Wolfgang Puck

Wolfgang Puck
Wolfgang Puck
Born	July 8, 1949 (age 77); Sankt Veit an der Glan, Austria
Occupation(s)	Chef, restaurateur
Years active	1973–present
Known for	Spago, Wolfgang Puck Companies

Wolfgang Johannes Puck (originally Topfschnig; born July 8, 1949) is an Austrian-born chef and restaurateur.

Early life

Born in Sankt Veit an der Glan, Austria, Puck acquired his culinary skills from his mother, who was a pastry chef. Following his mother's remarriage to Josef Puck, he adopted his stepfather's surname. The couple had three children together: two younger sisters and a brother.

Career

Puck honed his culinary expertise under Raymond Thuilier at establishments such as L'Oustau de Baumanière in Les Baux-de-Provence, the Hôtel de Paris in Monaco, and Maxim's Paris. At 24, he relocated to the United States in 1973. After spending two years working at La Tour in Indianapolis, he advanced to become both chef and part-owner of Ma Maison in Los Angeles.

His debut cookbook, Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen, published in 1981, featured recipes from Ma Maison. The following year, he inaugurated the restaurant Spago on the Sunset Strip. In 1997, Puck along with then-wife Barbara Lazaroff moved Spago to Beverly Hills, where it has consistently ranked among the Top 40 restaurants in the U.S. since 2004. According to The Infatuation, Spago played a significant role in establishing Puck’s widespread reputation.

In 1991, Puck introduced Granita, a seafood-focused dining venue located in Malibu, California, which operated until its closure in 2005.

Since 2003, Puck’s culinary creations have been distributed internationally through Tribune Content Agency.

Together with Lazaroff, Puck established the Puck-Lazaroff Charitable Foundation in 1982, which supports the American Wine & Food Festival benefiting Meals on Wheels. The foundation has raised over $15 million to date.

A notable dish at Spago is their signature house-smoked salmon pizza.

Personal life

Puck was married to interior designer Barbara Lazaroff from 1983 until their divorce in 2003; they share two sons named Cameron and Byron. Lazaroff co-founded Wolfgang Puck restaurants and continues to influence their interior aesthetics.

He obtained U.S. citizenship in 1999. In 2007, he wed Gelila Assefa, an Ethiopian model and handbag designer whom he met while she was hosting at Spago. In late 2023, Puck became a grandfather following the birth of Maxwell, his grandson through Cameron.

Awards and honors

In 1985, Puck was honored with the Golden Plate Award by the American Academy of Achievement. Spago Hollywood was inducted into Nation's Restaurant News Fine Dining Hall of Fame in 1993 and received the James Beard Restaurant of the Year Award in 1994. In 2002, Puck earned a Daytime Emmy for his television program Wolfgang Puck.

Spago Beverly Hills was awarded the James Beard Outstanding Service Award in 2005 and held two Michelin stars in both the 2008 and 2009 Los Angeles guides. CUT Beverly Hills obtained a Michelin star in 2007; its Marina Bay Sands branch in Singapore was similarly recognized with a Michelin star in 2016. In 2013, Puck was inducted into the Culinary Hall of Fame.

On April 26, 2017, Puck received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to television. That same year in May, he was honored as the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association Gold Plate Winner. In June 2022, the International Hospitality Institute included him among the Global 100 Most Powerful People in Hospitality.

Restaurants

Spago, Wolfgang Puck’s inaugural dining establishment, debuted on the Sunset Strip in 1982 offering California cuisine. It later moved to Beverly Hills and has since expanded to five additional sites including Budapest, Istanbul, Las Vegas, Maui, and Singapore.
Caramá, situated within Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
CUT, with branches in Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, London, New York City, and Washington D.C.
CUT by Wolfgang Puck, located at Four Seasons Hotels in Bahrain Bay and The Shoppes at Marina Bay, Singapore.
Chinois on Main, based in Santa Monica, California.
The Marketplace by Wolfgang Puck, found at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia.
III by Wolfgang Puck, operating in Houston, Texas.
Merois, located in West Hollywood, California.
Wolfgang Puck Kitchen, with venues in both Shanghai and The Villages, Florida.
Wolfgang Puck’s Kitchen Counter, situated at Cancún International Airport.
Wolfgang Puck Kitchen + Bar, positioned within Terminal 2 of Kempegowda International Airport.

Former restaurants

Five-Sixty in Dallas specialized in Asian-inspired New American dishes before closing in April 2020 amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Postrio (1989–2009) was known for its inventive multicultural menu and extensive wine selections.
Granita, a seafood-focused eatery in Malibu, California, operated from 1991 to 2005.
Eureka, a combined restaurant and brewery located in West Los Angeles from 1990 to 1993.
Lupo at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ospero in West Hollywood, California (2021–2024).
Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill outlets in Las Vegas and Disney Springs have both ceased operations.
The Source, a contemporary Asian cuisine venue at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., closed its doors in 2020.
Wolfgang Puck Steak at MGM Grand Detroit shuttered in 2020.
Wolfgang Puck Kitchen in Costa Mesa, California is no longer open.
Wolfgang Puck Express at Disney Springs has permanently closed.
Wolfgang Puck Cafe located in Newport Beach, California.

Bibliography

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)
Wolfgang Puck Makes it Healthy (2017)

Television and movie credits


Year(s)	Title	Role	Note
1984	Family Feud	Himself	Episodes: "All-Star Family Feud Special", "2nd Battle of the Perfect 10's", "Gordon's Glories vs. Gloria's Go-Getters"
1987	Who's the Boss?	Himself	Episode: "A Fishy Tale"
1992	Tales from the Crypt	Himself	Episode: "Werewolf Concerto"
1999	The Muse	Himself
2000–02	Frasier	Himself/Tom	Episodes: "The Proposal", "Mary Christmas"
2002	The Simpsons	Guest Star	Episode: "The Bart Wants What It Wants"
2004	Iron Chef America	Himself
2005	The Weather Man	Himself
2005	AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes	Himself
2006	Las Vegas	Himself	Multiple episodes including "Meatball Montecito" and "Father of the Bride"
2006	Celebrity Cooking Showdown	Reality Cast Member
2008	The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson	Himself
2009	Top Chef: Las Vegas	Guest Judge
2009	The Jay Leno Show	Himself
2011	Top Chef: New York Guest Judge
2011	The Smurfs	Chef Smurf
2011	Keeping Up with the Kardashians	Himself	Chef to Kim Kardashian & Kris Humphries' Wedding
2011	The Next Food Network Star	Guest Judge
2011–14	Hell's Kitchen	Guest Judge
2013	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation	Himself	Episode: "Last Supper"
2016	MasterChef	Guest Judge
2020	The Chef Show	Himself
2021	Wolfgang	Himself	Documentary
2021	Beat Bobby Flay	Himself (Guest Judge/Competitor)	Cooking Competition
2025	The Rookie	Himself (caterer)	S7:E17 "Mutiny and the Bounty"

Companies

The operations of Wolfgang Puck's dining establishments, catering services, cookbooks, and licensed merchandise are managed by Wolfgang Puck Companies, which is divided into three main segments: Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Wolfgang Puck Catering, and Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc.

External links