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This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

Food

Take a Video Tour of Wolfgang Puck's Remodeled Spago

One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.

Wolfgang Puck is kind of a baller. He's got over 20 restaurants, 80 Wolfgang Puck Expresses, a prepared foods line, he caters the Oscars, and is a judge on the latest season of “"Top Chef" in Seattle. But what you might not know about the Austrain chef is that as a young man, he aspired to be an architect. Puck's direction might have changed when he entered the kitchen, but he got to live out a little bit of that childhood fantasy when he remodeled his famous restaurant, Spago, in Beverly Hills.

Puck first opened Spago on the Sunset Strip in 1982. It then relocated to its current location in 1997, and admittedly was ready for a drastic Rodeo Drive-style face lift. The restaurant reopened in the fall of last year with a bright, fresh approach. The dining room is airy. There's a retractable rooftop on the patio so guests can dine outside no matter the season. And there's a hearth in the middle of it all to give a more inviting feeling.

Not to mention Puck's art collection. The walls are adorned with a handful of pieces from Ed Ruscha, who is a friend of Puck's wife. And the wait staff is adorned in what we believe to be the most stylish uniforms in town. They were designed by another one of Wolfie's friends, Paul Marciano, who heads the house over at Guess.

One thing that hasn't changed much, though, are the prices. While you save up for a meal at the iconic LA establishment -- which has many of our local critics buzzing -- you can take a virtual tour of the space with Young Hollywood.

And please, don't judge us for the truffle splooge that happens at around the 5:20 mark. You'd have trouble controlling yourself around (the now-departed) Sherry Yard's desserts, too.

One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.

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