With the Oscars just days away, celebrated chef Wolfgang Puck once again rolled up his sleeves to preview the culinary spectacle that is the Governors Ball, offering media and industry insiders a first taste of the lavish menu and cocktails that will fuel celebration after the 98th Academy Awards.
Held March 10 in the ballroom adjacent to the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, the annual preview doubled as both a kitchen rehearsal and a glamorous showcase for the brands supplying the evening’s drinks — from tequila to champagne to sake — that will be poured for an estimated 1,500 guests when the Academy’s official afterparty unfolds immediately following the ceremony.
Puck, who is overseeing the Governors Ball for the 32nd year, joked that the night is less about culinary experimentation than satisfying the appetites of stars who have spent hours in gowns and tuxedos. His sprawling menu this year spans more than 70 dishes, ranging from indulgent comfort staples to globally inspired bites, including his famed chicken pot pie, mini wagyu burgers, smoked salmon pizza and handmade pastas.
“After the show, everyone is hungry,” Puck said as he plated dishes alongside his son and co-chef Byron Lazaroff-Puck during the preview.
The bar program is as carefully curated as the food. Returning for its ninth consecutive year, Tequila Don Julio anchors the Governors Ball cocktail lineup, with drinks developed by award-winning mixologist Charles Joly in collaboration with Lorenzo Antinori, co-founder of Hong Kong’s celebrated Bar Leone.
Among the signature cocktails slated to flow on Oscars night are Best in Show, featuring Don Julio Blanco, Golden Cut Margarita, made with Don Julio Reposado, Maestro Martini, built around Don Julio 70 Añejo Cristalino and The Sequel, spotlighting Don Julio 1942.
The custom ice cubes engraved with “Don Julio” made the cocktails even more refreshing. More than 1,000 bottles of tequila are expected to be poured.
Wine lovers will find glasses filled with Bordeaux selections from Clarendelle and Domaine Clarence Dillon, the official wines of the Governors Ball.
For bubbly, the Academy is serving champagne from the esteemed French house, Piper-Heidsieck, which returns to its partnership with the Oscars as the event’s official champagne.
The adult beverage lineup also reflects the Academy’s increasing embrace of global flavors. For the second year, Japanese sake producer Dassai returns to the Governors Ball with premium pours including Dassai Blue 23, designed to pair with dishes like sushi and wagyu beef.
Behind the scenes of the Governors Ball, the numbers rival those of a film production. Puck’s team of dozens of chefs will prepare thousands of dishes in just a few hours with an operation includes about 75 savory chefs, 45 pastry chefs and hundreds of staff members working the ballroom.
Among the highlights on the menu: thousands of handmade pasta portions, hundreds of pizzas baked fresh throughout the night, a sushi station staffed by multiple chefs an ice cream and gelato machine producing desserts on demand.
We tried the hazelnut and pistachio gelato, and they were out of this world.
The evening will culminate with one of the Governors Ball’s most beloved traditions: thousands of miniature chocolate Oscar statuettes, dusted in edible gold.
For Puck, the preview is a reminder that the Governors Ball remains one of Hollywood’s most extravagant culinary showcases.
“After the awards, everybody celebrates,” he said with a grin. “And the best way to celebrate is with great food and great drinks.”
As the chefs packed up after the preview tasting, crates of ingredients and bottles of champagne already lined the backstage kitchen areas — ready to feed and toast the winners, nominees and presenters once the final Oscar envelope is opened.
