Ninety Two For Eleven

Fine dining and wining at Eleven Madison Park -

Magnificent high ceilinged room - majestic - inviting - the moment you walk in - you know you're in for something special -

85 page wine list that I fortunately perused from the home computer - knowing that no one in the evening's group took the red stuff as seriously as your truly - Lafite '82 - full flight of Bryant Family Cabernet - the wines (plural) of Giuseppe Quintarelli - the meal can be good or bad - I know I am going to enjoy myself -

Wonderful front bar - large single malt selection - including Adelphi - the first Scotch to actually knock my socks off -

The menus are proffered - three course (82) and four course (96) prix fixe - plus a full page tasting menu (145) intended for the entire table -

Massive wait staff catering to every beck and call - though when standing idle - appeared to almost outnumber the diners -

Waiter/ Captain asked for food allergies - before any dining preferences could be volunteered - a busser mistakenly put the extraordinarily intense California Strawberry Gazpacho with Hawaiian Prawns and Guanciale in front of one diner who was allergic to all things from the sea - instantly whisked away by a waiter acknowledging the mistake before the diner could bring it to anyone's attention - replacing it in moments with California Strawberry Gazpacho with Guanciale SANS Hawaiian Prawns -

Shall we order -

• “Green Salad” - Variation of Green Spring Vegetables with Fresh Almonds - masterful presentation
• Big Eye Tuna - Thinly Sliced with Provence White Asparagus and Montegottero Pistachio Oil - didn't get to taste this but one of my fellow diners grabbed a taste of the tuna carpaccio perfectly wrapped around the spear from his wife - having a eureka moment - unfortunately only one stalk of Asparagus - so I felt guilty trying for my own taste - next time -
• Maine Diver Scallops - my choice for a main course - asked for it as a double - crisp tops - each one was the same exact size as the next - wonderful - light - defined tastes
  
• “Êlevages Périgord” Foie Gras - “En Torchon” with Venezuelan Cocoa and Rhubarb Gelée ($15 supplement) - my wife went for it - awe - silence as she savored each bite - can't swear she was closing her eyes - but its a safe assumption -
  
• La Ratte Potatoes - Gnocchi with Hawaiian Prawns, Calamari, Celery and Meyer Lemon - never knew anything "potato" could be so light - marvelous - multi flavors with each forkful -
  
• Atlantic Halibut - “Mi-Cuit” with Asparagus, Black Truffles and Sauce Vin Jaune - raves from the other end of the table -
• Aged Colorado Lamb - Herb Roasted with Artichoke “Barigoule” and Petite Silvetta Arugula - the review was "yum"
• Four Story Hill Farm Veal - Herb Roasted Duo with Garden Peas and Oregon Morels - another smile of complete satisfaction -
• Grimaud Farms Muscovy Duck - Glazed with Lavender Honey and Spices (for two) - they bring the entire duck out for a look see - perfectly good - massive spices extending like a spread tail - after the ooohs and aaahs - the server disappears - the plate is presented with 4 or 5 perfectly carved slices of rare breast meat - I'm not into duck -but those that were - and those that order - were mightily impressed - 
• Blood Orange - Tart with “Fromage Blanc” and Fennel Ice Cream - magic although my wife rated it as too sweet -
• Decaf Cappuccino - a work of art - the cup was a series of horizontal cocoa brown and white strips - the beverage itself was a gentle swirl of cafe and milk - matching the outside of the cup - you have to see it to experience this subtle piece of elegance -

What to drink -

Hundreds and hundreds of wines - well organized - lots of wine by the glass - almost as many champagnes by the glass -

- Burgundy - Pinot Noir - Italian everything - Bordeaux - Cabs - you name it - though nothing from Sicily - then I saw an old friend - Giuseppe Quintarelli, Rosso Ca' del Merlo - not just a single bottle - but '96 & '97 - plus Russo del Bepi '96 & '99 - plus Amarone Classico '97 and Amarone Classicao Riserva '95 - best of all - the Rosso Ca'del Merlo '96 - which normally retails for $75 is on the Eleven Madison Park wine list for a mere $85 - who am I to argue -

Ordering turned out to be snap - when I mentioned it to our waiter - he lit up - as the Ca' del Merlo was his personal favorite - and - no he couldn't explain the low price - who was to argue -

The wine itself - rich - full - cherries - without being heavy - Valpolicella - its made with the Ripasso process -

A brilliant concept for increasing the amount of flavour and interest in basic Valpolicella. The Valpolicella wine is passed over the unpressed but drained must of an Amarone. The bittersweet intensity of the Amarone is imparted, in a small way, to the basic Valpolicella, possibly with the help of a minor secondary refermentation.

Call it acquiring the mojo -

What I like best about this wine and its younger sibling - Quintarelli's Primofiore - you can drink these with anything - its always in balance - it never overwhelming - quintessential definition of the wonderful wine experience -

With all this wonder stuff - why not a 100 rating -

Several years ago - my wife and I dined at Jean Georges - we skipped home along Central Park West - exchanging remarks of how good this or that was - marveling at the subtlety of the service - the magic -

When one walks into Eleven Madison Park - the are no surprises - the army of staff stands in waiting on the sidelines - the food is excellent - the portions VERY small - the conversation at our table were all about the world - NOT the food - this is a restaurant that requires foodie speak - otherwise - unlike the evening's wine - the mojo is just beyond reach - 

Fear not - we will be back - stay tuned -

HBH

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I like this information: “Green Salad” - Variation of Green Spring Vegetables with Fresh Almonds - masterful presentation...