F
ranz-Josef slept on an iron cot in the corner
of a rather modest bedroom at his Imperial
Palace. At state dinners he dined in splendor presiding
over vast tables of impeccable linen, porcelain, crystal,
gilt and twenty course meals. Such was the protocol that
once he placed his fork down at the end of a meal, his
guests followed suit. Even though state dinners at Windsor
Castle still evoke pomp and circumstance, there are few
palaces, let alone restaurants, that present their guests
with 22 course meals (officially 16, but we counted 22).
11 Madison does just that.
Occupying a grand period Deco hall on the first floor of
one of the most noteworthy classic limestone skyscrapers
in New York, across from Madison Square Park, the
atmosphere is elegant without being imperial in the least.
The service is polite and attentive without being stuffy. The
tabletop presentation is contemporary, even whimsical
for some courses, without being trite or fussy. The lighting
is subdued without being cave-like. The graphic design
on menus and wine lists is clear and unadorned, hardly
recognizable to a guest at Franz Josef's table, who would
have viewed the viands in Rococo script. The woods,
metals, etched glass, stone, terrazzo, window mullions,
leather upholstered benches, chairs and textiles evoke the
iconic Normandie without being a hackneyed reimagining
(the room is a period Deco room).
HYLAND
