wd-50 2004 - 2007

[Nathan]

I've heard that it is not profitable as of yet...but, after all, it does have significant financial backers. I'm hoping that what I've heard (which was second-hand)..is, or will be, incorrect.

I've heard nothing about a potential closing.

[tan319]

I heard through the grapevein the Wd-50 may be having problems and there is a possibility they may close. Is there any truth to this? I did call on a wednesday for a reservation for thursday and they had any time available. Does anyone know if things a going well over there or are these things i am hearing just rumors.

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[oakapple]

I've heard that it is not profitable as of yet.

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Well, if it's not profitable yet, I can't imagine what would happen to change that, short of a three-star re-review from the Times, or similar publicity from a comparable media source (Michelin?).

[dan.]

Had the tasting with wine pairings Thursday night and though full, the restaurant wasn’t quite bustling. Seemed like most tables were doing a tasting however. As for the food, the amuse was a peanut soup with snapper and celery seed puree, don’t know how new this was but it really set the stage for the strong flavors they play around with. Highlights were the squab, hamachi with plantain gnocchi and the rice and beans. The flavors were all very strong and nicely balanced; you could almost taste each grain of salt go to work with the foie gras and the beet juice course. I loved the use of micro greens and herbs as accents. The smallest piece of cilantro made the rice and beans the wonder that it was. The strength of flavors worked with the wine pairings, which were strong and overwhelming on their own but balanced wonderfully once the matching dish came to the table. Only real weak moment was a tomato sorbet with olive oil powder and "toast," a play on a caprice salad that preceded the desert courses. Again, a really thoughtful use of herbs, here basil, almost pulled this dish together but the sorbet was overpowering and recalled tomato paste a little too clearly. Really great meal though and a nice evening, got to see the kitchen and meet Wylie which made for an enjoyable birthday for my girlfriend.

Edited October 25, 2005 by dan. (log)

[little ms foodie]

Had dinner at WD-50 last week with a friend, here is what our tasting menu consisted of (my friend wrote this, I've added my comments too):

1. Red snapper, chocolate, miso pudding: a piece of snapper sashimi on top of a thickened miso pudding, with a chocolate sauce on the side. I like this, I wasn't blown away but the flavors were good and the snapper was cooked perfectly.

2. Foie gras, candied olives, green peas, beet juice: the foie gras was a solid cylinder, with the beet juice inside (it ran when you cut into the foie). The peas were actually a pea sand—that’s the best way my friend described it. The beets added nothing but color, I didn't really taste them. I love foie but this was served so cold that the flavors seemed hidden a bit. I loved the olives but I have had much better foie preparations.

3. Shrimp cannelloni, chorizo, thai basil: the cannelloni is made from extruded shrimp (they have a similar shrimp noodle dish on the regular appetizer menu) and has shrimp chunks, basil, and a hint of preserved lemon inside. The chorizo is actually a chorizo sauce. We both enjoyed this very much; the lemon was not strong at all (just a hit, like squeezing fresh lemon over shrimp cocktail) and the chorizo sauce worked really well with the shrimp.

4. Beef tongue, fried mayo, tomato molasses, lettuce and onion “crumbs”. The little cubes of mayo had a light breading on the outsize and oozed mayo. Tongue was tender. Apparently, this was a deconstructed version of a tongue sandwich and you were supposed to eat everything together. this was my absolute favorite dish.

5. Carrot-coconut “sunnyside up”: this looked exactly like a sunny side up egg, and when you cut into the carrot “yolk”, it ran. The “yolk” also had olive oil and the coconut “white” had cardamom—we weren’t sure what the spice was until we asked our waiter. It sounds whimsical, and it was, but it worked—the oil intermingling with the carrot and playing off the light sweetness of the coconut.

6. Hamachi, morcilla crumbs, plantain gnocchi, nasturtium sauce, coffee: we didn’t like this dish at all. The “coffee” was coffee-infused water chestnuts, tucked under the hamachi. Everything seemed off and the nasturtium sauce added nothing. Maybe take away the water chestnuts and keep the hamachi raw rather than cook it. Plantain gnocchi were interesting but should have been part of a different course.

7. Carrot confit, hibiscus sorbet, crispy lamb belly: the lamb belly is a tease—a teeny little strip of lamb bacon. All it added was a salt note—we would have rather had a small piece of actual belly. The confit (really, small carrot chunks) had a little ancho chili sauce underneath. We both liked it together with the sorbet.

8. Squab breast, encrusted golden beets, sweet potato juice: we really enjoyed this. The two little tender, medium rare breasts had a piece of crispy squab skin in between them. The beets were little rods rolled in red beet crumbs; I thought the little beets were fine but again I'm not a huge fan of this veggie. The sweet potato juice was surprisingly bitter.

9. Tomato sorbet, olive oil powder, toast: another clunker. The powder had a strange texture, like the butter dust you can shake onto your popcorn. “Toast” was little tiny croutons. I’m still trying to figure out exactly what turned me off here; maybe it was the too-sweet sorbet. (Perhaps do a less-sweet tomato granita instead?)

10. Rice and beans: this was rice sorbet with adzuki bean jelly, little bits of crunchy puffed rice, and a cilantro sauce. Interesting take on the Japanese mochi and red bean desserts. The sauce was subtle and added a nice herbal note. I thought this was very nice and had interesting textures and sweetness

11. Milk chocolate-hazelnut parfait, orange reduction, chocolate & toffee paper: this was probably the most straightforward thing we’d had all night, which is maybe why we liked it so much. As good as it sounds. my firend had a rooibos tea with this and I had a Botrytis Semillon 'Riverina' Elderton 2004 from Australia.

12. Cocoa cotton balls: a chocolate shell with spun sugar cotton candy inside. This was so good we asked for seconds.

We thought that the pace of the meal seemed up and down and the servings were extremely small. I generally find that I am served entirely too much food, but this was the opposite. Dare I say I could have gone for a slice after??

My favorite dishes were the shrimp cannelloni and the beef tongue and the squab (although I am not a big fan of dirt...oops I mean beets )

I did not like anything about the Hamachi dish, ugh.

I would possibly go back here but I wouldn't do the tasting menu again. I know this is the restaurant of the moment but it just wasn't 'all it was cracked up to be' IMHO. I've had very adventursome cuisine at Arzak (in Spain) that I enjoyed a lot and still really dream about, but this just seemed like it was trying too hard.

[docsconz]

Wendy, I'm disappointed that you didn't enjoy it more. The only dish that you had that I have had ws the deconstructed tongue. Ironically, while I thought the dish good, it was one of my less favorite dishes the night I had it. I am still dying to try the shrimp "pasta".

Is anyone in Seattle doing anything like this?

[little ms foodie]

John, no one in Seattle is taking the experimental approach to food right now, at least not that I am aware of, and I'm eating out a lot!!

I did notice that others who ordered off the regular menu had what seemed like pretty large portions, I guess Wylie doesn't do medium! haha!

[hshiau]

I've got 7:30 reservations tonight. Looking forward to some fun creativity.

[tan319]

I've got 7:30 reservations tonight.  Looking forward to some fun creativity.

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How was it?

[hshiau]

I've got 7:30 reservations tonight.  Looking forward to some fun creativity.

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How was it?

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I had been back in February/March but had an emergency issue at work and spent my time shuffling back and forth between calls outside and the meal. Didn't remember a thing about that evening and there's no way I should not be remembering a meal at wd-50.

We had the tasting menu (of course):

Smoked eel, butternut squash, pickled ramp, cocoa nibs - This was one of my favorites. Everything went together so well. If I closed my eyes, I would have a hard time placing some of the flavors but it was a great start.

Foie gras, candied olives, green peas, beet juice - the foie gras was a terrine and when you cut it, the beet juice ran out. The candied olives were strong and I really liked that but my dining partner thought it overwhelmed the other items.

Shrimp cannelloni, chorizo, thai basil - the cannelloni shell was made of shrimp and the inside was a data paste and chorizo. I never really tasted the chorizo and while it was good, there were more satisfying plates.

Beef tongue, fried mayo, tomato molasses - i wasn't crazy about this one. she liked the fried mayo.

Carrot-coconut "sunnyside up" - this one was the most fun. we were amazed when this "egg" turned out to be carrot and coconut. break the carrot and it ran just as an egg yolk would. the consistency of the coconut was EXACTLY like an underdone sunnyside up egg. i tried the carrot first, then the coconut. big mistake. didn't like either one. however, after mixing them together the light sweetness of the coconut mellowed out the flavor of the carrot.

Hamachi, plantain gnocchi, nasturtium, coffee - very nice but again, no wow.

Carrot confit, hibiscus sorbet, crispy lamb belly - this one was interesting. depending on how i placed the items on my fork, it tasted differently. i found that having the lamb hit my tongue first and the sorbet hit my tongue last worked the best. i don't remember from biology where the various taste buds were but that's where i enjoyed the dish the best. when the sorbet hit my tongue first, i think it numbed my tongue ever so slightly and then i got nothing out of that bite.

Squab breast, encrusted golden beets, sweet potato juice - i thought this dish was lovely. eat the squab or beet separately and it's ok. put them together and everything just goes.

Tomato sorbet, olive oil powder, toast - i couldn't figure out if this was supposed to be a savory or a sweet. maybe it was the palate cleanser. i could definitely taste the tomato but the olive oil powder was extremely light. very nice segue to my favorite item of the night.

Lemon curd, basil meringue, huckleberry - BAM! loved this one. i don't even know what to say. my absolute favorite dish on this tasting menu.

Butternut sorbet, pumpkin seed cake, chocolate soil, mole - this one was ok. i couldn't taste the pumpin in the cake as much as i would have liked. the chocolate soil was very nice.

Cocoa cotton balls - another very cool item. how do they get the cotton candy into the truffle. turns out they wrap the cotton candy as tight as possible and have someone with chocolate in their hands make a ball around it. i love chocolate truffles.

Finished the meal off with a nice double espresso and i was ready for bed.

This was one of the most enjoyable meals i've had this year. The only remotely negative thing i would say is that there may have been a bit too much use of sorbet and dehydrated items. with the temperature dropping quickly, it may be time to move away from sorbets. but it was a wonderful evening and i'll definitely have to go back in the spring.

[little ms foodie]

hshiau, please don't take this the wrong way but I find it strange that you say it was one of your most enjoyable meals of the year yet out of 12 dishes you found 5 to be just ok or not to your liking? Is it the pleasure of just having a meal made with different techniques that make it so enjoyable?

I'm only asking because we had almost the exact same tasting menu (my notes are above) and we had similar reactions yet I would possibly not go back to wd-50 and if I did I would probably order off the regular menu.

[hshiau]

i think the creativeness and variety of the dishes definitely factors into my enjoyment. many of my friends would prefer a good steak. for me, it could be the greatest steak in the world but it would still be just one experience rather than many. or maybe i'm just strange that way.

as for ordering, i would probably just wait until the tasting menu changed before going back.

[BryanZ]

i think the creativeness and variety of the dishes definitely factors into my enjoyment.  many of my friends would prefer a good steak.  for me, it could be the greatest steak in the world but it would still be just one experience rather than many.  or maybe i'm just strange that way.

as for ordering, i would probably just wait until the tasting menu changed before going back.

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A lot of wd-50's allure is in the creativity and challenge it offers to diners. Although I've certainly had "better" dishes at "better" NYC restaurants, wd-50 arguably remains my favorite in city because of the restaurant's feel and philosophy. A dining experience isn't necessarily measured by the taste of the dishes alone and I think hshiau does a good job of pointing that out.

[little ms foodie]

i think the creativeness and variety of the dishes definitely factors into my enjoyment.  many of my friends would prefer a good steak.  for me, it could be the greatest steak in the world but it would still be just one experience rather than many.  or maybe i'm just strange that way.

as for ordering, i would probably just wait until the tasting menu changed before going back.

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A lot of wd-50's allure is in the creativity and challenge it offers to diners. Although I've certainly had "better" dishes at "better" NYC restaurants, wd-50 arguably remains my favorite in city because of the restaurant's feel and philosophy. A dining experience isn't necessarily measured by the taste of the dishes alone and I think hshiau does a good job of pointing that out.

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hshiau thank you, I totally understand what you are saying, I still question (for me) the price assoiciated with such an experience that doesn't excel in taste AND creativity but I do get what you are saying.

bryanZ I think this might be a spin off topic... taste vs. creative chefs.... doesn't make sense to me to pay for things that don't taste good but that is just one opinion....and a dissenting one at that......

[hshiau]

hshiau thank you, I totally understand what you are saying, I still question (for me) the price assoiciated with such an experience that doesn't excel in taste AND creativity but I do get what you are saying.

bryanZ I think this might be a spin off topic... taste vs. creative chefs.... doesn't make sense to me to pay for things that don't taste good but that is just one opinion....and a dissenting one at that......

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while i don't think that meal was cheap, it's a great deal compared to some others like Per Se and ADNY (not that I'd compare wd-50 with them). but there are many folk who find issue with their meals there so if you're unhappy with the quality at $95 for the tasting, you've got to be going bananas at $225.

oddly enough, i wasn't as happy with my meal at moto in chicago even though that was plenty innovative as well.

[oakapple]

It seems inevitable that there are some misfires on WD-50's $95 tasting menu. That was my view when I tried it, and it is echoed by many of the posts here.

Yet, the level of delightful inventiveness is such that I am willing to look past a few faults. At most starred restaurants in New York, you're likely to be above $50 for a three-course meal, and it can easily be a lot more. Viewed in that light, $95 for nine courses is a bargain, even if a couple of them misfire. I view it as a kind of entertainment.

[BryanZ]

bryanZ I think this might be a spin off topic... taste vs. creative chefs.... doesn't make sense to me to pay for things that don't taste good but that is just one opinion....and a dissenting one at that......

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I totally understand that sentiment. But at my age, I want to constantly be pushed and challenged. I don't frequent many of New Yorks high 2-star and 3-star venues because I find a lot of them to be boring. Excellent food, yes, but still boring. If I want an exquisite piece of raw fish, I'll go to Yasuda and enjoy it in it's purest form. If I want a good steak I'll spend $25-30 to get a piece of dry-aged USDA Prime and prepare it myself; I don't necessarily want to spend $100 on a meal I know I can get somewhere else.

With that said, I love and have no problem spending exorbitant amounts of money on places that are the best at what they do. For example, I'd rather have one tasting menu at Per Se or Daniel or JG than 3 meals at Cru or Grammercy Tavern. Similarly, I'd rather have (and pay for) one meal at wd-50 and be pushed to figure out Wylie's inspiration for a dish, than eat another sauteed piece of foie gras or poached salmon with wild mushrooms.

[docsconz]

The current iteration of the tasting menu has had some interesting reactions. I have been most surprised and disappointed by Wendy's response as I have sensed that we share similar culinary interests and I very much urged her to go to WD-50. In fact my wife and I hoped to join her there, but couldn't connect. I have never had anything from Wylie or Sam that I haven't enjoyed immensely on different levels, but then I haven't tried this particular menu. Even so, I share the sentiment stated above that given the nature and spirit of the restaurant, I would be willing to afford it an occasional off-note. It has been way too long since I have been there, though. i have to figure out how and when I can remedy that.

[tan319]

Did Wylie appear on his episode of Iron Chef yet?

I have cable again, want to see it!

Thanks,

Ted

[iheartoffal]

A couple of nights ago, I enjoyed my fifteenth or so(I lost count) and best meal at WD-50 with a buddy of mine. Somehow, the kitchen manages to top themselves everytime I eat there, which is absurdly often--too often if you're, say, my accountant. What can I say, though, it's my favorite place in the city.

So we were given two different eleven-course tasting menus, most of which consisted of items I hadn't had before. I managed to take a couple of pics (with my camera phone, so be nice) of the more interesting items, which I've included. Bare with me, though, as I'm doing this mostly from memory.

First Course:

Smoked eel with crispy chicken skin, chicken skin puree, pomegranate seeds

The friend I was with is new to the culinary avante garde, so it was priceless to see the look of incredulity on his face when the server would announce that he was being served an item that included something like chicken skin puree.

Second Course:

Foie gras with pea soil, candied olives and beet juice

Had this before. Love it.

Mussel-olive oil soup with pickeled water chestnuts

The pickled chestnuts accented this rich soup perfectly

Third Course:

Shrimp Canelloni, chorizo emulsion, basil

If I knew how to obtain and use transglutaminase, I would make this at home every day.

Shrimp cous-cous, papaya, bruleed avocado, crispy kaffir lime

Fourth Course:

Hangar tartare with bearnaise ice cream, amaro and asian pears

Delicious.

Pickled beef tongue, fried mayonaise, tomato molasses

Had this many times. Classic.

Fifth Course:

Cocoa-Dashi with instant lemon yogurt noodles

Wow. I think my jaw hit the floor when they brought this out. My friend's face was a rictus of utter confusion. The hot broth was brought to the table with a small squeeze bottle filled with the lemon yogurt substance. The "noodles" set up as soon they hit the broth. Lot's of fun. The flavor was otherwordly--strange and wonderful. The broth itself, according to my friend, tasted like a fishy tasting coffee, but in a good way. I can't say I disagreed with him. The yogurt noodles added a nice zing.

Sixth Course:

Ocean Trout, quinoa, blood orange puree, toast oil

I've had this preparation before, but with the king salmon. One of my favorites.

Turbot with smoked bulgar wheat, salsify and coffee-saffron emulsion

I didn't see this on that nights tasting menu or the regular menu. The texture of the turbot was wonderfully firm. Turbot is a fish that, to me, is best served with minimal accompaniment, since the flavor and texture are so wonderful. This preparation was complex but let the fish speak for itself. Excellent.

Seventh Course:

Pork belly, sauerkraut spaetzle, swiss cheese consomme, mustard oil

Very funny. Very Delicious

Chicken, green olive, green apple, sake soubise

Eighth Course:

Venison Loin, pickled cherry puree, brussels sprouts

Rack of lamb, tamarind-cashew, cranberry beans, parsley root

I'd never make it as a restaurant critic, as I run out of adjectives really quikly. In any case, this was delicious.

Ninth Course:

Concord grape sorbet, peanut butter powder, toast

It seems like the in-thing lately to make cute little plays on PB+J. This one actually worked.

Tenth Course:

Caramel-braised pineapple, mustard ice cream, coconut foam

I can't stand the taste of mustard, but I loved this--a testament to Sam Mason's abilities, IMHO.

Black mission fig, bay leaf gelee, pine nut ice cream

Wow. This one was another eye-opener.

Eleventh Course:

Beet cake, pistachio puree, chocolate sorbet

Butternut sorbet, pumpkin seed cake, mole', chocolate soil

Like I've said before, Sam Mason's sorbets and ice creams really capture the true flavor of the particular ingredient, unlike what you get at most other places where the resemblance is remote at best. This truly tasted of butternut squash.

Fantastic meal with no duds. I think the biggest testament to this restaurant is that everyone I bring there, no matter how squeemish initially, ends up loving it.

Dig the quality of those photos, eh? Move over, Yellow Truffle...

Edited November 12, 2005 by iheartoffal (log)

[M.X.Hassett]

Cool, now how does one order these dishes as a tasting.

[BryanZ]

Were many of those dishes off-menu or simply new ones on the late fall/early winter tasting menu?

[iheartoffal]

Were many of those dishes off-menu or simply new ones on the late fall/early winter tasting menu?

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A couple of them, such as the turbot, weren't on either menu. Most of the dishes were either on the tasting menu or were tasting-sized version of a la carte items.

[gaf]

WD Redux New York City Entry #34

What kind of art is culinary art? Is cookery performance art or plastic art? Is a chef a musician or composer? Do we judge the process or the product? Both views have appeal. Any chef who oversees a staff had better develop, if not recipes, at least procedures, so that dishes night to night will taste similar. Yet, diners who return to a restaurant often discover that what is lovely one night is loopy the second and lost it the next.

On the performance side this suggests that kitchens have on and off nights. Even on a night one dish may be perfectly timed with a just balance of ingredients, whereas the next order is ignored for thirty seconds with just a bit too much salt. Cooking is not robot work. There has been no Robot Coup. Even in those establishments in which chefs play with chemistry sets, men and women are key. Performance is not that of chefs alone, but of their cooks who labor often with light oversight.

However, a product may change as well, not simply a function of performance. Put aside the fact that some dishes are better than others (to particular diners and to culinary audiences), but the materials that form the dish change. The veal, morels, or apricots delivered on Tuesday may have a different quality as those on Thursday. An August orange has a different taste from one picked in February. A product delivered on Friday may be a little off by Monday. Add to varying ingredients is that conscientious chefs keep experimenting, even if the menu hides the change: Anjou in place of Bartlett, a surprising sprig of tarragon, or chanterelles substituted for porcini.

The recognition of the restaurant as a moving target came to mind in my second visit to WD-50, about a month after the first. On that first occasion, I was mightily impressed by the Sam Mason's desserts, and was occasionally dismayed by the lack of balance in Chef Dufresne's entrees. Tonight seemed a reversal in form. How to explain? One plausible explanation is simply that of presence. While not always perfectly formed, several of Chef Dufresne's creations bid fare for his stature as one of the most creative chefs outside of the hothouse of Chicago cuisine. Chef Dufresne was absent the first night, present the second. Pastry Chef Mason was present the first, absent the second. Could oversight make that much difference. Of course, a restaurant that plays on the field of WD-50 should not be dependent on the chef's proximity, otherwise the restaurant should charge bargain rates on "Chef's Night Out."

I prefer to believe that Chef Dufresne, a culinary-mind-in-progress is learning, tasting, testing, and improving, and this was not simply a case of Cooks-Gone-Wild when the master is away.

As much as my main courses improved, I was disappointed by the amuse, which had the unbalanced tastes of the chef's earlier dishes. The sardine with freeze dried corn and whiskey caramel was a brief taste in which the whiskey overwhelmed the sardine, adding a rather bitter/sweet accent to the pungent, slightly salty fish. The sardine should have been on center stage, not the liquor.

Our first appetizer was a revised reprise of the dish I was served the first night, "Foie Gras Mousse with Beet liquor on a bed of green pea/bayleaf soil. I had not been much impressed by the saltiness of the soil my first night, but this was far milder. The dish looked quite similar, but the flabbiness of the flan seemed more silky tonight. Yet, despite the surprise of beet jus spilling from its foie gras puck, I'm not certain that this is a grand innovation, but it was a signal improvement.

Our Shrimp cous-cous, papaya, bruleed avocado, crispy kaffir lime was not beautifully presented, a somewhat dull, beige pile of faux grains (shrimp grains), but the mixture of papaya, avocado brulee and lime added pungency to the subtle shrimp pellets. As in the previous dish, Chef Dufresne plays with our expectations. I'm not persuaded that the fact that one can refashion shrimp into grains means that one gains from doing so - other than a fleeting sense of amusement - but in taste this dish succeeds in its own terms.

For our third appetizer Chef Dufresne presented his hanger tartare, peaches, bearnaise ice cream, and amaro (the last, I believe, is an Italian herb and root cordial). While the slice of steak tartare did not astonish me, the peaches with rich ice cream were excellent accompaniments. If the center of the dish was somewhat unprepossessing, these secondary flavors were harmoniously constructed.

Of the main courses, my favorite - and the best dish from Chef Dufresne's kitchen in my visits - was his Seared Cod with Smoked Mashed Potatoes, Japanese Pickled Mushrooms, and Red Bell Pepper with a Grapeseed Oil Reduction. Perhaps it was no coincidence that this was the chef's most traditional offering. It was perfectly prepared and conceived. That cod is not by itself a particularly rich or charming fish made the combination all the more impressive. The smoky flavor melded with the pickling and the biting pepper. It was a triumph, and I imagine that when some of the smoke and mirrors of Cuisine Agape are forgotten, we will be left with wonderful memories like this.

Also successful was Chef Dufresne's lamb chop (cooked souvide and then quickly roasted), with tamarind-cashew, cranberry beans, parsley root, and baby cilantro. The cranberry beans didn't impress me much, but the rest of the plate certainly did. The lamb was as perfectly prepared as at any classical establishment, but its accompaniments were Chef Dufresne's inspiration. The tamarind cashew was delightful with the lamb, and adding cilantro, a herb that awakens the most jaded taste bud, was most welcome.

I was less impressed by the root vegetable lasagna with a sweet and sour mushroom broth. Denying ourselves starch may be a culinary strategy, but lasagna is beloved for a reason. This plate seemed chill and harsh, made less appealing through a sweet and sour broth. Chef Dufresne routinely denies us the warmth of pasta, but why do so in this post-Atkins age? The dish was vinegary and mean.

Odd, too, was "Pork Belly, Sauerkraut Spaetzle, Swiss Cheese Consomme, and Romaine." Again the chef takes a beloved comfort food - here the corned beef sandwich - and extracts the comfort, denying us our pleasure. Yes, this spare dish deconstructed Katz's Deli, but to what end? Katz's version would be mine any day. Perhaps Swiss cheese consomme scores high on the Cute-O-Meter, but if chefs wish to create homages they should equal what they are honoring.

Desserts were something of a muddle. The PBJ combined a sourdough wafer with a lovely, rich grape sorbet. Crispy crunches and a peanut "dirt" completed the effort. While I loved the sorbet, the nutty dust left me cool. Our chefs wish to reclaim their childish delicacies, but when they have to do so it must transcend. Chef Achatz did this at Alinea with his famed, funny PBJ (his grape robed in peanut butter), but Chef Mason seems all jammed up.

Better was the eggless lemon curd with a huckleberry smear and basil meringue. These flavors and textures work together in a splendid melding of herb and fruit. A happy ending.

Had only we stopped there. The last dish, butternut squash sorbet (with pumpkin seeds, I think - my notes are incomplete) over chocolate soil seemed filled with off-tastes, salty and bitter notes that never met in triumph. This autumnal dessert needs work before winter appears.

The conclusion was, as before, a splendid Cocoa Cotton - a truffle of cotton candy: a true and delightful tribute to carny cuisine. As with the great clowns, one leaves WD-50 with a grin.

Despite my mixed responses, I enjoy dining at WD-50. Chefs Dufresne and Mason make me think. They do not permit diners to sleep and chew, but to masticate their ideas. I hope to return, not because the third time is the charm, but because the charm of WD-50 can be seen when dishes stumble as well as when they fly.

WD-50

50 Clinton Street

Manhattan (Lower East Side)

212-477-2900

My Webpage: Vealcheeks

[holy*smokes]

WD-50 is my favorite restaurant in the country. im have been blown awy with food and the staff each time i have eaten there.

so i had my fourth or fifth meal at WD tonight and i can say i can see the side where people think this food is horrible.

now, i like to think that i 'understand' avant garde food. i have worked at trio under chefg and have eaten at my fair share of places. tonight, i have to admit, there were some ups that were way up and some downs that made me think 'why?'.

my menu was very similar to that of iheartoffals (i dont have the menu infront of me, so i may have the courses mixed up?:

-himachi neck sashimi, celery root, pomegranate seeds, celery oil

super tasty, makes me really excited for the food to come.

-foie gras, pea soil, candied olives, beet juice

once again, really good. i really dug the soil

-"sunny-side up egg" coconut and carrot

this, was a great concept. he got the txture of the egg down perfectly, but the plavors did not match too well.

-coconut-dashi connsome, lemon yougurt noodles

"oh dear jesus christ! get this out of my mouth right now." is what i was thinking when i ate this. once again, awesome concept. squirting the yogur into the broth was fun. everything tasted horrible (sorry dude). chocolate, dried tuna and lemon yogurt? come on man, pull yourself together.

-shrimp cannolini, basil, chorizo emulison

amazing flavors. really bright and lively. i could eat this all the time.

-tonuge, fried mayo, onion strussel

as mentioned above, a classic. (whenever i have this i remember the first time i ate a wd. i asked our server about this thing i read about, the 'fried mayo'. he said it was still under development. disappointed, my table understands. in between courses, chef dufresne sprints out and says 'deep fredas vcsdafeqg' it was a glass with a cone and a few of the fried mayos. amazing.)

-turbot, smoked bulgur, saffron-espresso emulsion

really good. all the flavors were really strong and was almost overwhelming.

-venison, brussels, pickled cherry puree

this was awesome. up to 'wd par' as i like to say.

i will say it right now. sam mason may be one of the best pastry chefs in the country.

-pb&j

is peanut butter and jelly ever bad?

-lemon custard, basil meringue, cinnamon toast, huckle berry

amazing. super bright, awesome texture. one of the better desserts of my life.

-french toast, buree noisette ice cream, warm maple syrup gelee, raisin puree, raisin paper

i would kill to eat this as breakfast everday. this dudes ice creams and sorbets are amazing. super soft and super flavorful. the warm gelee was really nice.

this meal, while disappointing, was still really good. i would still suggest wd-50 to anyone.

and im done.