Wolfgang Puck restaurant on the Strip reopens after health department closure

Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at the MGM Grand, the namesake restaurant of one of the world’s most celebrated chefs, has reopened after it was closed by the Southern Nevada Health District following an inspection last week. Reservations on the restaurant’s website remain unavailable until 7 a.m. Tuesday.

Besides the restaurant, the health district’s Jan. 2 closure of the Strip property addressed six related food service operations: the prep kitchen, butcher shop, the bar, the hot line (the main cooking area), server station and exhibition kitchen.

The health district found violations related to “effective pest control measures” at the restaurant, as well as to “food protected from potential contamination by employees and consumers,” to “food wholesome; not spoiled, adulterated or contaminated,” and to “food protected from potential cross-contamination.”

In all, the health district assigned 42 demerits to the restaurant. Although the bar and server station also were closed, the inspection report did not list demerits for these operations.

Puck opened Spago, his first Las Vegas restaurant, in 1992 at the Forum Shops at Caesars, later moving to Bellagio. That debut marked a turning point for fine dining in Vegas, helping to attract other celebrated chefs and leading to the city becoming a culinary destination.

A health district spokesman confirmed Monday that the restaurant passed another inspection and was cleared to open. A representative of the Wolfgang Puck organization did not reply to a request for comment.

Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.