Wylie Dufresne

Speaker Wylie Dufresne is a chief who owns a restaurant in Manhattan, called 'wd-50.' Dufresne is a graduate of The French Culinary Institute. He also has a bachelor's degree in philosophy, which he earned in 1992 at Colby College. Dufresne opened his restaurant back in 2003.

Dufresne is part of a movement called 'molecular gastronomy,' which encourages incorporating science and new techniques into food preparation. Dufresne believes that food preparation and added ingredients are important elements in creating quality dishes.

In one speech, Dufresne discusses false advertising in terms of the food industry. He doesn't believe that restaurants should be trying to lure people in by saying things like "from the farm to your table," because all meat comes from a farm. That doesn't imply quality.