Three nights ago, the east side of Madison Park in Manhattan was alive, with celebratory energy flowing from the doors of Eleven Madison Park. The occasion was the Michelin-starred vegan restaurant’s 25th birthday—20 of which Daniel Humm has been at the helm. As its owner and chef, he’s made an array of decisions over the past two decades to put it on the map. For starters, he orchestrated a full renovation with Allied Works, filled its walls with renowned artists’ works, and instated an entirely vegan menu from now on—a permanent change since 2020.
Photo by Ye Fan, courtesy of Eleven Madison Park.
Patrons and supporters of the restaurant, as well as personal and professional friends of Humm’s and his staff, showed up in style to celebrate the milestone. Names like Gabriela Hearst, Laura Dern, Rashid Johnson, Rebecca Hall, Harold Ancart, Dianna Agron, and Francesco Clemente gathered for the soiree, mingling over sumptuous snacks and talk of a better future. On the table, copies of Humm’s latest title Eat More Plants were also present, revealing a look at his practice through an array of sketches, notes, and more.
Photo by Ye Fan, courtesy of Eleven Madison Park.
The intimate event also previewed the restaurant’s 25th-anniversary dining experience, which runs through October 31, available as a five-course menu at the bar or a 10-course menu in the dining room. Guests who dine will also receive a signature granola tote bag designed by Rashid Johnson, as well as a confirmation that Eleven Madison Park will donate an additional three meals to Rethink Food—an organization he co-founded alongside Matt Jozwiak—per meal, aiming to reduce food waste and insecurity.
Daniel Humm and Lauren Durn, hoto by Ye Fan, courtesy of Eleven Madison Park.
Throughout the evening, guests sipped on specialty cocktails made from Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru like the Shiso and the Green Apple, as well as the Bedford and Grand—an anniversary riff on a classic Manhattan. A preview of the anniversary menu was also available, featuring bites of the Carrot Tartare, bread and sunflower butter, White Truffly Tortellini with Chestnut and “Ricotta,” Tonburi with Avocado and Cucumber, and a Grilled Maitake Mushroom Skewer with Juniper and Pine.
Photo by Ye Fan, courtesy of Eleven Madison Park.
“I want the vegetables to taste like what they are,” Humm told Whitewall ahead of the dinner. “I feel like with every season that I get to meet them again—like the tomatoes in the summer and the mushrooms in the fall—I get better at it. We don’t want to get in the way of the vegetables. We wanted to really highlight them, what they are, because they are magical and beautiful.”
Photo by Ye Fan, courtesy of Eleven Madison Park.
