Wylie Dufresne is a renowned American chef, entrepreneur, and advocate for molecular gastronomy. He is the former chef and owner of wd~50, Alder, and Du's Donuts, and currently owns Stretch Pizza in Manhattan.
Born in 1970 in Providence, Rhode Island, Dufresne graduated from Friends Seminary, The French Culinary Institute, and Colby College. He began his culinary career working under Jean-Georges Vongerichten, eventually becoming sous chef at Jean Georges and chef de cuisine at Prime in Las Vegas.
Dufresne opened wd~50 in 2003, which received widespread acclaim and earned him numerous awards and nominations, including a James Beard Foundation nomination for Rising Star Chef of the Year and a Food & Wine magazine award for one of America's Ten Best Chefs.
He has made appearances on several TV shows, including Top Chef, Top Chef Masters, and Masterchef, and has been a judge on Bravo's Top Chef. Dufresne has also been featured in various media outlets, including HBO's Treme and Silicon Valley.
In 2013, Dufresne won the James Beard Foundation's Best NYC Chef award, and his cookbook wd~50 was published in 2017. He is also the owner of Du's Donuts & Coffee, a small chain with locations in Soho and Brooklyn.
Throughout his career, Dufresne has been recognized for his innovative approach to cooking and his commitment to using science and new techniques in the preparation and presentation of food. He is widely regarded as one of the leading figures in the culinary world.
