No restaurant I know is more ambitious than Eleven Madison Park, formerly in Danny Meyer's domain, now operated by Chef Daniel Humm and General Manager Will Guidara. Together they are developing a fantastic haute hybrid, the first fancy restaurant to pay homage to the traditions of New York while offering all the trimmings demanded by France's Michelin Guide. You've probably not had caviar on cream cheese, with bagel crisps and slivers of Lower East Side pickles on the side. You can find it here. Care for a beer? The list is long and great. Order the tasting menu and you'll be invited into the kitchen to see New York State apple brandy transformed into sorbet, using liquid nitrogen.

Because the kitchen is run by Humm, one of the most dazzling chefs in America, technique and execution is invariably superb, and you'll be astounded, as I always am, by so many elaborate amuse-bouches and so many tiny items on every plate. Because this is not an à la carte restaurant—you can order a four-course menu or a much grander and more startling tasting menu—portions are small. In fact, one friend dining with me griped that the primary kitchen tool had to be tweezers.

The room, depending on your tastes, can be thought of as majestic—or as too big, too stiff, too cold. There's plenty of headroom, that's for sure. The wine list is superb, as is wine service, and you can BYOB for a remarkable $35—comparable restaurants charge three times as much. Yet despite unending generosity once you're seated, the reservation policy requires a credit card and no cancellations are permitted within 48 hours. At a recent lunch with four friends, I became ill before my meal arrived and had to leave, but not before paying $74, plus tax, for food that nobody ate. The restaurant, I'd like to think, is still in the process of figuring a few things out.