Motivated to make a change to the world after having to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the iconic Eleven Madison Park has switched to a completely vegan menu.
Eleven Madison, has three Michelin stars, and is considered to be one of the best fine-dinning restaurants in the world. The term “Michelin Star” is a hallmark of fine dining quality with restaurants around the world proudly promoting their Michelin Star status.
Unfortunately, it was forced to shut its doors last year due to the COVID-19 outbreak that killed nearly 52 thousand people in New York and over 3 million people around the globe.
“The way we have sourced our food, the way we’re consuming our food, the way we eat meat – it is not sustainable.”
Eleven Madison was famous for its meat-heavy American cuisine, but this is soon to change. The highly regarded restaurant has announced on their website that they will be implementing an all plant-based menu when they reopen their doors on June 10th. The statement issued to their customers states: “It was clear that after everything we all experienced this past year, we couldn’t open the same restaurant.”
“We want to create a restaurant that meat-eaters will be blown away by eating vegetables.”
Owner and Chef Daniel Humm said that the choice was made for reasons of sustainability and the protection of the earth. In an interview with NPR he said: “The way we have sourced our food, the way we’re consuming our food, the way we eat meat – it is not sustainable.”
When asked if he is afraid that the shift would harm the restaurant’s reputation or drive away customers, Humm said: “We want to create a restaurant that meat-eaters will be blown away by eating vegetables.”
According to Humm, Eleven Madison Park, isn’t trying to change its image, but plans to reinvent what fine dining can be. He says he feels inspired by what himself and his team have been able to create with sustainable ingredients and that he is proud of their creativity.
By Staff Writer, Haafizah Bhamjee