What happens when one of—if not the—greatest restaurants in the world suddenly goes 100% plant-based?

For perspective, out of the 132 three-star Michelin star restaurants around the world, not a single one is vegan. Suffice it to say, most would say such a move is tantamount to financial suicide.

But Chef Daniel Humm—the world-renown chef and owner of Eleven Madison Park—sees it as the greatest purpose-driven, creative challenge of his lifetime.

A former pro cyclist and 2:51 marathoner, this Swiss native began cooking at 14, preparing exquisite meals in some of the finest Swiss hotels and restaurants before earning his first Michelin star at the age of 24. In 2003, he moved to the U.S. to become the executive chef at Campton Place in San Francisco, where he received four stars from the San Francisco Chronicle. Three years later, he moved to New York to become the executive chef at Eleven Madison Park, revitalizing the restaurant so completely that in 2017 it was named #1 on the coveted list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Like most restaurants, when the pandemic hit Eleven Madison Park closed its doors and grappled with bankruptcy. But it was during this time that Daniel started thinking more deeply about purpose. What he stands for. How he could leverage his talent and resources to meaningfully participate in solutions to food insecurity and the inherently unsustainable nature of food systems more broadly.

Bold leaps followed. He converted the EMP kitchen into a commissary to provide free meals to food-insecure New Yorkers. He kitted out a food truck to distribute those meals. He partnered with Rethink Food, a non-profit committed to creating sustainable and equitable food systems, to work on solving food inequality at scale. But his coup de grace involved re-opening the most revered restaurant in the world with a completely plant-based menu—and ensuring that every EMP meal enjoyed pays for five meals freely distributed to those in need.

It’s a move that sent shockwaves throughout the food world. But Daniel’s bet is more than paying off, denoted by a waitlist that currently exceeds 15,000 people.

On the very day Eleven Madison Park announced its new menu, I committed to making this podcast happen. My friend, past podcast guest, and former Esquire magazine Food & Drinks editor Jeff Gordinier connected the dots. In turn, Daniel agreed to do the show. But there was a condition: first I must dine at EMP. Deal. I immediately booked a flight to NYC. I joined Jeff for said dinner—an exquisite experience like no other—and the day following convened with Daniel for this exchange.

This conversation is about why cuisine at the highest level—food as art—plays a vital role in moving culture forward. It’s about what makes a great chef. What pursuing a passion truly entails. And the magic of embracing constant reinvention.

It’s also about the role that art, minimalism and essentialism have played in the evolution of Daniel’s craft and life philosophy.

But more than anything, this is a deeply personal tale of evolution. It’s about the search for purpose beyond accolades—and what it means to devote your talents in service of a better world.

To read more click here. You can also watch our exchange on YouTube (Audio Only). And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Special Thanks to Daniel’s team for arranging this dining & podcasting experience and to Joseph Hazan at Newsstand Studio in Rockefeller Center for allowing us to record in his facility. Also, gratitude to photographers Sebastian Nevols (kitchen portrait) and Craig McDean (black & white portraits) for permitting use of their images.

Now one of the most important and influential figures in the plant-based movement, it was a privilege to experience Daniel’s talents and company. And it’s an honor to share this fascinating exchange with you today.

My hope is that his words inspire you to deeply rethink your personal capabilities—and to see that the answers you seek lie within.

Peace + Plants,

Listen, Watch & Subscribe

Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts

Thanks to this week’s sponsors:

Athletic Greens: 75 whole food sourced ingredients designed to optimize 5 key areas of health, Athletic Greens is the delicious daily habit that sets you up for a healthy future. I take the packets everywhere I go. Invest in your health without compromise! Go to: athleticgreens.com/richroll to get a FREE year supply of Vitamin D ​AND​ 5 free travel packs​ with your first purchase.

Calm: The app designed to help you ease stress and get the best sleep of your life with guided meditations, sleep stories, and more. Right now, my listeners can get a special limited-time promotion of 40% off a Calm Premium subscription at calm.com/richroll. It includes unlimited access to ALL of Calm’s amazing content. Get started today!

Indeed delivers 4x more hires than all other job sites combined, so you can meet and hire great people faster. There are no long-term contracts and Indeed gives you full control so you only pay for what you need. Listeners can get a FREE SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLAR CREDITto upgrade your job post at indeed.com/RICHROLL. Terms and conditions apply.

Whoop: The world’s most powerful fitness tracker. Get smarter about how you sleep, recover, and train, so you can unlock your best self. Go to WHOOP.com and use the promo code Richroll at checkout to save 15% off WHOOP.

For a complete list of all RRP sponsors, vanity URLs & discount codes, visit Our Sponsors.

Show Notes:

• Connect with Daniel Humm: Website | Facebook | Instagram
• Eleven Madison Park: About | Instagram
• Eleven Madison Truck: About
• TEDX: Ending Hunger in America | Daniel Humm
• Rethink Food: Mission
• Esquire: The Passion of Daniel Humm, the Greatest Chef in America
• Wall Street Journal: Daniel Humm’s New Eleven Madison Park Menu Will Be Meat-Free
• New York Times: A Restaurant of Many Stars Raises the Ante
• New York Times: The New Menu at Eleven Madison Park Will Be Meatless
• New York Times: For the Chef Daniel Humm, Less Is More. On His Wall, Too.
• New York Times: At Eleven Madison Park, a New Minimalism
• NPR: Eleven Madison Park Revamps Menu To Be Entirely Plant-Based
• Grub Street: ‘Were You in Veggie Nirvana?’ An amateur vegan and a professional food critic on Eleven Madison Park’s all-plant menu.
• Bloomberg: We Ate Eleven Madison Park’s $335 Vegan Menu, and Here Is What It’s Like
• Bloomberg: Eleven Madison Park Is Going Vegan Because Kobe Beef Is Basic
• Fine Dining Lovers: Vegan Eleven Madison Park’s Waitlist Exceeds 15,000
• Fine Dining Lovers: The Dishes from EMP’s New Plant-Based Menu
• Eater: Chef Daniel Humm Is Relaunching Eleven Madison Park as an All-Vegan Restaurant
• Zagat Stories: Matt Jozwiak And Daniel Humm Take The Fight Against Hunger Nationwide
• Restaurant Manifesto: Daniel Humm Is Fully Committed To Vegetables

HOW CAN I SUPPORT THE PODCAST?

Tell Your Friends & Share Online!

Subscribe & Review:  iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Soundcloud | Google Podcasts

Donate: Check out our Patreon account

Support The Sponsors: One of the best ways to support the podcast is to support our sponsors. For a complete list of all RRP sponsors and their respective vanity url's and discount codes, visit my Resources page and click "Sponsors".

Thank The Team: I do not do this alone. Send your love to Jason Camiolo for audio engineering, production, show notes and interstitial music; Margo Lubin and Blake Curtis for video, & editing; graphics by Jessica Miranda & Daniel Solis; portraits by Ali Rogers, Davy Greenberg & Grayson Wilder; copywriting by Georgia Whaley; and theme music by Tyler Piatt, Trapper Piatt & Hari Mathis.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.