Austrian Chef Wolfgang Puck Defines California Cuisine
With over 25 fine dining restaurants and over 70 casual dining locations scattered across airports and various cities globally, you may have already eaten at one of Wolfgang Puck’s restaurants. Or maybe you’ve bought one of his wines or delicious soups at the grocery store, read one of his seven cookbooks, or seen him on TV. Regardless of where you first encountered the name Wolfgang Puck, chances are you have heard of him. He is indisputably one of the first celebrity chefs working today and is largely responsible for the acceptance of California as more than a state full of movie stars and beaches but a legitimate cuisine.
He defined California cuisine as we know it today: a fusion of Asian, Mexican, blended with French and Italian styles but made with fresh, local ingredients. So, how did a chef from Austria come to define cuisine on the West Coast of the United States? The story is one of a boy who found his calling early in life and never looked back.
Wolfgang’s mother was a chef herself in Austria, and he often could be found cooking by her side. Due to his early interest in the kitchen, Wolfgang started training to become a chef when he was just 14. Heading to France as a young chef, he worked at a series of fine dining, Michelin-starred restaurants where he developed and honed his skills.
When a friend suggested he move to the United States at age 24, he headed not to America’s culinary capitals of New York or Chicago or Las Vegas but to Indianapolis, Indiana in 1973.
Two years later, leaving the cold and snow behind, Wolfgang headed west, never looked back, and became part owner of Ma Maison in West Hollywood. It was here he cultivated California cuisine and became locally known as a chef on the rise. Then came Spago, his first creation in 1982, and from there the rest is history. Immediately popular for its unique menu items including inventive pizzas with toppings such as smoked salmon and caviar, the restaurant put California cuisine on the culinary map. Spago picked up two Michelin stars and a James Beard award along the way while Wolfgang earned the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef not once, but twice. He had arrived. Wolfgang Puck WP Kitchen + Bar
Now, with Wolfgang Puck restaurants scattered throughout the world, his name has become a brand unto itself. However, his life and cooking are still based in California where he can frequently be found at the Santa Monica farmers market with his kids picking up the freshest produce. When he cooks at home, he focuses now on simpler meals in contrast to his early days of his training and as a chef when he thought
“If I have 25 ingredients in one dish, then I have achieved something, ” Puck says.
These days, he looks for dishes that are far less complicated in preparation but allow the principle ingredients to be the star. And when the dishes are served at home, he likes to serve everything family style so everyone can taste a little bit of everything. In this way, it brings everyone to the table and if it were up to him, “every restaurant would be this way.” Wolfgang Puck WP Kitchen + Bar
This approach is felt in the newly renovated and renamed, WP Kitchen + Bar in Palm Desert (previously Wolfgang Puck Pizza Bar). It’s more upscale now but still casual with seasonal menus based on what’s fresh and dishes that feature the main ingredient. In this way, it’s reflective of the way that Wolfgang cooks at home. Plus, there are a lot of small plates for sharing so you can try many different dishes if you’d like. The style of the food is true Californian with inspirations of Mediterranean cuisine. Some even include a bit of the spice indicative of the Mexican influence. This mix of cuisines is on full display with dishes like Crispy Calamari served with spicy marinara or a Fennel Sausage Pizza with ricotta and caramelized onions.
The bar has also received praise for its selection of tequilas and mezcals that complement some of the spicier dishes. Also, they have a housemade sangria that you can enjoy while sitting and relaxing on the outdoor patio. So, whether you come for an after-work drink, work lunch or leisurely dinner, there is surely something for everyone in your group to enjoy. Wolfgang Puck WP Kitchen + Bar
And the food will change with the seasons.
Winter months will see heartier soups and stews and more grilled meats. But what exactly will be on the menu is yet to be determined. Wolfgang’s success comes from trusting his chefs to bring their own creativity to each restaurant. He can’t be in every kitchen, so he shares his vision and lets each chef take the lead. They’re encouraged to experiment, create, and let their talents shine. This is what sets WP Kitchen + Bar apart from chain restaurants, where recipes come from a distant headquarters, and cooks make the same dishes on repeat. Here, the food feels personal, fresh, and inspired—never just routine.
This restaurant stands on its own, with a head chef who brings Wolfgang’s vision to life through seasonal, fresh ingredients. Many who work for Wolfgang stay for years, drawn to the freedom they have to create—not just follow orders. The chef here can create dishes not found on other Wolfgang Puck menus, giving the restaurant its own local flavor. If the team loves a dish, it may stay and become a favorite unique to this location alone. So when you visit WP Kitchen + Bar in Palm Desert, you’ll find signature Wolfgang dishes and exclusive plates.
Signature Dishes: Wolfgang Puck WP Kitchen + Bar
Smoked Salmon Pizza with red onion, and dill crème fraîche
Barbecued Chicken Pizza with mozzarella, cilantro, grilled onions
Chinois Chicken Salad with celery, snow peas, napa cabbage
Tortilla soup with chicken, lime crème fraiche, and avocado
Pork Schnitzel with Austrian potato salad, cucumbers, and mustard sauce
Puck’s Cook Books:
Wolfgang Puck Adventures in the Kitchen
Wolfgang Puck’s Pizza, Pasta, and More!
Live, Love, Eat! The Best of Wolfgang Puck
Wolfgang Puck Makes It Easy
Wolfgang Puck Makes It Healthy
Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen
Wolfgang Puck Cookbook
Charities
While in the Cancun airport, he waited 20 minutes at The Kitchen Counter, one of his newer restaurant concepts, for pizza. The employees didn’t recognize him. After placing his order and paying, they told him it would take 15 more minutes.
Coffee
If you ask Wolfgang whether he would have a solid espresso machine than a stove, he’d say, “no stove. I’ll just eat prosciutto and cheese.” The chef loves his daily double espresso macchiato and every morning they roast their own beans in their home. The beans come to them courtesy of his mother-in-law who sends them raw beans from Ethiopia (his wife also hails from Ethiopia).
Dining
Wolfgang eats at his own restaurants frequently. Recently, in the Cancun airport, he waited 20 minutes in line at The Kitchen Counter, one of his newer concepts. Unrecognized by staff, he placed and paid for his order, only to be told the pizza would take another 15 minutes. He just wanted to see if all this time and waiting was worth it—and it was. The pizza was nicely cooked and had good spice (he even snapped a picture of it).
WP Kitchen + Bar
73-130 El Paseo
Palm Desert, CA 92260
760.568.2700
Photoshoot Location:
Spago Beverly Hills
176 N Canon Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310.385.0880
Wolfgang Puck’s Global Brand Graces Palm Desert.
An Ohio native, Susan drove out to California on a whim and never left. A surfer, diver, tri-athlete, and general lover of all outdoor sports, Susan’s passion lies in adventure travel. Never one to miss an opportunity, she has sailed around the world twice, worked at a teppanyaki restaurant in Japan, rollerbladed through wine country in Spain, rode camels in the Sahara, crashed a Bollywood set in India, and even did some work in the White House. Now a Huntington Beach local, when she is not out and about, she can be found in her kitchen cooking food to feed her friends.
