The groundbreaking chef announced today that his days are numbered on Clinton Street.
“Nov 30 will be our final night of service at wd50. Come celebrate with us for the next 173 days. Stay tuned!!” Dufresne broadcast via Twitter this afternoon.
It’s not too big a suprise; the one-story building that has housed wd~50 since its inception is slated to be demolished for redevelopment. It’s the end of an era, though: Dufresne’s arrival as the chef at the now-defunct 71 Clinton Fresh Food in 1999 and his launch of wd~50 in 2003 were crucial milestones in the growth of the Lower East Side’s restaurant scene, particularly on Clinton Street.
Readers of The Lo-Down wholeheartedly endorsed the trend-setting restaurant as the neighborhood’s “best splurge restaurant” in our 2013 readers’ poll.
