wd~50 opened at 50 Clinton Street, between Rivington and Stanton, on Manhattan's Lower East Side on April 9th, 2003. The restaurant occupies a former bodega and comprises 67 seats with 7 seats at the bar.

The chef, Wylie Dufresne, was formerly the sous chef at Jean Georges and most recently the chef at 71 Clinton Fresh Food where he was hired by his father, Dewey Dufresne when the restaurant opened in October of 1999. wd~50 is ...

wd~50 opened at 50 Clinton Street, between Rivington and Stanton, on Manhattan's Lower East Side on April 9th, 2003. The restaurant occupies a former bodega and comprises 67 seats with 7 seats at the bar.

The chef, Wylie Dufresne, was formerly the sous chef at Jean Georges and most recently the chef at 71 Clinton Fresh Food where he was hired by his father, Dewey Dufresne when the restaurant opened in October of 1999. wd~50 is the first restaurant where Wylie is both the chef and an owner along with his partners, former employers, Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Phil Suarez.

The menu at wd~50 utilizes the produce of each season, elements from a wide array of cuisines, and techniques from a variety of cooking traditions. The dishes on offer celebrate the spectrum of flavor, texture and the visual. The cuisine also utilizes cutting edge culinary technique and ingredients that have assisted in developing innovative dishes and increased flavor delivery.

Appetizers range from $14 to $17, entrees from $24 to $30, and desserts $11. A nine course tasting menu is available for $115.00. Dewey Dufresne is responsible for the wine list; Troy Arcand is wd~50's bar manager. All of the restaurant's drinks are carefully selected to complement the cuisine.

In 2004, wd~50 was nominated by the James Beard Foundation in the category of Best New Restaurant. In the same year wd~50 was awarded the 2004 Eat Out Award, Reader's Choice: Best New Restaurant. In 2005, Restaurant Magazine (UK) voted wd~50 thirty-fourth in its annual "The World's Best Restaurants" awards. In November of 2005, wd~50 was awarded one Michelin star in the inaugural US edition of the guide.

The restaurant was designed by Dewey Dufresne and Louis Mueller. Louis is responsible for the copper work and the lighting. The bathroom features a mosaic with an aquatic theme by the artist Tim Snell. The artist Marlene McCarthy designed all of the restaurant's graphics.