Tomato Tea
While I was in New York I popped by Eleven Madison Park for lunch.
Popped might be the wrong word, but anyway, there I sat Friday afternoon with my friends Chuck and Wyn, awaiting some colossal culinary experience. For those of you who pay attention, 11 Madison, formerly a mediocre Danny Meyer restaurant, is now, under new ownership, one of those few, those four or five, golden temples to which the New York Times attaches four stars.
Me? I'm giving it three and a half. Per Se is better, just for starters. And when I'm eating at Per Se, I'm not thinking to myself, "Hey, these guys must have just been to 11 Madison Park" whereas while eating at 11 Madison I kept thinking "Hey, these guys must have just been to Per Se."
Which should speak volumes. Plus the waiter stepped on my foot twice. One time on the foot is my bad. The second time? Yo dog--watch what you are doing. That's my foot.
Plus they delivered a drink to the wrong table. Being ours. And then I desperately wanted it because it looked so beautiful, but when we told them it belonged to someone else they took it away.
Plus, I was a little disappointed that we didn't have the tasting menu, but that takes three-plus hours and the air conditioning made the room excessively cold. Not a problem for me because I'm currently the size of a blimp, but less attractive for my dining mate in her sleeveless dress. And I had a train to catch and would have been looking at my watch instead of those little egg shells filled with smoked sturgeon and chive oil sabayon.
Plus, I was imperfectly moved by the $27 glass of Chateauneuf du Pape that the sommelier recommended to go with the duck.
But enough about the negative stuff. Let's instead talk about the tomato tea.
In a moment, I'm going to attach a link to a blog called donuts4dinner.com. This person has a full review, plus pictures. The second and third pictures are also of the tomato tea. And I, unlike the donuts reviewer, love tomatoes. So, to me at least, the tomato tea was the sort of epiphany you hope to get when you go to restaurants like this. It was stunning. It tasted like what I assume the tears of Aphrodite tasted like, but more tomato-y
In fact, I'm afraid if I talk about the tomato tea any longer I'm going to begin sobbing. With joy. But still...
Instead, go here and read the donuts4dinner review. I'm going to go upstairs and see if Rory McIlroy is still holding off Voldemort.
Popped might be the wrong word, but anyway, there I sat Friday afternoon with my friends Chuck and Wyn, awaiting some colossal culinary experience. For those of you who pay attention, 11 Madison, formerly a mediocre Danny Meyer restaurant, is now, under new ownership, one of those few, those four or five, golden temples to which the New York Times attaches four stars.
Me? I'm giving it three and a half. Per Se is better, just for starters. And when I'm eating at Per Se, I'm not thinking to myself, "Hey, these guys must have just been to 11 Madison Park" whereas while eating at 11 Madison I kept thinking "Hey, these guys must have just been to Per Se."
Which should speak volumes. Plus the waiter stepped on my foot twice. One time on the foot is my bad. The second time? Yo dog--watch what you are doing. That's my foot.
Plus they delivered a drink to the wrong table. Being ours. And then I desperately wanted it because it looked so beautiful, but when we told them it belonged to someone else they took it away.
Plus, I was a little disappointed that we didn't have the tasting menu, but that takes three-plus hours and the air conditioning made the room excessively cold. Not a problem for me because I'm currently the size of a blimp, but less attractive for my dining mate in her sleeveless dress. And I had a train to catch and would have been looking at my watch instead of those little egg shells filled with smoked sturgeon and chive oil sabayon.
Plus, I was imperfectly moved by the $27 glass of Chateauneuf du Pape that the sommelier recommended to go with the duck.
But enough about the negative stuff. Let's instead talk about the tomato tea.
In a moment, I'm going to attach a link to a blog called donuts4dinner.com. This person has a full review, plus pictures. The second and third pictures are also of the tomato tea. And I, unlike the donuts reviewer, love tomatoes. So, to me at least, the tomato tea was the sort of epiphany you hope to get when you go to restaurants like this. It was stunning. It tasted like what I assume the tears of Aphrodite tasted like, but more tomato-y
In fact, I'm afraid if I talk about the tomato tea any longer I'm going to begin sobbing. With joy. But still...
Instead, go here and read the donuts4dinner review. I'm going to go upstairs and see if Rory McIlroy is still holding off Voldemort.
posted by Geoffrey at 2:09 PM
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