WD-50
50 Clinton St.
212-477-2900

Fried mayonnaise, calf's tongue, and tomato molasses at wd-50.   (Photo: Kenneth Chen)

In our experience, food that's made to look like art doesn't often taste very pretty when you put it in your mouth. But Wylie Dufresne has been dabbling with different palettes of color and taste in his gleaming downtown food laboratory for two years now. Finally, after much effort and experimentation, the results are beginning to show. Who knew, for instance, that the deep, lustrous red color of fresh venison complements the soft, creamy green of edamame-flavored ice cream? Who knew you could fry mayonnaise in little sugar-cube squares and plate them with a strip of vanilla-colored calf's tongue, and long, Miró-like streaks of tomato molasses? More to the point, who knew inspired, even beautiful dishes like this could taste so good?