be opened, favorite foods to be requested and picnic baskets to be explored.

Never have you had so much fun spending SO much money. Seriously, this place is now my very favorite restaurant in the entire world.

Here’s what you do: save up an extra month’s rent. Then, instead of actually paying your rent, bring that dough to Eleven Madison Park and go crazy. Please note, this rent will cover only two people (as did the check seen at the bottom photo). If the idea of spending that much on food disgusts you, well, I don’t blame you.

I have a sickness, a disease. I love food and will spend every penny to acquire every culinary experience that exists in nature. Unless it involves eating bowels. I’ll never be into that, no matter how trendy they are.

Oh! Speaking of bowels. The asparagus seen below is actually cooked inside of a cow’s stomach, so that’s fun! It was also the best asparagus I’ve ever crammed in my mouth.

After a full meal, they leave a bottle of apple brandy at the table for you to drink as much as you’d like of.

They also give you a mason jar filled with their amazing granola. Weeks later, I’m still noshing on it. With each bite, I remember the most amazing, awe-inspiring meal I’ve ever had.

And then go microwave my Hungryman dinner.

11 Madison Ave
New York, NY 10010
at 24th St in Flatiron
(212) 889-0905
elevenmadisonpark.com

We were told to choose a flavor that would make surprise appearances throughout the meal.

Box containing black and white cookies

Savory Black and White cookie with cheddar and apple

Oyster

Baked potato ice cream and caviar

Morel custard with Maine sea trout roe

English peas with meyer lemon and cured egg yolk

Pastrami

Fixings for the pastrami sandwich

Pastrami with ramps, rye, mustard and cherry

Homemade Cherry and Coffee sodas

Bread and Butter – Local to NYC

Foie Gras terrine – with orange=chamomile, white asparagus and bitter almond

Loisaida Avenue – Mezcal, jalapeno infused tequila, green chartreuse, angostura bitters

Full English – Whiskey, green tea, vermouth, whiskey and orange bitters

Manhattan cart

Seared Foie Gras with chickpea marmalade

Waldorff Salad cart

Waldorf salad in the making

Waldorf salad with celery, rhubarb and walnuts

Waldorff Soup hidden under the salad.

Lobster – poached with beets, ginger and nasturtium

Halibut – slow roasted with pickled daikon and radishes

The cow’s bladder that the asparagus is braised in.

Asparagus braised with potato and black truffle

Lamb gelee

Lamb – broth with cured lamb and watercress – Roasted with lettuce, garlic, and onion blossoms

Picnic Basket

Picnic Basket with pretzel, beer, cheese, parsley puree and pickled strawberries

Brown Ale made specifically for Eleven Madison

Milk, several ways

Baked Alaska – Before

Baked Alaska, mid-burn

Baked Alaska with rum, caramel and coffee

Baked Alaska with rum, caramel and cherry

Apple Brandy to drink as we please

Chocolate Pretzels

Special bottles get special treatment.

For two people…Ouch.

Not Without My Pizza

June 6, 2014 4:42 am

View from the High Line

Once I hit four weeks living in NYC, I adopted the mentality of Sally Field’s character in the brilliant buddy comedy, “Not Without My Daughter”.

I’m not talking about when she first realized she wasn’t leaving Iran, those were some dark times for ole Sally. I’m talking after she had been smacked around a bit and told to put on that burka and just make the best of it.

So, that’s what I did. I put on my burka and realized that I’d better make the best of my new homeland.

What a shame for me to have finally made my dream a reality and then to just waste it!

Crouched, quivering in a corner, hoping the time would fly by. Nibbling on my schwarma or falafel or whatever it was Sally survived on.

After my 5th week, I had an epiphany.

One afternoon, I decided to daydream a bit about what life would be like, right now, back in LA.

I imagined myself driving the same route to work, sitting at the same messy desk, performing the same mundane work tasks. I imagined sleeping in the same bedroom, walking down the same streets, wondering (for the thousandth time) where the hell I had parked my car.

I suddenly didn’t miss any of that! I was actually happy I lived here instead of there.

Finally! This was a big step. This meant I could actually enjoy the full immersion NYC life instead of wishing the time would fly and I could run back home like a little, ungrateful b*tch. Time flies fast enough. I’m going to blink and find myself installing handlebars in my shower. If I die in the tub, Lord help me, one of ya’ll better dress me and move me to the bed.

I want to live here long enough to have experienced a few sweltering, kill myself summers and ass cold winters. Long enough for me to have travelled to all those little destinations I hear about East Coasters “summering” at.

I want to instantly recognize an East Coast town or expression (and learn if it’s proper to capitalize East Coast).

Not sure what the hell a Schenectady is but I want to go there. Or eat it.

It took a very long time to do everything I wanted to in LA. It took me 14 years to get into that damned Magic Castle. Who knew nerdy magicians could be so exclusive and elitist?

My list for NYC shall be much shorter. While, I have no clue how long I’ll be living here, I can almost guarantee it won’t be half as long as LA (cut to 10 years from now, when I’m still here).

Which means, I have to make the most of every weekend.

Besides seeing the obligatory NYC landmarks and a few Broadway shows, my goal here is PIZZA. I want to try every significant slice. I think that’s reasonable. No pizza left behind. Not without my pizza. Sally Field would be proud. If her husband allowed it, I’m sure she’d give me a big hug. And then slip me a note to deliver to the US Embassy.

MY WEEK IN IPHONE PHOTOS: