INTERVIEW: Daniel Humm Dishes About Eleven Madison Park’s New Venture, EMP At Home, And Giving Back Through Rethink Food

Even though Eleven Madison Park – which was named the World’s Best Restaurant in 2017- remains closed because of the pandemic, you can still experience the three Michelin-starred restaurant’s dishes through EMP At Home.

For the first time ever, Eleven Madison Park is offering the chance to pickup the eatery’s meals at locations across the tri-state area, including the Hamptons and North Fork. Diners have a choice of four mains, which come with a selection of tasty accompaniments. And, for every meal purchased, Eleven Madison Park donates ten meals to food insecure New Yorkers through their partnership with Rethink Food.

We caught up with Daniel Humm, Eleven Madison Park chef/co-owner, about the delectable new venture.

Eleven Madison Park had a hugely successful presence in the Hamptons a few summers ago with EMP Summer House. Why bring EMP back to the Hamptons now?

DH: When we were first planning EMP At Home, we knew that many of our guests had moved out of the city – some temporarily, some permanently – and that we wanted to make sure they were still able to experience what we were creating. From the very beginning, we always knew we would go to the Hamptons: the community has always been supportive of us!

Tell us a little bit about the at home offerings and the inspiration behind the dishes.

DH: The dinners are oven-ready meals for up to four guests. We are now offering the choice of main entrée: whole roasted chicken, beef tenderloin, Montauk fluke, or whole roasted cauliflower. Our meals come with different sides, dessert, and our signature granola, of course.

We really wanted to share a meal that was easy to reheat or prepare at home and still upheld our high standards. All of these dishes feature flavor profiles and techniques that we have used for years at Eleven Madison Park, and took further inspiration from recipes we cook for ourselves.

The menu, like at the restaurant, is seasonal – we’ve been changing the offerings monthly, to spotlight ingredients at their best from some of our favorite producers and partners.

How long will EMP At Home be available?

DH: For the foreseeable future – the response from our guests has been overwhelmingly positive, and so we plan to continue to grow and expand.

With a rise in takeout because of the pandemic, how does one make an at home meal more special?

DH: Without the ability to connect with guests in the dining room during their dinner, we spent a lot of time thinking about how to add special touches to personalize the meals and make the experience really special. Every part of the dinner, from the bag, to the packaging, to the letter we include, has been created to make our guests feel our hospitality even from afar. We take great pains to go way above and beyond what you’d expect from a “takeout” order.

Can we expect another physical location in the Hamptons anytime soon?

DH: We don’t have any plans to open a physical location in the Hamptons, but EMP At Home will definitely be available all summer!

Is there anything else you would like to add?

DH: One of the things I’m most proud of that has come from the pandemic is our ongoing commitment to combat food insecurity and how we’ve been working on that with our partners at Rethink Food. For every EMP At Home dinner purchased, we donate ten meals to New Yorkers experiencing food insecurity – and, combined with our team at the restaurant working full time to produce these meals, we’ve donated about 400,000 meals so far. This work has been the most eye-opening and fulfilling of my career, and will continue indefinitely. The amazing support we’ve received for EMP At Home has had an enormously positive effect on our community, and we’re incredibly proud of that.

For more information, visit www.elevenmadisonpark.com.