In 2003, Humm moved to the United States to become the executive chef at Campton Place in San Francisco[6] 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, and in 2011 he and his business partner Will Guidara purchased the restaurant from Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group. In 2017, Eleven Madison Park became number 1 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants.
Career
Over the course of Humm's tenure, he and Eleven Madison Park have received numerous accolades, including four stars from The New York Times, six James Beard Foundation Awards (including Outstanding Chef and Outstanding Restaurant in America), three stars from the Michelin Guide, and the #1 spot on The World's 50 Best Restaurants. In 2011, Humm and Will Guidara purchased Eleven Madison Park from Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group, and the following year also opened the critically acclaimed NoMad New York which garnered three stars from The New York Times, one Michelin Star, and a James Beard Foundation Award. In 2018 Humm and Guidara opened NoMad Los Angeles, their first restaurant outside of New York City. Humm and Guidara parted ways in July 2019[7] and Humm announced in January 2020 that Make It Nice is no longer a partner with the NoMad group of hotels in New York, Los Angeles, or Las Vegas.[8]
In late 2019, Humm opened Davies and Brook,[9] his first restaurant outside the US at London's historic Claridge's. He is the owner of the Make It Nice group and the author of four books: Eleven Madison Park: The Cookbook, I Love New York: Ingredients and Recipes, The NoMad Cookbook and Eleven Madison Park: The Next Chapter.
Humm is a co-founder of Rethink Food, a New York City-based nonprofit aimed at creating a more equitable, sustainable food system. When the COVID-19 pandemic led to Eleven Madison Park temporarily shutting down, Humm partnered with Rethink to keep a dozen chefs on staff, preparing and delivering meals to first responders and food-insecure communities throughout New York.[10] At its peak, Eleven Madison Park was producing 3,000 meals a day to be served throughout underserved neighborhoods in The Bronx and Brooklyn.[11]
In October 2020, Humm launched Eleven Madison Home, a dine-at-home meal kit; each kit funded ten meals to food-insecure New Yorkers through Rethink Food.[12] In April 2021, Humm and Rethink launched Eleven Madison Truck, a food truck to serve 2,000 meals a week in neighborhoods throughout the Bronx and Brooklyn, funded by diners at Eleven Madison Park.[13] Each dinner purchased at the restaurant funds five free meals to food-insecure New Yorkers.[14]
Plant-based cooking
In November 2021, Humm left Claridges after they rejected his proposal for a vegan menu due to concern about the potential response from regular customers.[15]
Humm has commented that he converted to plant-based cooking due to environmental concerns such as climate change and overfishing.[16] In November 2023, he authored Eat More Plants, which documents the journey of Eleven Madison Park transitioning to an entirely plant-based menu in 2021.[17][18]
Humm is a vegetarian in his personal life.[19] He has said that he prefers the term plant-based to describe his cooking rather than vegan because the latter word "comes with so many rules. I think it’s more beautiful to say plant-based".[20]
