The famed flagship restaurant of Wolfgang Puck, Mr. Celebrity Chef himself, is justifiably a modern L.A. classic. The illustrious restaurant centers on a buzzing outdoor courtyard shaded by 100-year-old olive trees. From an elegantly appointed table inside, you can glimpse the exhibition kitchen and, on rare occasions, the affable owner greeting his famous friends (these days, compliments to the chef are directed to Lee Hefter). The people-watching here is worth the price of admission, but the clientele is surprisingly inclusive, from the biggest Hollywood stars to Midwestern tourists to foodies more preoccupied with vintages of Burgundy than with faces from the cover of People. Foie gras has disappeared, but the daily-changing menu might offer a four-cheese pizza topped with truffles, côte de boeuf with Armagnac-peppercorn sauce, Cantonese-style duck, and some traditional Austrian specialties. Acclaimed pastry chef Sherry Yard works magic with everything from an ethereal apricot soufflé to Austrian kaiserschmarrn (crème fraîche pancakes with fruit).
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