Eleven Madison Park Is No Longer Vegan and Brings Back Meat | Eater NY

"In the Flatiron, this three-Michelin-star destination—once recast as a temple to plant-based luxury—is softening its fully vegan stance and will run dual menus: one vegan and one with select animal proteins, marking the return of fish and the signature honey‑lavender‑glazed duck. During the all‑vegan era, the kitchen engineered meringue without eggs, almond‑milk ricotta, and Japanese “land caviar” from dried seeds, ultimately becoming the first restaurant in the world to earn three Michelin stars for a fully vegan menu in 2022, but the approach wasn’t universally embraced; former Eater critic Ryan Sutton argued that a $1,000 dinner for two “is not going to change the world” and that Humm didn’t yet fully possess the palate, acumen, or cultural awareness to let vegetables speak for themselves. Pete Wells’s brutal review surfaced allegations of a supposed “secret beef room,” and the shift coincided with internal conflicts, negative online reviews, sparse private‑event bookings, and softer wine sales. Humm now frames the walk‑back as hospitality—saying the all‑vegan model “unintentionally kept people out” and that sustaining the requisite creativity and labor had become increasingly difficult. As the menu opens back up, longtime signatures and seafood rejoin the table; as Frank Bruni put it, “Some chefs and restaurants do better with meat than with fish, or vice versa, but that’s not the case here… I’m crazy for the lavender honey‑glazed duck for two, but I’m just as crazy for the restaurant’s changing lobster dishes.”" - Melissa McCart