Wolfgang Puck
A defining figure in culinary arts, a world-renowned, innovative chef legend.
He was born in Sankt Veit an der Glan, Carinthia, Austria. He learned to cook from his mother, who was a pastry chef, partly to prove himself to his stepfather. As an apprentice under Raymond Thuilier, he trained at L’Oustau de Baumanière in Les Baux-de-Provence, Hôtel de Paris in Monaco, and Maxim’s in Paris before moving to the United States at the age of 24. After spending two years at La Tour in Indianapolis, he moved to Los Angeles, where he became the chef and part-owner of Ma Maison.
In 1981, his first cookbook was published, exploring the relationship between modern French and American cuisine. In 1982, he opened his restaurant Spago, which moved to Beverly Hills in 1997 and has been recognized since 2004 as one of the 40 best restaurants in the United States. In 1989, he opened his third restaurant, Postrio, at the Prescott Hotel in San Francisco, inspired largely by the area’s multicultural character. In 1991, he opened the Granita seafood restaurant in Malibu, California, which later closed in 2005. In 2006, he opened his elegant, modern steakhouse CUT in Beverly Hills, which soon earned a Michelin star.
His success allowed him to launch Wolfgang Puck Companies, a network that includes more than 20 fine dining restaurants worldwide, some of which are ranked among the 40 best restaurants in the U.S. He is the official caterer of the Oscars and has appeared in numerous films and television series, further increasing his national recognition. He is the author of numerous culinary books, frequently appears on cooking shows—including alongside Gordon Ramsay—and throughout his career has changed Americans’ cooking and dining habits by combining classical French techniques with Californian and Asian influences, always using the finest ingredients.
He is committed to philanthropy and charity and is co-founder of the Puck-Lazaroff Charity Foundation. As a member of the foundation and other organizations, he annually provides substantial support to people with mobility impairments and cancer patients.
Awards and honors:
- American Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award (1985)
- James Beard Foundation Outstanding Chef (1991)
- Induction of Spago Hollywood into Nation’s Restaurant News Fine Dining Hall of Fame (1993)
- James Beard Foundation Restaurant of the Year Award (Spago, 1994)
- James Beard Foundation Outstanding Chef (1993)
- Daytime Emmy Award (2002)
- James Beard Foundation Outstanding Service Award (Spago, 2005)
- Two Michelin stars in the Los Angeles Michelin Guide, 2008 and 2009
- CUT Beverly Hills received a Michelin star in 2007
- Inducted into the Culinary Hall of Fame in 2013
- CUT (Marina Bay Sands, Singapore) received a Michelin star in 2016
- On April 26, 2017, Puck received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
• First award of the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (2017)