Food

Fire Causes “Significant Damage” to Wolfgang Puck’s New DC Steakhouse

Cut, the two-month old restaurant inside Georgetown's Rosewood hotel, is temporarily closed.

The seafood bar at Cut. Photograph by Evy Mages

Earlier today, a fire took place in the open kitchen at Wolfgang Puck’s newly opened steakhouse, Cut, in Georgetown’s Rosewood Hotel. While DC Fire and EMS public information officer Vito Maggiolo initially said the incident started because of a “cooking accident,” which activated an extinguishing system over the grill, the restaurant later said the cause of the fire was a mechanical malfunction. Maggiolo says the damage was largely confined to the kitchen, but extended into the duct work that vents to the outside.

“It was a bit of a labor-intensive process” to get  the situation under control, according to Maggiolo. It took the fire department about an hour and a half to do so. The hotel was evacuated because there were “smoke conditions” on several floors, but there were no injuries and nobody required transportation to the hospital. 

Maggiolo says the damage to the celebrity chef’s kitchen, which opened in early August, is significant. “The duct work is torn, so there’s no duct.” he said. “They’re not going to be able to use that kitchen for some time.” 

A spokesperson for Cut released the following statement:

This morning, Rosewood Washington, D.C. experienced a fire-related incident in the hotel’s kitchen, which services the entire property inclusive of its restaurant, CUT D.C. Upon inspection, the incident was determined to be the result of a mechanical malfunction. All guests and associates were evacuated from the property and no injuries were sustained. The hotel is actively evaluating the situation and extent of the damages. We will continue to provide updates as soon as we know more.

The restaurant will be closed for dinner service tonight.

This story has been updated. 

Ann Limpert
Executive Food Editor/Critic

Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.