Snow Day at Eleven Madison

So this past Monday brought a slew of snow to the city and for the first time in 5 years I got a snow day!!!! No Work!

Holy Cats I was so excited!

The possibilities are endless on a snow day- there is so much I could do! I decided a good meal was in order.

After doing some shopping in SOHO I decided to head over to the Cub Room and check out the place since it was supposedly under new management.

As I was walking up to the restaurant I noticed a man outside scattering some salt on the sidewalk.

I was almost to the door the man threw the salt directly at me!! WTF!!!

I was so surprised I stumbled a little- I didn?t know what to do. I walked closer to the menus outside and stared intently at them waiting to see if he would apologize or even acknowledge me.

He did nothing except to scatter more salt on the ground. He barely even gave me room to look at the outside menu.

After feeling a little bit hurt by this man?s behavior and upon closer inspection of the completely deserted dining room I decided to go elsewhere.

I was kind of upset and battling the cold winds? I was beginning to think this SOHO trip was a bad idea.

I started to instead head for home when I thought- wait- what about Eleven Madison?

Yes that?s close to my house- Ching!

Yes it?s always amazing food and atmosphere- Ching! Ching!

Yes I have a $28 gift card to use from restaurant week- Ching! Ching! Ching!

Yes it?s 1:50 and they stop serving lunch at 2:00- Shit!!!!!!!

I raced to the subway and grabbed the train uptown. I got to Eleven Madison right about 2:03.

I was all ready to head for home when the hostess nicely said that they could accommodate me at the bar if I ordered right away.

Thank You! Thank You!

I was so happy. I took my seat and placed my order in about 2 seconds flat.

As my appetizer I chose the Winter Greens salad with Candied Walnuts and Fourme d?Ambert.



Look at this gorgeous plate! Micro greens were piled high atop a pile of chopped apples, cubes of cheese and enormous walnuts.

The Fourme cheese was a super stinky and strong bleu cheese that was a little overpowering on its own but absolutely delightful with the citrus from the apples and the oil of the dressing.

My favorite part of the salad was the walnuts. OMG I love candied nuts and these were amazing. I could have eaten a whole bowl full of these puppies- and I probably would have if I had the opportunity.

I won?t comment too much on the bread because I think you already know how good it is but man?It is so freaking good!!!



This time the roll was super strong in black olive flavor and arrived warm and toasty from the oven. Yum! I was on cloud nine and my main course hadn?t even arrived yet.

And here is my main course- the Seared Atlantic Skate with braised Endive, coconut and madras curry.



Now this dish is completely out of my comfort zone for ordering since I don?t usually like curry.

However I was feeling adventurous so I tried and it out and it was fantastic.

The skate had a fantastic crispy crust and was perfectly cooked.

The braising really brought out a nice nutty flavor to the endive and it paired nicely with the strong curry oil.

I finished the entire dish.

Now I have to say one of the best parts about my meal was not the food but the service.

The bartender was absolutely fantastic. When I asked about one of the wines he gave me a taste and explained the origin in great detail.

When I made a horrible face after tasting the wine he didn't make me feel bad but kindly laughed and offered me another one to have instead (the wine was Chasselas in case you were wondering...it's right up there with grappa in my book now).

He was very attentive and just a nice person to chat with as a solo diner.

Service can really turn a good meal into a wonderful experience.

I had no room for dessert so I paid my ridiculously small bill (gift certificate yay!)and headed back out into the snow.

What an absolutely fantastic way to spend an afternoon. Sigh...I wish I had snow days more often.