You’ve got one of the most popular restaurants in the most important city in the world. People love it, critics love it and the accolades continue to pour in.
So of course, you completely change the way you serve food.
That’s what 11 Madison Park will do this Labor Day as they implement a new theme which will take diners though a stylized history of New York City through nearly four hours of participatory theater. Part of that will be magic-based, as designed by Jonathan Bayme and Dan White of theory11.
Mr. Humm and Mr. Guidara have met with Kenneth T. Jackson of Columbia University, an expert on the city’s expansive history, as well as magic specialists from a company called Theory 11. In an allusion to the illusion known as three-card monte — once a fixture of the New York streets — they are working on developing a trick (as well as a special Eleven Madison Park deck of cards) that could be woven into a dessert course.
“There is no point in adding elements of showmanship if it isn’t fun,” Mr. Guidara said. “We’re not looking to impress people. We want to entertain them.”
We look forward to taking out a small loan one day to see their handiwork.
Hat tip to Christen and Zach and the YouTube series The Insider for tipping me off to this.