Wolfgang Puck

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 opened the restaurant Spago on the Sunset Strip in 1982.

Fifteen years later, in 1997, Puck and Barbara Lazaroff, his then-wife and business partner, moved the award-winning Spago to Beverly Hills.

The foundation supports the annual American Wine & Food Festival which benefits Meals on Wheels; it has raised more than $15 million since its inception.

[8] One of Wolfgang Puck's signature dishes at his original restaurant, Spago, is house-smoked salmon pizza.

Barbara Lazaroff co-founded the Wolfgang Puck restaurants and continues to play a key role in the business.

[20][21] On May 20, 2017, Puck was named the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) 2017 Gold Plate Winner.

Puck in 1988
A matchbook from Postrio, circa 1995
Wolfgang Puck at the February 2009 Academy Awards