Last year, as the sun set over the lawn of the Hotel Bel Air, smoke emanating from a line of chefs cooking over live fire gave the garden an ethereal vibe as people dined on caviar, grilled fish, rotisserie beef, and more. Wolfgang Puck had gathered some of the world’s best chefs—not to make delicate little plates, but to help him create the ultimate backyard barbecue. And he’s doing it again this September.
Puck has been hosting these soirees since 2012, with chefs including Massimo Bottura, Francis Mallmann, and Adam Perry Lang joining him in the past. This year he’s welcoming back Nancy Silverton of Mozza and Eric Werner of Hartwood in Tulum, both of whom cooked last year. They’ll be joined by Ryan DeNicola of Chi Spacca, Burt Bakman of Trudy’s Underground Barbecue in LA, Megan and Colby Garrelts of Bluestem in Kansas City, Jean Imbert of L’Acajou in Paris, Tim Hollingsworth of Otium in LA, and Michael Voltaggio.
For the husband-wife team the Garrelts, they met at the renowned Tru in Chicago, and at their modern American fine dining restaurant Bluestem, Colby is executive chef and Megan the pastry chef. Imbert is visiting from France, where he became the chef-owner of a restaurant at just 22 years old. Now 37, he serves bold, contemporary dishes in Paris’ 16th arrondissement. Keller protégé Hollingsworth is known for his fine dining chops at Otium, but he also knows a thing or two about barbecue, as he used to serve some outstanding low and slow classics at Barrel & Ashes.
What also makes the event so special is that chefs not even on the bill will shop up just to lend a hand, socialize, and soak in the atmosphere. It really is the perfect send off to summer.
The dinner takes place on Wednesday September 5 from 6 to 9:30 pm. Tickets are on sale now via Tock for $350 per person.
