Chef Wolfgang Puck and Chef David Robins
The Wolfgang Puck name has become synonymous with culinary passion and innovation. Inspired by his mother, the Austrian-born Puck began his formal culinary training at age fourteen. He honed his cooking skills in master kitchens in three-star restaurants in France before moving to the United States in 1973, settling in Indianapolis. After two years, Puck moved to Los Angeles and became chef/part owner at Ma Maison. It was here Puck became a star attraction and grew popular with Hollywood’s elite crowd.
The Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group (WPFDG) began with Puck’s first restaurant, Spago, which opened on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood in 1982. Spago became an instant success and culinary phenomenon. Puck’s first signature dish, gourmet pizza topped with smoked salmon and caviar, put him and Spago on the Los Angeles foodie map. Spago relocated to Beverly Hills in 1997 and is now the flagship restaurant of the group.
As Managing Partner, Operations & Corporate Chef-Las Vegas of the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, David Robins is committed to Puck’s mission of providing world-class food, service and atmosphere to create an unparalleled dining experience for guests.
Robins first joined the company in 1992 to open Wolfgang’s flagship Spago restaurant in Las Vegas. As executive chef, he inherited the daunting task of bringing contemporary cuisine to a city that boasted all-you-can-eat buffets. Robins had left the sophistication of San Francisco and a long-standing relationship with famed chef Jeremiah Tower and his restaurant Stars for the kitsch of Las Vegas, but trusted Puck’s instinct that the evolution of the city offered potential for Spago to thrive in the desert.
In addition to his role with the restaurants, Robins donates his time to many philanthropic and charitable endeavors including the Alzheimer’s Foundation – Cleveland Clinic at the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, March of Dimes, Nevada Cancer Institute and Meals on Wheels, and served as a Big Brother in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization for five years. Giving back to the community is a large focus for Robins and a trait he works hard to instill throughout the restaurants’ staff.
Robins has been honored by many prestigious organizations including a nomination for Best Chef-Southwest in 2005 by the James Beard Foundation Awards, the nation’s preeminent honors for culinary professionals. In 2003, Robins was recognized as Best Chef in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Life Epicurean Awards, the city’s top culinary honors.
