Wolfgang Puck restaurant on the Strip reopens after health department report

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

Besides the restaurant, the health district closure of the Strip property last Thursday 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.

Across the prep kitchen, butcher shop, hot line and exhibition kitchen, violations found by the health district included those related to “food protected from potential contamination by employees and consumers,” to “food wholesome; not spoiled, adulterated or contaminated,” to “food protected from potential cross-contamination,” and to “effective pest control measures.”

In all, the health district assigned 42 demerits to the restaurant, prep kitchen, butcher shop, hot line and exhibition kitchen. Although the bar and server station 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.

The health district and the Wolfgang Puck organization did not immediately return requests for comment.

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