Wylie Dufresne

Wylie Dufresne
File:Wylie Dufresne.jpg Wylie Dufresne in 2007
Born	1970 (age 53–54) Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
Education	Colby College French Culinary Institute
Culinary career
Rating(s) Zagat: Food - 23 Decor - 19 Service - 23 Michelin: 1 Star New York Magazine: 4 stars
Current restaurant(s) WD-50Alder
Award(s) won James Beard Foundation: * Rising Star Chef nominee 2000 * Best New Restaurant nominee 2004 * Best Chef in New York nominee 2007

Wylie Dufresne (born 1970) is the former chef and owner of the wd~50 and Alder restaurants in Manhattan. Dufresne is a leading American proponent of molecular gastronomy, the movement to incorporate science and new techniques in the preparation and presentation of food.

Early life

Born in 1970 in Providence, Rhode Island, Dufresne is a graduate of The French Culinary Institute (now known as The International Culinary Center) in New York. In 1992, he completed a B.A. in philosophy at Colby College in Waterville, Maine.

Career

From 1994 through 1999, he worked for Jean-Georges Vongerichten, where he was eventually named sous chef at Vongerichten's eponymous "Jean Georges". In 1998 he was chef de cuisine at Vongerichten's "Prime" in The Bellagio, Las Vegas. In 1999, he left to become the first chef at "71 Clinton Fresh Food". In April 2003, he opened his 70-seat restaurant, "wd~50" (named for the chef's initials and the street address, as well as a pun on WD-40) on Clinton Street on Manhattan's Lower East Side. In March, 2013, he opened a second restaurant "Alder" in the East Village. wd-50 closed 30 November 2014.

Dufresne was a James Beard Foundation nominee for Rising Star Chef of the Year in 2000 and chosen the same year by New York Magazine for their New York Awards. Food & Wine magazine named him one of 2001 America's Ten Best Chefs award and, in 2006, New York Magazine's Adam Platt placed wd-50 fourth in his list of New York's 101 best restaurants. He was awarded a star in Michelin's New York City Guide, 2006, 2007, 2008, the first Red Guide for North America, and was nominated for Best Chef New York by the James Beard Foundation. Among his signature preparations are Pickled Beef Tongue with Fried Mayonnaise and Carrot-Coconut Sunnyside-Up.

In 2006, Dufresne lost to Mario Batali on Iron Chef America. In 2007, he began making appearances as a judge on Bravo's Top Chef, which includes season 2, season 4, season 5, season 7 and season 12. He was invited to participate in Top Chef Masters in 2009 where he placed third out of four in the preliminary rounds. Dufresne also appeared in the final of the United Kingdom version of Masterchef, teaching the eventual winner. He appeared as himself in the 5th Episode of HBO's Treme alongside Tom Colicchio, Eric Ripert and David Chang.

In 2013, Dufresne won the James Beard Foundation's Best NYC Chef. It was his 10th nomination and first win.

External links

• wd~50
• Podcast interview with Wylie Dufresne, April 2008.
• Big Think video interview, August 2010.