5 Minutes with Wolfgang and Byron Puck

What’s your earliest family food memory? 

Byron: For me, it would be latkes at home. We celebrated both Christmas and Hanukkah and my grandmother made the most amazing latkes. 

Wolfgang: I’d say a wiener schnitzel sandwich. Growing up, I loved wiener schnitzel so much that I’d eat only half and save the rest for a little sandwich. 

Byron: It’s still the best sandwich I’ve ever had. 

Byron, what's the biggest lesson you've learned from your father about the business? And Wolfgang, vice versa.

Byron: Obviously, my father has bestowed on me an amazing number of culinary techniques, ideologies, and ways of operating in a kitchen. But more importantly, he’s taught me how to be a good leader. My dad leads with two things at the forefront: positivity and benevolence. He understands deeply that if we're genuinely good to our teams, they'll uphold what matters most to us: being great to our guests.

Wolfgang: My thing always was, and always will be, tradition and innovation. I really believe most innovation comes from young people, not from old people. No old guy invented the computer. No old guy invented TikTok or Facebook. It's all young people. Byron is great with technology and is really examining how we can use it to support our guests better and make sure they still feel like they're important. 

Byron, did you have any trepidation about entering the family business? 

Byron: We’re in the era of the nepo baby and certain doors have opened for me that may not have opened for other people. I've always looked at it as a challenge. Those doors are there, and I'm immensely grateful for them, but I still have to walk through them.

You’re on the generational culinary tour right now. How did you create the menu? 

Byron: We share an office, so it was pretty easy. 

Do you literally sit on opposite sides of a desk? 

Wolfgang: Exactly! When we were designing the menu, we had to be flexible. If you’re not flexible in the kitchen, it can become difficult. For example, Byron said he wanted to make a chawanmushi with crab, caviar and cucumber, so if he’s using caviar, maybe I’ll use truffles instead. 

Byron: It’s been really fun. My dad’s gone really deep into his recipe archive, which influenced me. I also wanted to showcase something local in each of the host locations and design something around the ingredients from each place. 

How do you find working together? What’s your favourite and least favourite part? 

Wolfgang: Firstly, if I didn’t like Byron, I’d take him out of my will and tell him to get lost. But seriously, I think we can both learn from each other. So many chefs enjoy a certain level of success and stop trying to change. I’m the opposite. If you don't stay curious and you're not willing to learn, you might as well stop what you're doing. 

Byron: It’s really fun; sometimes I’ll be on the phone and mute my Zoom because he’s waving at me, telling me, “They should do it this way, instead.” I’m often asked what happens when we disagree. Of course, that happens, but ultimately we share the same goal. Our North Star is always the guest. We both share that belief, so disagreements are rare. He's also really funny. We laugh all the time. We love what we do; we take it seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. 

Wolfgang: Our dynamic works because sometimes younger people can feel intimidated talking to someone who’s very well-known and there’s an age gap. Byron can build those relationships with the next generation. If we want a smooth transition, we need to make sure people feel confident that he can do it. 

Interesting, so you’re not relying solely on the “Puck” name? 

Wolfgang: You can’t do everything yourself forever. Lots of people can be so insecure and so try and do it their way all the time. Change might lead to something different, but it also could be better. In any event, making mistakes isn’t a bad thing so long as you learn from them. 

What do you think London's missing out on in the LA food scene?

Byron: Good tacos! I adore Mexican food. I think someone needs to come out here and do some killer El Pastor.

You cook for a lot of celebrities. Who’s your favourite? 

Wolfgang: Gene Kelly used to come into the restaurant all the time. It was funny; I always saw him with hair, and then one day he took off his funny hat, and I said, “Gene, what happened to your hair?” I couldn't help myself, so he looked at me and said, “Are you stupid? Don't you know I have a toupée?”

It was like that from the beginning. I was very good friends with Sidney Poitier. He even asked to be my youngest son Alexander’s Godfather.

Byron: We’ve cooked for Matt Damon and George Clooney, who used to come into Spago all the time. It’s always so fun when Keanu Reeves is in. He’s so knowledgeable about wine. Our list is 72 pages long, and he really peruses it. He loves an old Bordeaux and is always so generous, letting the team try it as well. 

Would you rather cook for a critic or an influencer?

Byron: They’re kind of the same thing now. 

Wolfgang: Generally, an influencer tells you they’re coming. A food critic comes unannounced, booked under a different name. They’re smart and order things that are often pre-cooked to judge the food, like soup or mashed potatoes. They'll also look at the next table to see what the service is like and whether they’re getting special treatment, if they’ve been recognised. Actually, Ruth Reichl, who was a food critic at The New York Times, used to come in disguise, wearing a wig. 

Where’s your favourite destination for a family trip? 

Byron: Istanbul! It’s such a great food city. 

Wolfgang: We went to Bodrum for one of my birthdays with the whole family. There’s a Spago there, so we know we’ll eat well. 

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