Posted by admin | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 16-11-2009
Tags: cooking, pods, puck, recipes, wolfgang, wolfgang puck, wolfgang puck cookware, wolfgang puck express, wolfgang puck restaurant, wolfgang puck tulsa
Wolfgang Puck
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Catering for the ultra rich
March 7 was the night of the 82nd Academy Awards, a festival of glitz, glamor and luxury. From the outfits to the upholstery, everything about Oscar night was, as it always has been, bigger, better and shinier, defining everything that makes Hollywood the closest thing we have to a modern fairy tale.
As in a fairy tale, those taking part in the Oscar night festivities were literally treated like royalty. To feed that crowd, you would need something special, and you'd be right if you guessed that the caterers for this do were in a different league to the meals-on-wheels operation that decked out your average wedding or company Christmas party.
So what is it that makes a caterer a big hitter? What separates a spread fit for Gods-among-us like Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock or Woody Harrelson from the sausage rolls and pineapple-on-a-stick brigade?
From a business point of view, if you're going to charge big, what's the customer going to expect in return?
What's in a name?
One thing that's obvious from Oscar night, whether you're referring to the nominees, the clothes they're wearing or, indeed, the caterers, it's that a big name is something you can take to the bank. The Oscars were catered by none other than Wolfgang Puck.
Puck has a longstanding reputation among the Hollywood elite, not just as a chef to the stars but as a celebrity in his own right, appearing in everything from The Iron Chef to The Simpsons. With this reputation, Wolfgang Puck's extensive catering business, run with partner Carl Schuster, is able to garner international attention, and has catered for not only the Academy Awards, but also the Governors Ball, the GRAMMY Awards Celebrations, the GLAAD League Convention & Gala, the Louis Vuitton United Cancer Front Gala, The MCA 40th Anniversary Gala and the Lincoln Park Zoo Gala. A company that catered to events as prestigious as that will find that its reputation starts to feed itself, to the point where being able to hire Wolfgang's catering is a sign of prestige in and of itself.
The sum of its parts
With a good reputation, however, come huge expectations, and a caterer hoping to play in the big leagues is going to have bring their very best game. Reportedly, Wolfgang Puck's favorite food is macaroons- but you won't find them on the Oscar buffet.
Malcolm Harris, CEO of Palmas Plains Beef and Palmas Plains Wine, supplies a number of high end caterers, and knows the significance of choosing the right ingredients, and taking them from the right place.
Having living in the Argentine for many years, Harris has been able to use first-hand knowledge to hand pick the sources for his company's products. He pays attention to everything from where the cattle are reared, to the breed of the animals – Aberdeen Angus and Hereford. Each of his animals is indulged with the equivalent of seven football pitches- worth of pasture, avoiding artificial feeding, hormone additives and stress.
"When choosing a supplier at Pampas Plains," Harris explains to us, "we look for consistency in quality of product and regularity of supply, followed by strong customer support. Suppliers that aspire to excellence, normally live by the virtues of quality."
It's a philosophy that Wolfgang Puck would find familiar. As he says on his website, he is dedicated to putting the "ripest tomato, the sweetest strawberry, and the most aromatic truffle star on every plate".
Looking at Palmas Plains however, it's clear that this quality is backed up by a strong
sense of ethics and corporate responsibility.
For the best possible beef, Harris has chosen to use cattle that are treated in the best
possible way.
Likewise, Wolfgang Puck Catering was responsible for co-founding the Seafood Savvy Program to raise awareness about the importance of buying seafood from sustainable sources. It is a program that recommends sustainable harvested seafood, and helps consumers gain awareness and become advocates for environmentally friendly seafood. Living by this creed, Wolfgang Puck Catering offers sustainable seafood options on its catering menus.
Looking round the Oscars you'll find no shortage of stars with a cause, and at a time when social awareness is at an all-time high, sourcing your ingredients ethically is good for your bank balance as well as your conscience.
About the Author
Chris Farnell is an editor at Food & Drink Digital, a pioneering digital media site exploring food and drink issues and opportunities facing top executives, with revealing, intelligent news delivered daily. Among Food & Drink Digital's suite of media brands is the Food & Drink Digitalmagazine, an all digital publication that busy, on-the-go energy executives turn to for their monthly dose of thought-provoking, rich and meaningful reading.
What is the price range for a dinner for five at some of Wolfgang Puck's restaurants in Los Angeles?
My family has a tradition of eating out on New Year's eve, and we always spend it at Maggiano's Little Italy. Last eve, we paid about $200 for the five of us. Is there a Wolfgang Puck restaurant that is around that price range? We really want french and/or italian cuisine.
Do you suggest any other restaurant? Somewhere around $200 for a family of five.
I have only been to Wolfgang Puck's Vert restaurant at Hollywood and Highland and it's pretty pricey. You probably could get out of there for under $200, but you'd probably have to skimp a bit (for example, they had a porterhouse steak dinner for two people, and it was about $60). Good food, but pricey.
Have you ever been to the Grand Lux Cafe in the Beverly Center? It's a huge restaurant and is related to the Cheesecake Factory, but I think it's much tastier and better. You could feed five there for $200.
How about Buca di Beppo. I think they're in Pasadena and Universal City. It's fun to go there at least once and it's pretty tasty food.
I like Miceli's a lot, too. It's older and maybe not as fancy schmancy as other places, but I think their food is great and the yummy rolls and butter that they serve are delicious! There's one right off of Hollywood/Highland and one on Cahuenga as you head over toward Universal and Studio City.
Pastis on Beverly has good french food. I seem to remember most entrees being in the $15 - 30 price range, so without booze, you may be able to cut it under $200.
Good luck!
