wd~50
New York, NY 10002-2401
Phone: (212) 477-2900
- Price:
- $$$$
- Cross Street:
- Between Stanton Street and Rivington Street
- Directions:
- F; J, M, Z at Delancey St-Essex St
- Hours:
- Mon-Sat 6pm-11:30pm, Sun 6pm-10pm
Editorial Review for wd~50 – by Allison Austin
The Scene
There's simply no pretension here. The dining room, with its terra cotta-colored walls and exposed beams, feels nicely worn-in. And the personable, easygoing servers know their stuff.
The Food
In contrast to the deluge of restaurants serving safe, familiar food, chef Wylie Dufresne's dishes make you think. When Dufresne serves foie gras topped with anchovy and dotted with tiny bits of crunchy chocolate, it's an education in breaking food down to its essential flavors to see how the building blocks--fat, salt, savory, clean citrus, edgy vinegar, etc.--work together. Much of the cooking challenges diners to break with their food-pairing constructs: Yes, daurade paired with a barbecue-like sauce can work. Fine ingredients elevate all dishes, but particularly the lamb loin, which is among the city's best. Desserts are stellar, especially the parsnip cake with dreamy coconut-cream cheese sorbet.
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Insider Tips
What to DrinkThe wine list features offbeat bottles from Austria to Greece, along with smart French varietals, most ranging from $30 to $475. Around six signature cocktails are offered, including the Royal Blush with fresh cherry puree, champagne, vodka and lime juice.
User Reviews for wd~50
09/17/2008 Posted by allforone
This is a new experience. Very creative. Big strong, rich and intense flavors abound. The Fois gras was amazingly rich but if you dont like Fois gras, then not for you. The pork belly was served here before anyone else dared try it and now its all over NYC.Amazing dish that I often think of five years later after that first meal. I notice many clueless wonders giving poor reviews. Some people are not willing to try new things, or experiment with new food and/or new cultures etc. If your sheepsih and tend to follow the herd then its not the place for you. Its like garlic ice cream. If you would never ever try garlic ice cream then WD50 is probably not for you. Go to Per Se and spend a grand. baaaaaaa
Pros: Most creative, delicious and experimental restaurant in NYC
Cons: None
07/31/2008 Posted by msk83
I was so disappointed in WD 50! I think innovative cuisine is great - I'm all for it - when it tastes good. The food at WD 50 is very interesting and I was very impressed by how weird the menu was - but I didn't like anything I ordered. In fact, I went home and made a box of macaroni and cheese and enjoyed that more; had a 5 course dinner at WD 50 and left hungry! Had some version of Arctic Char that just kind of lay inert on the plate with some neon purple mushroom thing that tasted like cardboard. It's interesting what they do with food - but it should be in a display case, not in my mouth.
