Wylie Dufresne is the chef and owner of wd~50 restaurant in Manhattan. Dufresne is a disciple of Spanish chef Ferran Adria and a leading American proponent of molecular gastronomy, the movement to introduce new techniques and sciences in the preparation and delivery of food.Born in 1970 in Providence, Rhode Island, U.S., Dufresne is a graduate of The French Culinary Institute in New York. In 1992, Wylie completed a B.A. in philosophy at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. From 1994 through 1999, he worked for Jean-Georges Vongerichten, where he was eventually named sous chef at Vongerichten's eponymous Jean Georges. In 1998 he was chef de cuisine at Vongerichten's Prime in The Bellagio, Las Vegas. In 1999, he left to become the first chef at 71 Clinton Fresh Food. In April of 2003, he opened his 70-seat restaurant, wd~50 (named for the chef's initials and the street address) on Clinton Street on Manhattan's Lower East Side.Dufresne was a James Beard Foundation nominee for Rising Star Chef of the Year in 2000 and chosen the same year by New York Magazine for their New York Awards. Food & Wine magazine named him one of 2001 America's Ten Best Chefs award and, in 2006, New York Magazine's Adam Platt placed wd-50 fourth in his list of New York's 101 best restaurants. He was awarded a star in Michelin's New York City Guide, 2006, 2007, 2008, the first Red Guide for North America, and was nominated for Best Chef New York by the James Beard Foundation.Among his signature preparations are Pickled Beef Tongue with Fried Mayonnaise and Carrot-Coconut Sunnyside-UpIn 2006, Dufresne lost to Mario Batali on Iron Chef America. In 2007, he appeared as a judge in the final episode of Bravo's Top Chef, season 2.