WD-50

Of the two "classic" apps that'll likely never leave the menu - the duck pastrami & the eggs benedict - I'm more of an Eggs Benny fan. I find it both tastier (but then I'm a big fan of regular eggs benedict) and more fun. The duck pastrami is good, his little twist on the flavors of Katz's, but... the Benedict is fun AND decadent. The texture of the yolk is almost like fudge, and, y'know,...+READ Of the two "classic" apps that'll likely never leave the menu - the duck pastrami & the eggs benedict - I'm more of an Eggs Benny fan. I find it both tastier (but then I'm a big fan of regular eggs benedict) and more fun. The duck pastrami is good, his little twist on the flavors of Katz's, but... the Benedict is fun AND decadent. The texture of the yolk is almost like fudge, and, y'know, "deep-fried Hollandaise Sauce" just tells you all you need to know.

That said, the duck pastrami has been on the menu as long as I can remember - it could be I'm just a bit burnt on it.

The Aerated Foie is another one that's been on there awhile - he always has one foie gras prep, though it used to change about once a year. This one he's stuck with for awhile. I'm more of a hot seared foie guy personally, but WD's foie preps, even though he does cold, are always pretty great. One of those ingredients he just seems to have an affinity for.

I think, especially given that you guys are doing an "extended" meal, the kitchen would probably (but don't quote me on it) be cool incorporating a dish or two from the tasting menu for you. Like, if two of you wanted foie gras, they might sub the "foie-lafel" for the aerated on one for you. Or you could "pair" the eggs benny with the poached-in-a-shell for an egg course.

I find with Wylie's cooking there are a couple of rules I go with - bigger flavored proteins - mammals, duck, shellfish - tend to be the more exciting entrees, while white fish I've found, for the most part, to be "safer" in terms of flavor pairings. But there are always exceptions - the Cod with Nori from last year was fantastic, so go figure. I also find that anything Wylie does with octopus I love, yet anything I've had there with cuttlefish or squid I've been kinda "meh" on.

Anyway... assuming you're all sharers, I'm sure you'll all get to try lots of different things. Were I to walk in tonight... well, when you put the words "pork" and "cheek" together it's a done deal for me, let alone adding "Iberico" to the mix. So I know what ONE of my apps would be...-COLLAPSE / REPLY (45 Replies) (by sgordon, created February 6, 2012)

Dufresne has always been experimental on two fronts - both with techniques and presentation, but also with flavor pairings. So it differs from the some of the others in that sense, where the chef might have a particular flavor profile, just gussying it up with interesting techniques. Wylie takes from the city of New York - everything from diner food to Italian to Chinese to Korean, often...+READ Dufresne has always been experimental on two fronts - both with techniques and presentation, but also with flavor pairings. So it differs from the some of the others in that sense, where the chef might have a particular flavor profile, just gussying it up with interesting techniques. Wylie takes from the city of New York - everything from diner food to Italian to Chinese to Korean, often overlapping in one dish.

As with any place of their ilk (or of any ilk I suppose), some dishes work better than others. There always seems to be one dish on the menu that maybe shouldn't have left the laboratory. But there've also been some of the most memorable dishes of my life - his "ham & cheese on rye" (braised then seared pork belly with rye spaetzle in a swiss cheese consomme) is sorely missed, and his scallops with spice bread consomme (so he's big on consommes) and cranberry fruit leather I can still taste in my mind, some two years after it left the menu.

Of the current menu, for the most part the apps are more adventuresome than the mains, at least in terms of the gimmickry (for lack of a better term - I don't mean that derogatorily) - I think he realizes that when it's entree time, most people doing a three-courser want a nice hearty plate of food. He doesn't dumb it down - there's still interesting, unexpected things going on, especially in the accoutrements than surround the main protein - but said main protein will usually be prepared pretty straightforwardly. Your lamb chops won't be dehydrated and reconstituted with chamomile tea or anything.

Those doing the tasting menu will get more of what you expect, a parade of smaller bites showcasing fun culinary ideas. I'm guessing based on your $200 price tag that the TM is what you'd be doing.

Does it have "the taste" - ? Everyone's flavor profile is different. Dufresne's will either speak to you or it won't. I mean, Daniel Boulud's food doesn't speak to ME.

As to desserts: Malcolm Livingston is doing great, IMHO. I mean, he had some tough shoes to fill, following someone who some considered the best pastry chef in the country, but he'd worked as Stupak's sous for some time, and he's very much on the same page - not afraid to use savory herbs and vegetables, and very deft at balancing them. I think he's awesome.

Also, the cocktails are smashing. Jafrul & Tona, the two mixologists, totally own it. They're just as playful with technique and flavor as their cohorts in the kitchen.

Comparing them to Alinea or Moto, I'm not sure it quite works. Those restaurants do tasting menus only, and at this point, only ONE tasting menu each. In some ways it's easier for them to make it work, since every person walking through the door is having the exact same thing. Also, the price point of Alinea is much higher - for the cost of dinner, you could have the tasting menu at WD... and come back the next night for a regular three (maybe even four) course a la carte meal, too.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (45 Replies) (by sgordon, created February 1, 2012)

Don't know how I forgot to mention it, though I was probably mostly thinking of TV Chefs... but WD-50 can be a great culinary experience for a youngster, especially if they're into science at all. Dufresne is actually in the kitchen on most nights, and it's fully open so you can watch what they're doing - they'll even arrange a little mini-tour when they've got a free moment, or you could...+READ Don't know how I forgot to mention it, though I was probably mostly thinking of TV Chefs... but WD-50 can be a great culinary experience for a youngster, especially if they're into science at all. Dufresne is actually in the kitchen on most nights, and it's fully open so you can watch what they're doing - they'll even arrange a little mini-tour when they've got a free moment, or you could possibly set something up in advance by calling them, maybe time a little show between entrees and dessert. Dufresne has a bit of "big kid" in him, and I've seen him talking to kids back there and he seems genuinely excited to show them things. I think he also understands what might be more exciting to a kid (i.e. liquid nitrogen, flashy things like that) versus adults (sous vide machines, etc) when they do the little tours.

Of course, the danger is getting home and your little man is now begging for a tank of liquid nitro for his birthday or something...-COLLAPSE / REPLY (35 Replies) (by sgordon, created January 11, 2012)

You know - maybe some of those BAMFs dining solo and just enjoying their own company that you've admired are actually just sad, lonely, unlikeable people with no friends. Just sayin'.

Anyway... for me, dining solo is about cheap eats. Going to fancy restaurant, the meal is about sharing, tasting each other's dishes, good company, etc. One tends to eat faster when dining solo, naturally. So on...+READ You know - maybe some of those BAMFs dining solo and just enjoying their own company that you've admired are actually just sad, lonely, unlikeable people with no friends. Just sayin'.

Anyway... for me, dining solo is about cheap eats. Going to fancy restaurant, the meal is about sharing, tasting each other's dishes, good company, etc. One tends to eat faster when dining solo, naturally. So on those nights where for whatever reason my girlfriend's nto around and I don't feel like cooking, I hit up some cheap eats spot, or to hit a place for a dish I'd be into but maybe she wouldn't - say, it's a perfect excuse to go to Ah Ping Snack Bar, or to get that dried-squid-and-pig-stomach dish I'd been eyeballing on the Ping's menu the last time we were there, but refrained from ordering for her sake.

But that aside, my favorite higher-end place for solo dining is easily WD-50. Not that I wouldn't dine there with the gf or a group, but if I was flying solo and felt like a splurge, dining at the bar there is pretty great, especially if Jafrul or Tona are working the bar - they're both very engaging with the solos for conversation, and happy to walk you through some of their amazing cocktails. Granted, we're semi-regulars there and they recognize us, but even from the beginning they've been that way.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (51 Replies) (by sgordon, created January 6, 2012)

The OP specifically said no Italian.

I actually thought wd-50 when I first read your post. Fits all of your requirements, IMO - it's LES, casual, fun, but cooking at a high level. It may not be on the menu, but they can and do serve a tasting for vegetarians as well. Of course, this is provided that all of you are pretty adventurous and you can get a res. REPLY (6 Replies) (by uwsister, created September 24, 2011)

Well, you guys were so right, thanks - it was a lovely evening. I really like how unpretentious the decor is - it's bright and it almost feels like a diner with the booth type seats. We were warmly greeted by a quirky host and give a great 4-top table where my date and I could sit next to each other and cuddle - I know some people think that's obnoxious for a couple to do but I really love to lay...+READ Well, you guys were so right, thanks - it was a lovely evening. I really like how unpretentious the decor is - it's bright and it almost feels like a diner with the booth type seats. We were warmly greeted by a quirky host and give a great 4-top table where my date and I could sit next to each other and cuddle - I know some people think that's obnoxious for a couple to do but I really love to lay my head on my man's shoulder after a long week of not seeing him.

There was no problem substituting the egg course on the tasting menu with the eggs benedict. Every server that we had (maybe 5 total?) was gracious and warm. The kampachi amuse bouche was my date's favorite course and the foie gras with passionfruit was mine. We both marveled over the eggs benedict, and of course the bagel ice cream. For me the best tasting dishes in terms of comforting and savory good food that you want to eat when you're hungry were the scallops and the beef & bearnaise. Those two courses filled me up and satisfied my hunger. The only thing that I really didn't care for was the squab - cooked sous vide, it was very red and clammy and tough.
Overall it was a great celebration and I left with no regrets, glad to mark this one off of my list. I'm not sure how often I'd go back, as it was $500 and if I'm going to spend that again, I think I'd prefer Ko, but I'm glad I went once.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (16 Replies) (by karyn6277, created March 8, 2011)