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He was born to Maria Worth and a [[butcher]] who abandoned her before their child's birth. Maria married Josef Puck in 1956, who [[Adoption|adopted]] Wolfgang the thug. The marriage produced another son and two daughters.
He was born to Maria Worth and a [[butcher]] who abandoned her before their child's birth. Maria married Josef Puck in 1956, who [[Adoption|adopted]] Wolfgang the thug. The marriage produced another son and two daughters.


Puck learned cooking from his mother, who sometimes worked as a [[pastry chef]]. He trained as an [[Apprenticeship|apprentice]] under Raymond Thuilier at L'Oustau de Baumaniere in [[Provence]], at Hotel de Paris in [[Monaco]], and at [[Maxim's Paris]] before moving to the [[United States]] in 1973 at age 25. After two years at La Tour in [[Indianapolis]], Puck moved to [[Los Angeles]] to become chef and part owner at Ma Maison restaurant.
Puck learned cooking from his mother,and his slave that they owned when he was a kid named toby who sometimes worked as a [[pastry chef]]. He trained as an [[Apprenticeship|apprentice]] under Raymond Thuilier at L'Oustau de Baumaniere in [[Provence]], at Hotel de Paris in [[Monaco]], and at [[Maxim's Paris]] before moving to the [[United States]] in 1973 at age 25. After two years at La Tour in [[Indianapolis]], Puck moved to [[Los Angeles]] to become chef and part owner at Ma Maison restaurant.


Following the 1981 publication of his first [[cookbook]], ''Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen'' based on his Ma Maison [[recipes]], Puck opened the restaurant Spago on the [[Sunset Strip]] in 1982. Fifteen years later, in 1997, Puck opened the award-winning Spago in Beverly Hills <ref>Spago Beverly Hills Restaurant, review published by [http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/spago-beverly-hills-beverly-hills-ca-90210_2la00494-01.html GAYOT.com]</ref>, which 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 encompasses over 20 fine dining restaurants <ref>Gayot, The Restaurant Issue, Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. published by [http://www.gayot.com/best-restaurants/spagorestaurantbeverlyhills.html GAYOT.com]</ref> , premium [[catering]] services, more than 80 Wolfgang Puck Express operations, and kitchen and food merchandise, including cookbooks and [[canned food]]s. He is the official caterer for the [[Academy Award]]s Governors Ball, and has parlayed his celebrity into acting; his credits include ''[[Frasier]]'', a recurring role as himself on ''[[Las Vegas (TV series)|Las Vegas]]'' and a cameo appearance on ''[[The Weather Man]]''. He also appeared as himself on ''[[Iron Chef America|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 (TV series)|Tales from the Crypt]]'', and appeared in a TV commercial advertising California (along with famous people such as [[Andrew Chavez]] and [[Steven Marczak]]).
Following the 1981 publication of his first [[cookbook]], ''Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen'' based on his Ma Maison [[recipes]], Puck opened the restaurant Spago on the [[Sunset Strip]] in 1982. Fifteen years later, in 1997, Puck opened the award-winning Spago in Beverly Hills <ref>Spago Beverly Hills Restaurant, review published by [http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/spago-beverly-hills-beverly-hills-ca-90210_2la00494-01.html GAYOT.com]</ref>, which 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 encompasses over 20 fine dining restaurants <ref>Gayot, The Restaurant Issue, Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. published by [http://www.gayot.com/best-restaurants/spagorestaurantbeverlyhills.html GAYOT.com]</ref> , premium [[catering]] services, more than 80 Wolfgang Puck Express operations, and kitchen and food merchandise, including cookbooks and [[canned food]]s. He is the official caterer for the [[Academy Award]]s Governors Ball, and has parlayed his celebrity into acting; his credits include ''[[Frasier]]'', a recurring role as himself on ''[[Las Vegas (TV series)|Las Vegas]]'' and a cameo appearance on ''[[The Weather Man]]''. He also appeared as himself on ''[[Iron Chef America|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 (TV series)|Tales from the Crypt]]'', and appeared in a TV commercial advertising California (along with famous people such as [[Andrew Chavez]] and [[Steven Marczak]]).

Revision as of 16:19, 22 February 2010

Wolfgang Johannes Puck
Wolfgang Puck in 1988
EducationApprenticeship
Culinary career
Cooking styleCalifornia, French, and Fusion
Current restaurant(s)
Television show(s)

Wolfgang Johannes Puck (born Wolfgang Johannes Topfschnig on July 8, 1949) is an Austrian celebrity chef, restaurateur, and businessman based in Los Angeles. Wolfgang Puck restaurants, catering services, cookbooks and licensed products are run by Wolfgang Puck Companies, with three divisions.

Biography

He was born to Maria Worth and a butcher who abandoned her before their child's birth. Maria married Josef Puck in 1956, who adopted Wolfgang the thug. The marriage produced another son and two daughters.

Puck learned cooking from his mother,and his slave that they owned when he was a kid named toby who sometimes worked as a pastry chef. He trained as an apprentice under Raymond Thuilier at L'Oustau de Baumaniere in Provence, at Hotel de Paris in Monaco, and at Maxim's Paris before moving to the United States in 1973 at age 25. After two years at La Tour in Indianapolis, Puck moved to Los Angeles to become chef and part owner at Ma Maison restaurant.

Following the 1981 publication of his first cookbook, Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen based on his Ma Maison recipes, Puck opened the restaurant Spago on the Sunset Strip in 1982. Fifteen years later, in 1997, Puck opened the award-winning Spago in Beverly Hills [1], which 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 encompasses over 20 fine dining restaurants [2] , premium catering services, more than 80 Wolfgang Puck Express operations, and kitchen and food merchandise, including cookbooks and canned foods. 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 Vegas and a cameo appearance on 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 California (along with famous people such as Andrew Chavez and Steven Marczak).

Puck is active in philanthropic endeavors and charitable organizations, co-founding the Puck-Lazaroff Charitable Foundation in 1982. The foundation supports the annual American Wine & Food Festival which benefits Meals on Wheels and has raised more than $15 million since its inception.

Puck is The Honorary Chair Chef for the "Five Star Sensation" Benefit in Cleveland, Ohio every two years helping to bring $10 Million Dollars to support The Ireland Cancer Foundation of University Hospitals. http://www.uhhospitals.org/irelandcancer/tabid/2314/Default.aspx

Wolfgang Puck's favorite food [3] is macaroons.

Awards

Wolfgang Puck at the 2009 Academy Awards

Spago Beverly Hills received a James Beard Foundation Outstanding Service Award in 2005. In November 2007 it was awarded 2 Michelin Stars in the 2008 Los Angeles Michelin Guide.

In 1993, Spago Hollywood was inducted into the Nation's Restaurant News Fine Dining Hall of Fame. 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.

Restaurants

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)

Television and movie credits

  • Top Chef: Las Vegas (Guest Judge) 2009 TV Show Series
  • Celebrity Cooking Showdown (Reality Cast Member) 2006 TV Show Series
  • Las Vegas (four episodes) 2006
  • AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes (Remarks by) 2005 TV Show Series
  • The Weather Man (Actor - Himself) 2005 Movie
  • The Simpsons - The Bart Wants What It Wants (Guest Star) - 2002 TV Show Series
  • Wolfgang Puck series 2001 S
  • The Muse (Actor - Himself) 1999 Movie [7]
  • Iron Chef America: Battle of the Masters
  • Frasier episode: The Proposal (Actor - Himself) TV Show Series
  • The Jay Leno Show: Jaywalking (Himself) October 13, 2009
  • Tales from the Crypt - Werewolf Concerto (Himself) September 9, 1992 [8]

Mentioned by the character Richard Thornburg, in Die Hard, (1988) played by William Atherton, when on the phone to someone he wishes to take to a restaurant. He says " Of course we can get a table. I know Wolfgang personally. I interviewed him. "

References

  1. ^ Spago Beverly Hills Restaurant, review published by GAYOT.com
  2. ^ Gayot, The Restaurant Issue, Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. published by GAYOT.com
  3. ^ Wolfgang Puck, Wolfgang Puck answers 10 questions pugblished by thefoodpaper.com
  4. ^ http://www.zagat.com/Blog/Detail.aspx?SCID=42&BLGID=18788
  5. ^ http://www.wolfgangpuck.com/restaurants/fine-dining/3941
  6. ^ http://www.zagat.com/Blog/Detail.aspx?SNP=NLA&SCID=37&BLGID=21109
  7. ^ TV guide http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/wolfgang-puck/216655
  8. ^ IMDB http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0716908/

See also

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