The press was all abuzz last week that Eleven Madison Park is going to transition from being a “neighborhood restaurant” to being “one of the world’s standard bearers of fine dining.” Leaving aside the fact that I don’t think anyone has ever referred to the four-starred, ultra-luxurious Eleven Madison park as a “neighborhood restaurant” I think it’s pretty amazing that they’ve decided to become one of the standard bearers of fine dining by…turning into Dirt Candy. Check it out:

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They say:

“There is no longer a podium with a reservation book. Instead, the host asks your name after you come through the revolving doors, then leads you to your table.”

Just like at Dirt Candy!

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They say:

“There is no longer a strict division between ‘front of house’ and ‘back of house.’ Every night, two line cooks join the servers and ferry out the first several courses, giving them a chance to see the dining room, explain the cooking, perform a little and share in the tips.”

The cooks also double as servers? So do we!

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They say:

“Hidden in the folds of the napkin at each place setting is a square card the size of a wedding invitation printed with a grid of 16 ingredients.”

I don’t hide it in the folds of your napkin (that’d be a really big napkin) but my menu is also divided up by ingredient and it, too, is “almost an abstraction.”

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They say:

“Also, the newly remodeled kitchen has an alcove where diners can stand at a narrow counter with an amuse bouche and a glass of Champagne while watching the activity. ‘People want to see the kitchen,’ Mr. Humm said. ‘They want to see the room, see the chefs.’

Yes! I agree. And that’s why at Dirt Candy, unless you press your face to the wall, stick your fingers in your ears and squeeze your eyes shut tight you can always see the kitchen from any seat. And I’ve even gone one step further than Eleven Madison Park. I don’t just think customers want to see the chefs. I make sure they see the dishwasher, too.

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I have always wondered exactly what kind of restaurant Dirt Candy is. And now, thanks to the coverage of Eleven Madison Park’s revamp, I know: Dirt Candy is “one of the world’s standard bearers of fine dining.”

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