The curtain has been pulled back on the menu for the 2026 Governor’s Ball, and if you thought Hollywood was sticking to Ozempic-friendly salads, think again.
The legendary Wolfgang Puck is back for his 32nd year at the helm of the official post-Oscars blowout, and he’s leaning into luxury comfort food.
We’re talking smoked salmon pizza, chicken pot pie, mini Wagyu beef sliders, macaroni and cheese, artichoke agnolotti and more.
Headliners include Puck’s signature smoked salmon Oscars–flat breads shaped like the award itself and topped–and tens of pounds of Kaluga caviar.
After sitting through a three-and-a-half-hour broadcast, the stars are usually starving. “It’s all about the quality of the ingredients and the quality of the dishes,” Puck said at a preview event on Tuesday. “We have to cook for 1,500 people. We keep it simple. We don’t need 10 sauces with it.”
But it’s not just about the salt and grease. There will also be new additions to the food this year, with an Izakaya station and chefs serving up hand rolls, nigiri and crispy rice cakes.
For those with a sweet tooth, the dessert bar will feature miniature chocolate Oscars sprayed with real 24-karat gold, Italian gelato, and apple strudel reportedly made using a recipe from Puck’s mom.
“We’re using a new ice cream machine,” Puck’s son and co-chef, Byron Puck, told Variety. “It’s hard when you’re doing ice cream or sorbets or gelatos for 1,500 people.
“You bring it out and it’s usually like a rock because it’s so cold and has to last throughout the night. This machine keeps it cold and turns the ice cream so you end up getting a nice, consistent silky texture – and it’s from scratch!”
Puck has tasked 75 savory chefs, 45 pastry chefs and 325 front of house staff and managers with feeding the stars.
