Chef Wolfgang Puck

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Wolfgang Johannes Puck (né Topfschnig; born July 8, 1949) is an Austrian-born American celebrity chef, restaurateur, and occasional actor. Born in Austria, Puck moved to the United States at the age of 24. In 1973, Puck moved to Los Angeles, opening his first restaurant, Spago, in 1982.


Life and career[edit]

Wolfgang Puck was born in Sankt Veit an der Glan, Carinthia, Austria.[2] He learned cooking from his mother, who was a pastry chef.[3][4] He took the surname of his stepfather, Josef Puck, after his mother’s remarriage.[5] He trained as an apprentice under Raymond Thuilier at L'Oustau de Baumanière in Les Baux-de-Provence, at Hôtel de Paris in Monaco, and at Maxim's Paris before moving to the United States in 1973 at age 24. After two years at La Tour in Indianapolis, Puck moved to Los Angeles to become chef and part owner of Ma Maison restaurant.
Following the 1981 publication of his first cookbook, Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen, which was based on his Ma Maison recipes, Puck and Barbara Lazaroff opened the restaurant Spago on the Sunset Strip in 1982. Fifteen years later, in 1997, Puck and Lazaroff moved the award-winning Spago to Beverly Hills. It has been recognized as one of the Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. since 2004. His success enabled him to launch the Wolfgang Puck Companies which includes the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc. and Wolfgang Puck Catering. The Wolfgang Puck Companies encompass over 20 fine dining restaurants, among the top 40 Restaurants in the U.S., premium catering services, more than 80 Wolfgang Puck Express operations, and kitchen and food merchandise, including cookbooks, canned foods, and coffee products. He is the official caterer for the Academy Awards Governors Ball, and has parlayed his celebrity into acting; his credits include Frasier, a recurring role as himself on Las Vegasand a cameo appearance in The Weather Man. He also appeared as himself on Iron Chef America: Battle of the Masters, as well as Cooking Class with Wolfgang Puck on The Food Network, and in an American Idol season finale episode where he introduced unusual foods to Kellie Pickler in comic relief segments. He also made a cameo appearance as himself on an episode of Tales from the Crypt, and appeared in a TV commercial advertising the state of California (along with famous people such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jack Nicholson).
In 1991, Puck opened his fourth restaurant, Granita, a seafood restaurant in Malibu, California.[6] The restaurant was later closed in 2005.[7]
Since 2003, Puck's recipes have been syndicated worldwide to newspapers and websites by Tribune Content Agency[8]
Wolfgang Puck is active in philanthropic endeavors and charitable organizations. He co-founded the Puck-Lazaroff Charitable Foundation in 1982. The foundation supports the annual American Wine & Food Festival which benefits Meals on Wheels; it has raised more than $15 million since its inception.
Puck is The Honorary Chair Chef of the "Five Star Sensation" benefit in Cleveland, Ohio, which, every two years, helps to bring $10 million to support The Ireland Cancer Foundation of University Hospitals.
Wolfgang Puck's signature dish at his original restaurant, Spago, is House Smoked Salmon Pizza.

Personal life[edit]

Wolfgang Puck married Barbara Lazaroff in 1983 and had two children together. They were divorced in 2003. Barbara Lazaroff continues to play a key role in his restaurants and has been instrumental in their interior design. She is listed by the company as co-founder.[9] In 2007 he married designer Gelila Assefa in Capri, Italy. They currently live in Los Angeles and have four sons: Cameron, Byron, Oliver and Alexander.[10] Puck's favorite food is macarons.[11]

Awards and Honors[edit]

In 1993, Spago Hollywood was inducted into the Nation's Restaurant News Fine Dining Hall of Fame.[12] The next year it received the James Beard Restaurant of the Year Award.
In 2002, Puck received the 2001–2002 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Service Show, Wolfgang Puck
Spago Beverly Hills received a James Beard Foundation Outstanding Service Award in 2005. It was awarded two Michelin stars in the 2008 and 2009 Los Angeles Michelin Guide.[13]
CUT Beverly Hills was awarded a Michelin star in 2007.
In 2013, Puck was inducted into the Culinary Hall of Fame.[14]
In July 2016, CUT at the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore was awarded a Michelin Star.[15]
On April 26, 2017, Puck received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for his work in the TV industry, located at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard.[16][17]
On May 20, 2017, Puck was named the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) 2017 Gold Plate Winner.[18]

Restaurants[edit]


A matchbook from Postrio, circa 1995

Bibliography[edit]


Wolfgang Puck at the 2009 Academy Awards
  • Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen (1980)
  • The Wolfgang Puck Cookbook (1986)
  • Adventures in the Kitchen with Wolfgang Puck (1991)
  • Pizza, Pasta, and More (2000)
  • Live, Love, Eat (2002)
  • Wolfgang Puck Makes it Easy (2004)

Television and movie credits[edit]



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