New York is without a doubt the culinary capital of the world. Not only can diners find an incredible range of foodstuffs, but the availability of ingredients, the myriad tastes and styles, and the seemingly endless boom on Wall Street currently make Manhattan a tempting destination for chefs and restaurateurs. It is in this context that James Beard Foundation Award winner Danny Meyer and chef Brian Goode will open Eleven Madison Park, a restaurant that will feature "New York cuisine with a French soul," in an Art Deco building overlooking Manhattan's 150-year-old Madison Square Park this summer. "If any city is defined by the availability of ingredients and the culinary appetite of its diners, then New York is currently the world's most dynamic," they explain.

It's hard to argue with Meyer, whose Union Square Cafe has been listed in Zagat's as the "#1 Favorite New York Restaurant" for the past two years. And Goode, a CIA grad who has learned from some of the city's most respected chefs, is destined to become the newest rising star in the culinary firmament. An externship at Felidia with Lidia Bastianich taught him the importance of superior ingredients and solid cooking techniques, and stints at Sign of the Dove and Le Bernardin strength-ened his budding talents. As executive chef of the Russian Tea Room, Goode updated an old-guard menu with a dash of youthful inventiveness and some thoroughly modern fare. He joined Meyer's team as Union Square Cafe's executive sous-chef in 1994, working side by side with Michael Romano. Goode was eventually lured away by an offer to become executive chef at FireBird, and within six weeks of opening, the restaurant was awarded two stars by The New York Times for its authentic Russian cuisine.

As the founding chef of Eleven Madison Park, Goode will offer a sophisticated New York menu from the best available ingredients. "My challenge is to use seasonal products in a way that will bring out the full potential of their natural flavors," he says. "This menu depends on my ability to showcase the outstanding qualities of each ingredient, serving food that, above all, satisfies the soul."