Can you say “animal protein”? Eleven Madison Park couldn’t, much less include those proteins in recipes beginning in 2021 when Chef and owner Daniel Humm “saw a need for a change.”
Humm told the Wall Street Journal back then, “If Eleven Madison Park is truly at the forefront of dining and culinary innovation, to me it’s crystal clear that this is the only place to go next.” And off to Veganland the restaurant went.
Later in the Journal interview, Humm explained, “When we set out on this journey we promised ourselves that we would only do this if the meal could be as delicious as it was before. My goal is to create these beautiful dishes, give people beautiful experiences; unexpected, surprising experiences that make you feel satisfied, as a meal with meat would.”
In an open letter published earlier today, Humm tries to square the circle. “Change,” he writes, “is fundamental to who we are and how we grow. In this respect, we have to change to stay the same.” And so, just as his fellow vegan cooks rolled out their meatless versions of chicken and fish, so Humm and his team perfected “mille-feuille without butter, meringue without eggs, almond-milk ricotta, sunflower butter, koji stocks, whipped cashew cream, even ‘land caviar.’”
Then came the pangs of conscience:
[I]ntently listening to our guests’ feedback … [i]t became clear that while we had built something meaningful, we had also unintentionally kept people out. This is the opposite of what we believe hospitality to be.
So what can patrons of EMP.2 look forward to?
Starting October 14th, we will integrate our new language into a menu that embraces choice. We will offer a plant-based menu, of course, but also select animal products for certain dishes — fish, meat, and yes, our honey-lavender-glazed duck.
Can they say, “sellout”?
See also…
- One of the World’s Most Acclaimed — and Most Expensive — Restaurants to Go Meatless for the Revolution
- A First Look at the New ‘Vegan’ Eleven Madison Park
