Earlier this year, chef Daniel Humm revealed that after four years of offering an exclusively plant-based menu, Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park would once again serve meat. The decision, which Humm attributed to financial pressures and event demand, drew sharp reactions from diners who saw the vegan menu as a bold step toward redefining luxury dining. He emphasized that plants would “remain the foundation” of his cooking.
“Eating together is the essence of who we are, and I’ve learned that for me to truly champion plant-based cooking, I need to create an environment where everyone feels welcome around the table,” he said back in August.
Now, with a new collaboration with Breads Bakery, Humm appears to be making good on his promise to keep plant-based food as the foundation of his work. The chef partnered with the New York bakery chain to develop a plant-based chocolate babka, which debuted at Eleven Madison Park’s Bake It Nice pop-up in September. The same babka is now available at all Breads Bakery locations until October 20.
Sales from the vegan babka will benefit Rethink Food, a nonprofit dedicated to building a “more sustainable and equitable food system in NYC.”
The nonprofit’s mission recalls language Humm once used to describe his own ambitions for Eleven Madison Park. When he announced its vegan pivot in 2021, he said: “It is time to redefine luxury as an experience that serves a higher purpose and maintains a genuine connection to the community.”
Sebastian Nevols
Why vegan restaurants are struggling right now
Humm’s decision to bring meat back was controversial, but not entirely surprising. The restaurant industry as a whole continues to struggle with the lingering effects of the pandemic and a persistent cost-of-living crisis.
The vegan restaurant scene, in particular, has been hit especially hard. In Los Angeles, beloved eateries such as Nic’s on Beverly, Plant Food + Wine, and Flore have all shuttered. In New York, data from HappyCow shows that the number of vegan restaurants dropped from 173 in 2022 to 132 in 2024.
Many of the same pressures facing the wider dining world—rising costs, labor shortages, and shifting consumer habits—have taken their toll. Compounding the issue, interest in plant-based food appears to be waning: according to Tastewise, online conversations about plant-based eating are down 16 percent year over year.
For some consumers, this reflects a growing skepticism toward ultra-processed vegan products. That said, the critique hardly applies to Eleven Madison Park, which built its plant-based identity around creativity and whole ingredients.
Still, Humm’s latest collaboration with Breads Bakery hints at an attempt to keep one foot in the plant-based world, even as Eleven Madison Park leaves it behind.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
