Wolfgang Puck goes rogue

It has been more than three decades since Wolfgang Puck opened the original Spago in Los Angeles and helped frame what has become California cuisine. Now the still-prolific chef and restaurateur is experimenting with new formats at the new test kitchen he calls The Rogue Experience.

Located at Puck’s corporate headquarters test kitchen in West Hollywood, Rogue offers a tasting menu for eight guests each night. 

The menu will vary and chef-in-residence Dave Beran will collaborate with a rotating group of chefs from across Puck’s empire, which includes brands such as Spago, Cut, Chinois, The Source, WP24, Wolfgang Puck Kitchen and Lupo, as well as various bars and lounges, airport outlets and the catering arm.

Sometimes that chef will be Puck himself.

“It was always a dream for me to have a central kitchen where I could cook with all of my chefs, from Beverly Hills to Singapore,” said Puck in a statement. “Finally I have an intimate space here in Los Angeles where together we can create memories and thought-provoking experiences for our guests.” 

Dinners are an immersive two to three hours, and there is no need for ordering.  Guests are asked to “come to the table with an open mind, willing to explore and indulge in the new and unexpected.” Allergies or dietary restrictions will be accommodated, but the restaurant requires 48 hours advance notice. 

There’s only one seating available at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and Saturdays are available for full buyouts only. 

Puck is using Tock to sell pre-paid tickets for the experience at $155 per person, not including tip and tax, though the price may vary. An additional $85 will buy a beverage pairing. 

The restaurant will also apply a 20-percent “administrative fee,” which is explained with the statement: “Each night our entire team of chefs and front of the house staff take part in the experience, thus 100 percent of the administrative charges are pooled to cover the hard work that goes into creating the Rogue experience.”

All sales are final, and guests may not cancel or reschedule. Like buying tickets to a concert or sporting event, guests that can’t make it have the option of transferring the ticket to someone else.

It’s all about being willing to try something new, indicated Puck in an Instagram post following the launch of Rogue. 

“Longevity means we have to evolve, that we have to change and be able to change,” he said.