11 Madison Park
New York’s #1 restaurant is getting a major revamp after Labor Day. Owner Will Guidara and chef Daniel Humm are turning their luxurious four-star restaurant into…an even more luxurious four-star (hopefully) restaurant with a New York twist. They’re doing away with the $125 tasting menu; the only option will be a 12-course $195 Big-Apple-inspired tasting menu (even for lunch) boasting carrot tartare, a clambake, and cheesecake that’s meant to be enjoyed over four hours. In addition to the new menu, the duo is planning to incorporate theatrics and magic into the dining experience with card tricks, blasts of mist, a cheese course that comes through a picnic basket on the table, and more. Uh-ma-zing!
11 Madison Park, 11 Madison Avenue (at 25th Street); 212-889-0905.

The Butterfly
Michael White’s highly-anticipated new restaurant in Tribeca will not be Italian….nor will it be Wisconsin-style. Quick Michael White bio: White is best known for his outstanding Italian cuisine (Osteria Morini, Marea), and folks have been calling his new venture a Wisconsin-style eatery…because Mr. White is from Wisconsin. The Butterfly will be a mid-century-style supper club and cocktail bar with 55 seats and a 21-foot-long bar. The menu will boast traditional American classics like steak, burgers, and fried chicken. Translation: sick bar food. And, about the burger, this isn’t any old burger, this is a Michael White special brisket-blend burger topped with white American cheese, McClure’s pickles, red onion, and yellow mustard. Wash it down with an era-appropriate cocktail (or five) like a Brandy Old Fashioned (Korbel Brandy, House Cherries, Orange Soda). The Butterfly was set to open at the end of September, but we just got word that the opening has been delayed to November or December.
The Butterfly, 225 West Broadway (at White street); phone TBA.


Photo: Courtesy of Francesco Tonelli