If you bump into this casually-attired thirty-something on the streets of Manhattan, his ponytail and groovy sideburns screaming for attention might lead you to mistake him for a rock singer wannabe. How wrong can one be? This man, Wylie Dufresne, is but the most talked-about chef in New York, the man who spearheaded Clinton 71 Fresh Food and WD-50 (both made waves when they opened in the Lower East Side to phenomenal reviews). Just how huge a phenomenon was it? Let’s just say that with his restaurants, Dufresne has changed the outlook of an entire neighborhood, turning what used to be an unpopular side of town to the hottest location, teeming with the rich and famous arriving in their stretch limos.
It all started with a summer vacation job making pizzas in Providence (but cooking is probably in Dufresne’s blood anyway, since his father, Dewey, is also a restaurateur). He fell in love with the adrenalin rush he got working in the kitchen and enjoyed seeing how people reacted to his food. This love eventually brought him to the kitchen of legendary chef, Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s eponymous New York establishment, Jean-Georges where he was sous chef, and then to Vongertichten’s swish Las Vegas steakhouse, Prime where he was chef, before he took up the reins at Clinton 71 Fresh Food (his father was one of its original partners). Now, he stands at the head of WD-50, another father-and-son venture in which Vongerichten is also a partner.
But what catapulted him to super-star status is not just the fact that he’s a Jean-Georges protege. Dufresne’s cooking, which he chooses to simply describe as American, is all about balance, carefully composing each plate with complementary flavors and textures. And beyond that, it’s all in the man’s style, simple, intense and very adventurous. When WD-50 opened to the anxious anticipation of all who have had a taste of Clinton 71 (which has since changed hands), critics, gourmands and just about everyone else went wild with praises when they were presented with creations such as foie gras terrine topped with marinated anchovies and a sprinkling of bitter chocolate. “Food with a nerve”, some have called it.
WD-50
50 Clinton Street, New York
NY 10002