MANHATTAN — New York Magazine food critic Adam Platt published an exhaustive list of the city’s 101 best restaurants last week. The winner? Eleven Madison Park in the Flatiron district.
“The city is full these days of grown-up haute cuisine restaurants trying desperately to look young, and younger contemporary establishments dabbling in increasingly grown-up styles of cooking,” wrote Platt, who last crafted such a listing six years ago. “But no restaurant blends these two trends together as seamlessly as this one [Eleven Madison Park].”
General Manager Will Guidara and Executive Chef Daniel Humm recently purchased the restaurant from Danny Meyer, the famed restaurateur who has several other eateries that made the list, including Union Square Café and Gramercy Tavern. That helped Gramercy and Flatiron put forth a strong showing. Almost 20 restaurants from the neighborhoods made Platt's list, ranking the area third in Manhattan for the top places to chow down.
"I think that our neighborhood is evolving in a very exciting way," said Giudara, who said earning the top spot was "exceptionally gratifying."
"There have always been great restaurants here, but more and more continue to open," Giudara continued. "I think it is quickly becoming one of the great food and beverage destinations in Manhattan."
Apart from Flatiron and Gramercy, the Village was a Platt favorite, with some 25 area restaurants earning a spot on the restaurant rundown. The list also ranked Midtown as a leader in the city for spectacular food choices, as more than 20 of its eating establishments earned top spots.
Among the top 10 restaurants were seafood destination Le Bernardin and Per Se, which creates two nine-course tasting menus every day, in Midtown. Momofuku Ko, which seats just 12 guests, in the East Village came in fourth. Craft, from celebrity Chef Tom Colicchio, and Gramercy Tavern in the area north of Union Square came in fifth and sixth, respectively. French restaurant Corton in TriBeCa was seventh. Daniel, one of Chef Daniel Boulud’s myriad New York City establishments, on the Upper East Side ranked eighth. Torrisi Italian Specialties in NoLita was ninth, and rounding out the top 10 is a selection from Brooklyn: Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare.
The restaurants were eligible for up to five stars, which Platt quantified as “ethereal,” but no establishments earned that coveted honor. Still, four stars constituted “exceptional” cuisine. Three stars meant “generally excellent.” Two stars was “very good,” and one star was simply “good.”
Outside the top 10, nearly every neighborhood in Manhattan made a showing on the list.
The Red Rooster, owned by Harlem restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson, came in at 66, with Platt hailing it as a “stylishly boisterous Harlem brasserie.”
Mario Batali’s Eataly near Madison Square Park also made the cut, with Platt placing the sprawling culinary destination at No. 40 on the list. The critic called it “an omnivore’s delight, and one of the most lively, energetic dining destinations in this food-saturated town.”
Platt also recognized several Brooklyn restaurants. Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare was the highest ranking outer-borough establishment, but steak haven Peter Luger in Williamsburg came in at No. 51. Franny’s, an iconic pizza joint in Prospect Heights, ranked even higher, at No. 48. Barbecue restaurant Fette Sau in Williamsburg rounded out the list at No. 101.
