Wolfgang defeats Wolfgang

This may not be the end of it, but for now a federal judge has ruled in favor of NY steakhouse owner Wolfgang Zwiener in a trademark lawsuit brought by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. Zwiener, a former headwaiter at Brooklyn's Peter Luger restaurant, recently opened a place on Canon Drive in Bev Hills under the name “Wolfgang's Steakhouse by Wolfgang Zwiener.” Puck had agreed to the name, but apparently got ticked over the signage, which had "Wolfgang Zwiener" in much smaller type. He claimed that customers think Zwiener's steakhouse is his, and that they face "injury" by receiving "pedestrian" fare. The federal judge sided with Zwiener. Tom Kaplan, senior managing partner for Puck, says "We're certainly disappointed, but we view this as a preliminary ruling." (NY Daily News, Eater L.A.)