What to order at WD-50? Or should we try somewhere else?

[chocokitty]

Hey 'hounders,

A friend of mine and I are planning to go to WD-50 near the end of the year.
I know from reading past posts, not everyone loved the tasting menu, so I'm thinking we should do a la carte. What would you suggest ordering from the savory section of the menu? We have been there before exclusively for their desserts the past summer (and were swooned by them) but we're curious about their savory courses.

Or should we shy away from WD-50 and try other restaurants (e.g. Daniel, etc)?

Thanks in advance!

Tina
http://thewanderingeater.wordpress.com

[Kalana54]

There's thousands of restaurant in manhattan....why wd-50???the only thing i could say about wd-50 is " interesting" but when it comes to food, i mean real food, this ins not the place to eat...like i said....1,000 restaurant in manhattan ...try, L'atelier,Daniel,Jean George,,Masa,Nobu,Prune,Le Bernardin.......forget about WD-50
It is a place for snobs

[progressivenewamerican]

I personally thoroughly enjoy both Jean-Georges and WD-50 and thought the food at both places was delicious as well as interesting. For me it was nice to have the laidback attitude at WD-50 during such an extravagant meal. Also Wylie himself was there with an open kitchen.

[chocokitty]

I've been to Jean Georges for lunch but not really wanting to splurge it all for dinner yet...same applies to Masa and L'Atelier.

We want to try WD-50 for trying out "molecular gastronomy" cuisine since it does seem interesting and we loved their desserts.

[thegreekone]

"It is a place for snobs"

Now THAT is funny. I am assuming you neglected to insert "in my opinion".

It is my understanding that, unlike a lot of chefs, Wylie is almost always in the kitchen.

[progressivenewamerican]

I've got to say WD-50. I didn't go with the tasting menu because it was out of my price range but instead we made ourselves a 4 course dinner (2 apps, 1 main and a dessert) and it was one of the most enjoyable and delicious dining experiences ever. I have to recommend the pork belly (probably best ever) and the bone marrow app if they still have it (it comes with these minature pickled mushrooms that are fantastic). Also the deep fried quail was pretty amazing.

[zeromine]

If you have been to WD-50 & you've never been to Daniel, I would go to Daniel. He is one of the top 4 or 5 chef's in the world that you probably have heard of, WD-50 will be on Clinton Street for some time to come it is the future of cuisine. Go to Daniel & enjoy the classics!

[Sugar]

I was at Daniel on Saturday for the first time, having gone to WD-50 last year.

We actually were talking in depth about previous meals at WD-50 (fellow diner has been on multiple occasions).

The meal at Daniel was incredible. Granted, I wasn't paying, we were drinking wines that are typically way out of my price range, and we had multiple courses featuring both black and white truffles.

I did the tasting menu at WD-50. It was interesting. I guess that's the best way to describe it -- there were some hits, some misses. The hits are incredible. The misses leave you shaking your head.

And the experience/vibe is completely different. WD-50 is Lower East Side upscale. Daniel is a temple to French cuisine without coming off stuffily.

So I guess what I'm saying, is that you should probably do both :-)...but to propose one as the alternative to the other isn't quite accurate.

[idia]

Daniel, Daniel, Daniel!!!!!

[Sugar]

Yeah, after thinking about it...if you're set on making a decision between these two, the clear winner is Daniel.

[thegreekone]

Tina,

Having glanced at your blog, I have to put in a word for the tasting menu at WD-50. Yeah, Daniel is excellent, but WD is special in a way that is really different and has to be experienced. You are gonna get to Daniel one day anyway, right?

[chocokitty]

I'm definitely planning on going to Daniel one day...but as for the upcoming dinner, that is somewhat dependent on my friend. For some reason, he has issues of being pampered with service that kind of boggles my mind since he loves (generally) upscale food.

Ok...so my question has altered slightly since my friend and I will discuss this eventually: If somehow wanted to go for for the plunge and willing to go for the extraordinary food bliss (and go almost for broke), by going to both establishments, what would you recommend from their current menu? Or at least relay you're recent experiences and tell me what's good and not-so-good?

Thanks again!

[a_and_w]

Daniel is stuffy, imo.

[chocokitty]

This might sound like a stupid question (since I know it's going to be expensive) but how much are those black and white truffles courses?

I know comparing WD-50 and Daniel are like comparing an apple to an orange. Different cuisines and different styles (service, food, etc.) but overall, what does everyone think of either place? I'm stuck in the middle since I want to go both but I don't know.

The bad part is that I have to make a reservation soon since my friend wants to eat out the weekend before New Year's and I know restaurants are getting fully booked!

Please help! Thanks!

[Sugar]

Again, I wasn't paying so I can't be certain. I brought home the menu so I can speak from that -- we were treated like guests of chef Bouloud so we had multiple off-menu courses.

The white truffle course is listed as $100 (tasting), $180 (app), $240 (main). Yikes...

The black truffle course on the 3-course prix fixe ($98) is a $45 supplement. I don't see that course on the La Menu De La Saison, but I would imagine you could get it. In retrospect, figuring out these menus takes some work!