Acclaimed NYC Fine Dining Restaurant Eleven Madison Park Chooses Sustainability & Goes Meatless; Reopening On June 10th

As New York City restaurants are returning to indoor dining at full capacity, Eleven Madison Park (EMP) plans to mix things up a bit in the kitchen with a healthy compassionate twist. More than one year after closing its doors due to COVID-19, EMP Chef and Co-owner Daniel Humm announced that the acclaimed fine dining establishment will be going meat-free and reopening on June 10th.

“The pandemic brought our industry to its knees. With our closure, we laid off most of our team, and truly didn’t know if there was going to be an Eleven Madison Park,” stated Humm.

“We kept a small team employed, and with their remarkable effort, in collaboration with the nonprofit Rethink Food, we prepared close to a million meals for New Yorkers experiencing food insecurity,” Humm explained, noting that he began to experience “the magic of food in a whole new way” through this life-changing work.

Humm decided that this work must become a cornerstone of the heralded restaurant, one of only 14 in the United States to earn a three-star Michelin rating.

“In the midst of last year, when we began to imagine what EMP would be like after the pandemic – when we started to think about food in creative ways again – we realized that not only has the world changed, but that we have changed as well,” stated Humm. “We have always operated with sensitivity to the impact we have on our surroundings, but it was becoming ever clearer that the current food system is simply not sustainable, in so many ways.”

With that in mind, Humm and his team contemplated what the most delicious aspects of their dishes were, and how they could achieve the same level of flavor and texture without meat. They then worked tirelessly to create a compassionate space where, “every dish is made from vegetables, both from the earth and the sea, as well as fruits, legumes, fungi, grains, and so much more.”

“It is time to redefine luxury as an experience that serves a higher purpose and maintains a genuine connection to the community. A restaurant experience is about more than what’s on the plate,” noted Humm. “We are thrilled to share the incredible possibilities of plant-based cuisine while deepening our connection to our homes: both our city and our planet.”

Once reopened, with a tasting menu that still costs $335, Eleven Madison Park will also provide free meals to food-insecure New Yorkers. This food will be delivered by Eleven Madison Truck, which is operated by the restaurant’s staff in partnership with Rethink Food.

You can help all animals and our planet by choosing compassion on your plate and in your glass. #GoVeg