The Austrian-born restaurateur has built a culinary empire that extends to fine dining establishments like the newly renovated Spago and WP24 in downtown LA’s Ritz-Carlton hotel. He is also the official caterer for the Golden Globes’ annual Governors Ball, has several licensed products and has written umpteenth cookbooks. This year he will also become a Bravo star as a judge on the network’s upcoming show, Top Chef: Seattle.