1568 replies to this topic

[Daisy]

their bread is from Balthazar...11 Mad Park has a very friendly corkage policy- me thinks $30.00 or 35.00 per with no attitude and good glassware.

That surprises me--about the bread. I like Balthazar's whole grain, baguette and brioche a lot. Although unlike Professor Johnson I liked the brioche served with the foie gras terrine. What I didn't like was the roll I had. It was flecked with caraway seed, slightly glazed and I thought it dry and a bit bland. Hardly touched it.

[SamanthaF]

I was here a couple of weeks ago and had a suprise tasting menu - I really liked it. Will post menu when I get home.

(Maybe Mr Dilley or Mr Thunk can help with wines)

[Ampelman]

Went on Thursday evening. We were 5 people and did the Tasting Menu; 2 "Aquatic", 2 "Spring" (described in first post of this topic) and 1 "Garden", since one member of our party is a vegetarian. This last menu includes:

Provence White Asparagus Compressed with Asparagus Mousse and Black Truffles

Chantenay Carrots, Olive Oil Poached with Snow Peas and Fleur de Sel

LaRatte Potato Gnocchi with Ramps and Oregon Morels

Sheep's Milk Yogurt Cheesecake with Roasted Pineapple, Kafir Lime and Kili Pepper Shortbread

In addition to the four listed courses for each menu, various amuses brought the total number to seven.

Drank Reininger Walla Walla Valley 2002 American Syrah ($75/bottle) which was delicious.

Service was beyond reproach, room glowed and yes, the food was more interesting than I recall it being at my last visit a couple of years ago. An excellent dinner and a perfect special-occasion place.

[Rail Paul]

Humm's got Moira humming

[Steven Dilley]

I was here a couple of weeks ago and had a suprise tasting menu - I really liked it. Will post menu when I get home.

(Maybe Mr Dilley or Mr Thunk can help with wines)

Just saw this. Hmmmm... we had 6 or 7, I believe, though the details are eluding me. Highlights include an '85 Drouhin Bonnes Mares and a '99 Allemand Sans Soufre, aka the world's best wine. A shutdown '89 Drouhin Griottes, in addition to a '02 Huet Sec (I think, maybe Bourg?), '92 Bonneau Matray Corton Charlemagne, and another older ('76?) white Burg. Maybe a '99 Ente Volnay, but I don't recall if that was opened.

Food was good, though our meal didn't quite live up to the recent hype.

[Melonious Thunk]

Just saw this. Hmmmm... we had 6 or 7, I believe, though the details are eluding me. Highlights include an '85 Drouhin Bonnes Mares and a '99 Allemand Sans Soufre, aka the world's best wine. A shutdown '89 Drouhin Griottes, in addition to a '02 Huet Sec (I think, maybe Bourg?), '92 Bonneau Matray Corton Charlemagne, and another older ('76?) white Burg. Maybe a '99 Ente Volnay, but I don't recall if that was opened.

Food was good, though our meal didn't quite live up to the recent hype.

I agree about the food. I think there was a Sancerre. I don't recall the producer or vintage but it was exceptionally good.

[Steven Dilley]

I agree about the food. I think there was a Sancerre. I don't recall the producer or vintage but it was exceptionally good.

That's right. A '96 Cotat, I believe. Awesome.

[Melonious Thunk]

Maybe a '99 Ente Volnay, but I don't recall if that was opened.

Yup. It was.

I think we also had a bottle of Champagne for starters.

[Steven Dilley]

No wonder I don't remember the details.

[Wilfrid1]

The hype is working - couldn't get a table when I tried recently.

[omnivorette]

I'm not falling for it this time. Not so fast, anyway.

[Steven Dilley]

A very good dinner with fellow MFers at 11 Mad last night. After being underwhelmed by my initial meal under chef Daniel Humm last month, this came as a very pleasant surprise. Perhaps the hype is warranted.

Because of the late hour, we opted for 3 savory courses in lieu of a tasting menu or the standard pre-fixe. And ordering wasn't easy as the menu reads very well. White asparagus from Provence with creme fraiche, foie with rhubarb, gnocchi with ramps and asparagus, crepinette of rabbit with foie, etc. All dishes I didn't order. Instead,

Poached egg with frogs' legs and spring garlic
Wild halibut with asparagus and sauce vin jaune
Suckling pig with apple puree and cider jus

A tray of small amuses included oysters, sweetbread samosas, a round of tuna, foie, and fennel, goat cheese sandwiched between crispy discs of something. All tasty. But it was the next amuse that set the tone--a bright, incredibly well-balanced carrot soup with mussels, shrimp, and crab. Absolutely note-perfect acidity contributed to a perfect spring/summer soup. Our waiter mentioned orange, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was a bit of lime in there as well. Delicious.

The meal didn't skip a beat with the next course--a poached egg with frogs' legs and spring garlic. Another dish I couldn't stop eating. A rich poached egg with tender bits of deboned frogs' legs, slivers of crisp garlic, all napped in an airy, light, butter-based sauce. Seriously tasty. And how refreshing to have a meal exceed my expectations by such a large measure.

Wild halibut with asparagus and sauce vin jaune was another winner. A nutty, sherried vin jaune sauce with slivers of green and white asparagus and perfectly cooked halibut. Seriously, the layers of fish pulled away like strands of skate. Wonderful stuff.

And finally, a golden rectangle of suckling pig--porky with the texture of great pulled pork only better, as it was topped with perfectly crisped skin. Aw yeah. As expected, the sauce was a bit sweet for me, but I was too taken with the pork to care much.

Wines were enjoyable, esp a couple of 2000 Burgundies--a Volnay from Lafon and Dujac's Clos St Denis.

The dining room was practically empty for most of the meal, so my guess is the kitchen wasn't heavily taxed. And to be honest, this meal was so surprisingly good that I find it hard to imagine a return visit being as delicious. But I'm willing to try.

[tanabutler]

Having eaten at Campton Place with Squeat Mungry in December, I have been reluctant to post my opinion, for a variety of reasons, but I will say now that my constant refrain that evening to Squeat was, "This is good, but this is nowhere near as good as Manresa."

There, I said it. And I meant it.

[Abbylovi]

Having eaten at Campton Place with Squeat Mungry in December, I have been reluctant to post my opinion, for a variety of reasons, but I will say now that my constant refrain that evening to Squeat was, "This is good, but this is nowhere near as good as Manresa."

There, I said it. And I meant it.

Is that where this chef is from?

[Steven Dilley]

I'm not sure if Humm's cooking at 11 Mad is similar to what he offered at Campton Place, but I don't get a sense that 11 Mad is striving to be in the same league as Manresa. It's larger, does more covers, the menu is less ambitious, and I can't imagine the kitchen can afford the attention to detail that Manresa offers. I guess what I'm saying is, I'm not sure it's a fair comparison. A Manresa / French Laundry / Per Se comparison makes sense. But 11 Mad is more in line with a Blue Hill or Bouley. But you're right--given the choice I'd revisit Manresa.