Kurt Gutenbrunner has earned abundant praise for his modern interpretation of Austrian cuisine and his seamless integration of food and art. He is the chef and proprietor of New York City restaurants Wallsé, Café Sabarsky and Blaue Gans, and wine bar The Upholstery Store.

Growing up with garden-fresh cooking in a small village on the Danube River in Austria, Gutenbrunner decided at age 14 that he wanted to become a chef. He promptly enrolled in a professional hotel and restaurant school and obtained a degree in culinary arts two years later. At 16, he apprenticed at the Relais et Chateau Richard Löwenherz in the Wachau region, where he developed an appreciation for regional wines, many of which are featured in his restaurants today

Gutenbrunner has worked at several prominent restaurants across Europe including the Michelin-starred Tantris in Munich, Rotisserie Prinz Eugen in Vienna, and Mangostin in Munich. He moved to New York City in 1998 when he was recruited to work at Windows on the World’s Cellar in the Sky. After one year on the team, Gutenbrunner returned to Munich to become chef de cuisine at Bistro Terrine, a French bistro that was purchased, dismantled and reassembled in Germany by Tantris owner Fritz Eichbauer. Three years later, eager to expand his knowledge of exotic cuisine, Gutenbrunner found an opportunity at Munich’s Mangostin, a contemporary Asian-influenced restaurant, where he supervised a staff of 25 Thai and Vietnamese cooks and became an expert in the ingredients and techniques of Eastern cuisine.

Armed with new experiences and techniques, Gutenbrunner returned to the U.S. in 1997 to become Culinary Director of David Bouley’s expanding enterprise. The following year, he took the post of Executive Chef at Monkey Bar where he was praised for his innovative seafood dishes.

In 2000, Gutenbrunner felt it was time to combine his extensive experience with his passion for Austrian food. He opened Wallsé in Manhattan’s West Village, serving a creative yet authentic menu of Viennese cuisine, showcasing quality seasonal ingredients with high technique. Gutenbrunner’s first restaurant mixes an early 20th-century Austrian minimalist aesthetic with works by contemporary international artists, including Julian Schnabel, Oscar Kokoschka and Albert Oehlen. Wallsé holds two stars from The New York Times and a coveted Michelin star.

In 2001, Ronald Lauder, co-founder of the Neue Galerie New York, approached Gutenbrunner to create a traditional Viennese café housed in the Neue Galerie New York on Manhattan’s Museum Mile. The restaurant, Café Sabarsky, was named after art dealer and museum co-founder Serge Sabarsky. Gutenbrunner’s culinary expertise complements the museum’s collection of German and Austrian art. His passion for art strongly influenced the museum to make him an integral part of the institution, and he is the exclusive chef for its many galas and events. Guests dine among light fixtures and furniture created by Austrian architects Josef Hoffmann and Adolf Loos, and on chairs and booths upholstered with fabric designed by Otto Wagner.

Gutenbrunner opened Blaue Gans in 2005 to pay homage to the traditional “wirsthaus” he enjoyed visiting during his childhood in Austria. Blaue Gans, or “blue goose,” is a TriBeCa family favorite for a casual atmosphere and spectacular cuisine. Gutenbrunner lives nearby with his children, and felt this style of convivial restaurant was exactly what the community needed. In contrast to the more formal artwork on display at Wallsé and Café Sabarsky, museum and gallery posters adorn every inch of the walls here, furthering the relaxed vibe.

In 2009, Gutenbrunner opened The Upholstery Store, a small jewel box of a wine bar located just around the corner from Wallsé. The peculiar name of The Upholstery Store comes from the hand-painted green and gold sign which has hung above the location for over 30 years. The Upholstery Store celebrates wines from all over the world and the gathering of friends to enjoy them. In addition to the 35 bottles of wine, there is also a menu of playful small dishes. Like Gutenbrunner’s other restaurants, art is a major player of The Upholstery Store, featuring photographs by artist Clifford Ross.

When asked which of his restaurants he prefers most, Gutenbrunner replies, “I love all my children equally, and I feel the same way about my restaurants! How could I love one best?” His popular cuisine, strong ideals and keen eye for design have secured Gutenbrunner a unique spot in New York’s culinary world — one that has allowed him to harmonize his two great loves: food and art. He says, “I never wanted to have just a restaurant, but a space that also reflects my passion for art and its direct correlation to food.”

Upcoming projects include a beer garden at The Standard Hotel in NYC and his first cookbook to be published by Rizzoli International in Fall 2010.