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The Governors Ball Preview: What Would Puck Do?
This year's Academy Awards will take place on March 7th. But the real fun happens after the awards, when the stars let loose at the Governor's Ball. 1,500 guests, including both award winners and nominees, will finally be able to stop dieting and start drinking recklessly. LAist was there to preview the feast prepared by Wolfgang Puck and his pastry chef of wonder, Sherry Yard. Moet & Chandon was also on hand to show off the official Oscar cocktail.
To echo the retro style, Wolfgang Puck, working with chefs Lee Hefter and Matt Bencivenga, chose to present an old-school menu focused on chicken pot pies updated with the addition of copious shavings of black truffle. The starter will be potato pancakes topped with Puck's signature smoked salmon. The menu also includes a garden spring vegetable salad for the stars who just won't let go of the diet. Sherry Yard went back in time to resurrect the Baked Alaska, this time with glowing lights that change color instead of the admittedly dangerous open flame.
According to Wolfgang Puck, there is no secret to serving such a large crowd; you just need to have a lot of people working, in this case 300 in the kitchen and 600 in the dining room. They run the ball like ten smaller restaurants and are prepared for any request. The menus are so memorable, once Michael Cane went to Spago the following Monday to request the same meal. Stay tuned as we highlight the magic of Sherry Yard.
Every year it seems like Wolfgang Puck Wears himself down and ends up with a cold by the time the preview rolls around.
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