Chef’s Table - Celebrity pizza party
I know it’s not the black Rockport-ish walking shoes or the heavily Euro-accented voice. I suspect it may the spark plug-like physique, the close-cropped hair, the ruddy complexion and the coiled energy. Restaurant impresario Wolfgang Puck reminds me of Steve McQueen.
Puck is in Atlanta for two days celebrating the one-year anniversary of his Wolfgang Puck Express eatery — working in the kitchen, taking orders at the counter and flirting with a couple of dark-haired beauties in midriff- baring shirts (they do a double take of recognition).
Puck’s laser beam-like blue eyes dart around the room even as he is being interviewed, yet he exudes a certain low-key charm. Wily marketer that he is, he keeps bringing the conversation back to, well ... his restaurant.
Creative Loafing: So how are you different than, say, Emeril Lagasse?
Wolfgang Puck: There are parallels and some differences between us. But his main job is the Food Network; I prefer being in restaurants versus being on TV. His show is more like a variety show than a cooking show. My Sunday morning cooking show on the Food Network is for people who really want to cook.
Does being a celebrity chef hurt or hinder your business?
It’s better to be known, but then expectations are very high, even for (Wolfgang Puck) Express.
Will there be more of your restaurants in Atlanta?
Yes, more of the casual, fast-food spots, in the city and suburbs. We’re going to be doing the catering at the Georgia Aquarium. And in the long run, I’d like to do an upscale restaurant like Spago or Chinois here.
What’s your favorite pizza?
Our smoked salmon pizza and a glass of champagne.
How come we can’t find your frozen pizzas at local grocery stores?
I just sold part of my company to Con-Agra. Next year you should be able to buy our pizzas here. Some Publix stores carry my canned soup line.
What’s something your grandmother knows about you that nobody else does?
Well, she’s dead now, but she knew how often I liked to cook and how many times I screwed up! On her 60th birthday, when I was 14, I made her a chocolate cake. But when I baked it, it turned into a brick. She boiled some sugar and added some rum and poured it over the cake. My sister and I fell asleep afterward, there was so much rum!
When did you know you’d made it?
I never get that feeling. But I did go from being the black sheep in my family to the golden boy.
Wolfgang Puck Express, 1745 Peachtree St., Suite H-J. 404-815-1500. www.wolfgangpuck.com.