About - Eleven Madison Park

While the idea for this year-end letter began to take shape well before recent events, I didn’t want to let the holidays pass without expressing my thanks for the support you’ve provided during one of the most gratifying years in the life of Eleven Madison Park.

There are many factors that drove our decision to serve a plant-based menu. Becoming better stewards of our planet was high on the list, but this shift was also the culmination of mounting creative frustrations, stemming from a steady decline in the quality of ingredients that were available to us. The culprit was, and is, climate.

Navigating this new landscape was challenging. I can tell you that when Eleven Madison Park was named the #1 restaurant in the world—a moment most would consider the pinnacle of a chef’s career—I found myself feeling empty. Where would we go now? How could we live up to the promise of continual improvement when the raw materials make that nearly impossible?