LES is more

Illustration: Atsuhiro Saisho

The proprietors

1. wd-50
50 Clinton St between Rivington and Stanton Sts, 212-477-2900
Wylie Dufresne arguably fired the first shot in the Lower East Side’s culinary revolution when he cooked at the now-defunct 71 Clinton Fresh Food in 1999. But it was the arrival of wd-50 in 2003 that solidified the chef’s trailblazing status. Dubbed everything from a mad scientist to a genius, Dufresne delights and challenges diners with logic-defying foods (fried mayonnaise!) that are as unlikely as they are inspired. Along with his foams and emulsions came a 2006 Michelin star and the role of Gotham’s unofficial representative in a global network of avant-garde chefs.

2. Falai
68 Clinton St between Rivington and Stanton Sts, 212-253-1960 ; Falai Panetteria, 79 Clinton St at Rivington St, 212-777-8956
Before Iacopo Falai, Le Cirque 2000’s former pastry chef, opened his eponymous restaurant in 2005, experimental Florentine cooking didn’t exist on the Lower East Side. Falai produced gutsy concoctions like cocoa pappardelle with venison ragu, and hazelnut cake with chocolate-rosemary sauce and candied fennel—the sort of savory-sweet combination subsequently popularized by places like Room 4 Dessert and P*ong. Perhaps Falai’s most significant contribution to the food world is that he showed fellow pastry chefs, who have since followed suit in droves, that a sweets guy can become a successful restaurateur.

3. Milk and Honey
134 Eldridge St between Broome and Delancey Sts, no phone
No “name-dropping and starfucking” was just one of owner Sasha Petraske’s rules when he opened his reservations-only, secret-phone-number bar in 2000. Painstakingly conceived libations—and the difficulty of getting a table—were something of a novelty on that stretch of Eldridge Street, not exactly known for sleek watering holes. Yet his equation—premium booze plus low-key exclusivity—was a prophetic one for the neighborhood and the city, which hasn’t stopped birthing copycat bars since.

4. Freemans
Freeman Alley, off Rivington St between Bowery and Chrystie St, 212-420-0012
Whether it was the taxidermy, the hidden-alley address or the bacon-wrapped prunes that attracted crowds when this place opened in 2004, it’s hard to say. Whatever the reason, Freemans turned a dead end off Rivington Street into one of the city’s most heavily trafficked dining destinations. Its It factor was just part of the draw; co-owners Taavo Somer and William Tigertt’s trendsetting country lodge decor and old-timey cocktails kept them coming back. But perhaps Freemans made its real mark in defining the new-millennium hipster: dirty yet dandified, painfully self-conscious and blithely exclusive.

The purveyors

1. Doughnut Plant
379 Grand St between Essex and Norfolk Sts, 212-505-3700
The Lower East Side has always loved its carbs, and in 2000, Mark Israel gave them a classic baked good that has become NYC’s last word in gourmet doughnuts. Israel made his name churning out all-natural yeast fritters in flavors like rose and grapefruit for stores including Dean & DeLuca and Balducci’s. Insistence on fresh seasonal fruit and other natural ingredients in his 35 flavors has created an international following—he now has nine stores in Tokyo—in addition tothe local one.

2. Il Laboratorio del Gelato
95 Orchard St between Broome and Delancey Sts, 212-343-9922
Thanks to Jon Snyder, who opened this pristine white storefront in 2002, any restaurant that wants to serve premium gelato can. The savvy diner has probably noticed that every other menu seems to offer at least one of Snyder’s creamy confections. Ricotta, black Mission fig and pistachio are just a few of the flavors—carried in restaurants like Pastis and August, and specialty shops Murray’s Cheese and Dean & DeLuca—that have made “Il Lab” shorthand for a trusted, high-pedigree frozen dessert.

3. Saxelby Cheesemongers
Essex Street Market, Essex St between Delancey and Rivington Sts; 212-228-8204
Partially responsible for the final nail in the American-cheese-equals-Kraft-Singles coffin, Murray’s Cheese vet Anne Saxelby introduced New Yorkers to the concept of domestic artisanal dairy when she opened this stall a little over a year ago. The Essex Street Market destination has won national attention for focusing solely on USA curds, along with butter, crème fraîche and other milky goods. A large part of its success is due to the enthusiasm of its proprietor, who carries 45 fromages from farms reaching all the way to Iowa.

4. Rick’s Picks
rickspicksnyc.com
Thanks to Rick Field, lowly cukes have become, if still not exactly sexy, a potent symbol linking the neighborhood’s past with its vibrant present. The former TV producer began pickling everything from local Kirbies to okra in 1997, incorporating such ingredients as dried cherries and hibiscus flowers into his sours. Field, who runs his business from a Chrystie Street office, breathed new life into an old-world craft, and made it possible to apply the adjective artisanal to pickles (and charge around $10 a jar).