It sounds like a cleaning agent, looks like art, feels like a science experiment, smells like food, and tastes...well, some say exhilarating, and others...don't. Simply put, wd~50 is a restaurant on the Lower East Side with inventive dishes. You may have seen chef/owner Wylie Dufresne demonstrating his molecular gastronomy on Bravo's "Top Chef," The Food Network's "Iron Chef America," or in other televised appearances. At his restaurant, you can experience the madness firsthand.
Chef Dufresne has an impressive culinary background and a noteworthy co-owner in Jean-Georges Vongerichten (chef/owner of high end establishments in and beyond NYC, including but not limited to Perry St, Jo Jo, Jean Georges, Nougatine, Spice Market, Matsugen, and Dune). He's therefore not just some dude with chemicals and toys. He's a knowledgeable dude with chemicals and toys.
Whether or not you enjoy what he and his kitchen cohorts produce, however, is a matter of preference. The menu changes fairly regularly, but the inventiveness remains constant. So do the relatively high prices, for that matter. Therefore, knowing it won't be a cheap meal regardless of what you order, I would suggest indulging in the nine-course tasting menu ($140) with or without the wine pairing ($75). This way, you get the full impact of what makes this restaurant special, for better or worse.
What kind of special am I talking about? Well, basically every dish plays with texture, flavor, color, and temperature in unexpected ways. On a visit a few years back, the menu included a "sunny side up egg," which looked like what it sounds like but tasted like carrot (the runny "yolk"), coconut and cardamom (the firm "white"). A deconstructed deli sandwich included thin strips of beef tongue, a smear of tomato molasses, and cubes of fried mayonnaise. Yes, cubes. Yes, fried mayonnaise. You read that correctly. Other dishes involve aerated mousses, foamed liquids, chewy gels, and "soils" (dehydrated and crumbled solids).
The art of the dishes carries over to the room itself. Light fixtures are boldly colored and varied in shape, walls are painted in rich hues, and a mosaic graces the space above the bathroom sinks. The floors are both stone and wood, and seats include a combination of wood, cushioned banquettes, and metal stools (seven at the bar, where the full menu is available).
There is also a private dining room, which can seat up to fourteen people, in the restaurant's wine cellar. Though the main dining room and bathrooms are wheelchair accessible, this private room is not. For dining options and minimum price requirements in the wine cellar, information is displayed on their website.
I would say wd~50 is worth checking out at least once. If you like it, feel free to check it out more than once - I'm ok with that. In order to potentially like it though, you have to be willing to give it a chance. If you're just in the mood for a skirt steak with mashed potatoes, come back another night. If you want to impress that suit who fancies himself a "foodie," go ahead and make a reservation - I'm ok with that too.
wd~50 - 50 Clinton Street, between Stanton & Rivington Streets
Chef Dufresne has an impressive culinary background and a noteworthy co-owner in Jean-Georges Vongerichten (chef/owner of high end establishments in and beyond NYC, including but not limited to Perry St, Jo Jo, Jean Georges, Nougatine, Spice Market, Matsugen, and Dune). He's therefore not just some dude with chemicals and toys. He's a knowledgeable dude with chemicals and toys.
Whether or not you enjoy what he and his kitchen cohorts produce, however, is a matter of preference. The menu changes fairly regularly, but the inventiveness remains constant. So do the relatively high prices, for that matter. Therefore, knowing it won't be a cheap meal regardless of what you order, I would suggest indulging in the nine-course tasting menu ($140) with or without the wine pairing ($75). This way, you get the full impact of what makes this restaurant special, for better or worse.
What kind of special am I talking about? Well, basically every dish plays with texture, flavor, color, and temperature in unexpected ways. On a visit a few years back, the menu included a "sunny side up egg," which looked like what it sounds like but tasted like carrot (the runny "yolk"), coconut and cardamom (the firm "white"). A deconstructed deli sandwich included thin strips of beef tongue, a smear of tomato molasses, and cubes of fried mayonnaise. Yes, cubes. Yes, fried mayonnaise. You read that correctly. Other dishes involve aerated mousses, foamed liquids, chewy gels, and "soils" (dehydrated and crumbled solids).
The art of the dishes carries over to the room itself. Light fixtures are boldly colored and varied in shape, walls are painted in rich hues, and a mosaic graces the space above the bathroom sinks. The floors are both stone and wood, and seats include a combination of wood, cushioned banquettes, and metal stools (seven at the bar, where the full menu is available).
There is also a private dining room, which can seat up to fourteen people, in the restaurant's wine cellar. Though the main dining room and bathrooms are wheelchair accessible, this private room is not. For dining options and minimum price requirements in the wine cellar, information is displayed on their website.
I would say wd~50 is worth checking out at least once. If you like it, feel free to check it out more than once - I'm ok with that. In order to potentially like it though, you have to be willing to give it a chance. If you're just in the mood for a skirt steak with mashed potatoes, come back another night. If you want to impress that suit who fancies himself a "foodie," go ahead and make a reservation - I'm ok with that too.
wd~50 - 50 Clinton Street, between Stanton & Rivington Streets
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