| Wylie Dufresne was born in Providence, Rhode Island | | | | Best Restaurants. In 2006 wd~50 was named |
| in 1970. When he was seven his father, a restaurateur | | | | fourth-best on New York Magazine's list of the 101 |
| and designer, moved the family to New York. Growing | | | | best restaurants in New York, and was award four |
| up he wanted to be a professional athlete, but he | | | | stars out of a possible five. Dufresne was nominated |
| recognized that he didn't have the aptitude. He studied | | | | in 2000 by the James Beard Foundation as Rising Star |
| philosophy at Colby College in Maine and graduated | | | | Chef of the Year and New York Magazine chose him |
| with a B.A. in 1992. It was at a summer job while he | | | | that same year for their New York Award. He was a |
| was in college, working on pizzas in hospitality uniforms | | | | contestant in chef pant on the television program Iron |
| at Al Forno, that he got bitten by the cooking bug. | | | | Chef America in 2005, where he lost a valiant battle of |
| He enrolled in New York City's prestigious French | | | | tilapia against Mario Batali. In 2001 he was named one |
| Culinary Institute. For the five years beginning in 1994 | | | | of America's Ten Best Chefs by Food & Wine |
| he worked under Jean Georges Vongerichten - first at | | | | magazine and Michelin awarded him a star in 2006, |
| JoJo's, and later at Jean Georges, working his way up | | | | 2007, and 2008. He was nominated by the James |
| to sous chef. He became chef de cuisine at Prime - | | | | Beard Foundation as the Best Chef New York in |
| another Vongerichten restaurant - in Las Vegas' The | | | | 2007. Also in 2007 Dufresne received the honorary |
| Bellagio in 1998 and he left a year later for the post of | | | | Doctor of Culinary Arts degree from Johnson and |
| first chef at 71 Clinton Fresh Food, a 30-seat | | | | Wales University. In 2008 he married Maile Carpenter. |
| restaurant in Lower East Side Manhattan. In 2002 71 | | | | Dufresne's fusion style of cooking in his restaurant shirt |
| Clinton Fresh Food received a 27 rating (out of a | | | | is strongly influenced by Ferran Adria's molecular |
| possible 30, but with 28 being the highest ever | | | | gastronomy, a movement dedicated to introducing |
| awarded) from Zagat survey. | | | | science and new techniques into the preparation of |
| In 2003 he opened his own 60-seat restaurant wd~50 | | | | food. He himself applies the word "Culinology" to his |
| (after his own initials, and the address of the | | | | combination of experiment and serendipity. His kitchen |
| restaurant) on Clinton St. in Lower East Side, | | | | at wd~50 is state of the art, boasting several |
| Manhattan, in partnership with Jean Georges | | | | Vita-Prep 3's among other high-tech tools. Popular |
| Vongerichten and Phil Suarez. wd~50 was nominated | | | | among his own signature creations are Pickled Beef |
| for the 2004 James Beard Foundation's award for | | | | Tongue with Fried Mayonnaise, and Sunnyside Up |
| Best New Restaurant. wd~50 was listed in 2005 on | | | | Carrot-Coconut, but for himself he just cooks |
| the English Restaurant Magazine's list of the World's | | | | scrambled eggs. |