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March 9, 2018

Friday Instagram of the Week!

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Today's Friday Instagram of the Week comes from, Heather, one of the fantastic guests from our Annual Penny Party!  We had SOOO much fun unveiling our new foods and trends and seeing all of your wonderful faces too!  This pic is of our charcuterie station and it was one of the most popular of the night!  We loved it because it married 3 of our FAVORITE local vendors fine offerings in perfect harmony; High West Whiskies, Beehive Cheeses (including a Culinary Crafts creation), and Creminelli Meats.  Yum!  Thank you to Heather for sharing this pic!  And remember, for your chance to be chosen next, tag your photos with @culinarycrafts or add the hashtag #culinarycrafts to your post and then check back next week to see who is picked next!  Happy weekend, everyone! Check out more Salt Lake City, Park City, and Utah County catering at www.culinarycrafts.com!

October 17, 2017

A Pretty, Fall Dinner at the Wells Fargo Building!

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Today on the blog, I thought I'd show you one of our FABULOUS corporate events.  Now, I know that we showcase a LOT of weddings (because, I mean, they are GORGEOUS!) but we are also so lucky to get to be a part of some pretty AMAZING corporate events too!  Since we are heading out of wedding season and straight into holiday party time, we here at Culinary Crafts figured it was an excellent time to start getting your inspiration wheels turning!  Check it out! Don't you just love it when you are greeted to your table with a beautiful salad and decadent dessert?  I know it makes me excited for the meal to come! The Wells Fargo Building has SUCH amazing views!  I mean, check out this view of the Salt Lake Valley.  Gorgeous! Okay, back to the food! Our first course was a salad with Fresh Mozzarella, Heirloom Tomatoes, Arugula, Pine Nuts, and Balsamic Reduction.  Isn't it pretty?  Of course, the desserts were beautiful too.  Our Fresh Fruit Tarts with House Made Custard and our Black Satin Fudge Cake with Creme Anglaise and Fresh Mango were both so delicious.  I don't know how you would choose! We loved the simple, yet striking floral arrangements!  They fit the tables perfectly and gave a nod to the fall season, which was so great! Naturally, we have to bring even more yummy food to an event, so we made sure we had a variety of amazing butler passed hors d'ouevres!  Bacon Wrapped Figs, Goat Cheese & Artichoke Crostini, Seared Bistecca with Chimichurri on Polenta, and Duck Wonton Crisps were just some of the offerings!  YUM! Last but not least, these mini BLTs!  How cute are they?  I loved this appetizer! We served a show-stopping dual entree for the main course of Pan Seared Sea Scallops with Hazelnut Caper Butter over Roasted Asparagus Spears and Grass-Fed Utah Beef Tenderloin with Wild Mushroom, and Red Wine Reduction over Garlic Mashed Potatoes.  So good! The guests enjoyed a gorgeous sunset during dinner, which we thought topped of this event wonderfully!  Such a pretty night! I hope this gave you some inspiration for your upcoming parties!  We absolutely LOVED how this event turned out and are so happy we got to be a part of it!  Happy planning, everyone! Check out more Salt Lake City, Park City, and Utah County catering at www.culinarycrafts.com!

September 7, 2017

Need an Idea for your Next Event? Chef’s Challenge Experiences are Here!

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I think you all know this by now, but the people here at Culinary Crafts love food.  I mean, really, truly LOVE food.  And you know what?  We believe that a lot of you out there share this love of good food.  So, when we are asked to innovate some new experiences for events, of course we wanted to elevate our shared love of food into something even more amazing.  Enter Chef Experiences!  Basically, these are 'Chopped' style competitions to build teams, learn new skills, and have a great time!  We recently hosted one of these events at the GORGEOUS Big Moose Yacht Club - and I can't wait to show you the pics!  Side note, if you want to check out this venue in real life, we are hosting our Harvest Pop Up Restaurant here on October 6th.  You can get your tickets here.  Now, check out this awesome event! Isn't the Big Moose Yacht Club beautiful?  We absolutely love this venue and we so excited to host this novel experience in such a great space! As you can see, we set up each team's station with their ingredient kit, a stock set of kitchen tools, and dishes to plate the final creation.  We were so excited to get started on this fun evening! The ingredient kit!  We really wanted to focus on local foods so we used local Beehive Cheeses, local heirloom tomatoes and corn, plus other farm fresh produce and some sauces to mix it up!  Looks like the start of something yummy, I tell you! Some items in our specialty tool kit, because you never know when you'll need to julienne something!  :) Of course, we had a fully stocked 'pantry' where teams could come to get items to round out their dishes.  Of course, we stocked more local favorites like Amano Chocolate and Slide Ridge Honey Wine Vinegar! Another surprise?  Lavender Brittle as a basket item - totally different and unexpected! Our pantry was also fully stocked with herbs, spices, and grains! How pretty  is this live wood edged table?  Loved it for the teams to settle in after the competition to eat the final menu! Of course, our staff was on hand to inspire and help (or maybe scheme?!) with the teams if they needed! Lastly, I love this picture of our very own Kaleb Crafts, who was the emcee for the evening!  We absolutely loved this event and the energy and excitement from the guests was infectious!  I definitely think this is a great idea for any one looking for a unique and memorable event activity - whether it be for a family party, corporate event, or even an intimate rehearsal dinner! We hope this inspires you to think outside of the box and shake up your events with an activity that is totally new!  Happy planning, everyone! Check out more Salt Lake City, Park City, and Utah County catering at www.culinarycrafts.com!  

February 8, 2017

The Craft(s) Launch Party!

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Today, I have a really special blog that is close to the Culinary Crafts team's hearts - our launch party for the new series, The Craft(s)!  It debuted recently (hopefully, you all saw it!) and, in true Culinary Crafts fashion, we had a FANTASTIC launch party to get y'all excited for this amazing series!  For all of those who couldn't join us, we are sad you couldn't party with us, and for those who were able to join us, thank you and we hope this reminds you of this fun night!  Check it out! CC_LaunchParty Of course, we hosted the event at our downtown venue, The Tasting Room!  Such a perfect fit and we loved the decor!  We decided to go with a modern, industrial feel - and aren't these tables cool?  Love it! CC_LaunchParty2 We decided to create action stations that represented each episode in the series.  For each station, we created a dish as well as a cocktail that perfectly represented the theme and this station "Smoke" was so much fun!  The Smoked Maple Bourbon Sour Cocktail was AMAZING!  The creation of the drink was a pretty awesome show too! CC_LaunchParty3 We got to really pull out the creative guns on this one.  The Smoked Short Rib with a Smoked Demi Glace was put in a smoking chamber to infuse the meat with even more smoky goodness.  After it was properly infused, we placed it atop our Purple Potato Puree to finish the dish!  YUM! CC_LaunchParty4 Next up?  Our "Fire" station!  Of course, we brought some flame to this station!  Our Fireside Signature Cocktail was set aflame and our guests loved it! CC_LaunchParty5 Next we served Flambed Ramen with our Killer Broth with Chef-Torched Beef, Fire Grilled Peppers, and a Sesame Chili Sauce.  Perfect! CC_LaunchParty6 This is our Flaming Pumpkin Meringue Pie - which was SO delicious.  And our "Fashion" station served Housemade Ricotta and Squash Ravioli.  Such a decadently elegant dish! CC_LaunchParty7 Of course, while you are perusing the stations (because there are more to come - you better believe it), we had butler passed hors-d'oeuvres!  These Mini Brie Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Pomegranate Arils and the Crostini with Goat Cheese and Poached Pear Compote were so good! CC_LaunchParty9 Of course, we had to pay our homage to apples!  Utah boasts some of the best local apples ANYWHERE and we try to use them anyway we can!  The "Apple" station included Crispy Pork Belly with Whipped Cider Ricotta and Sous-Vide Cooked Apple Relish PLUS an apple dessert trio!  The Apple Pie on a Stick, Poached Apples with Mascarpone, and Apple Sorbet with a Dried Apple Chip were all divine! CC_LaunchParty10 BUTTER, need I say more?  This station included Butter Poached Scallops with a Brussel Sprout Slaw and Citrus Beurre Blanc as well as a bread station (mmm, carbs) with an assortment of house-made breads and house made compound butters and garnishes.  I'll admit, I tried EVERY SINGLE OPTION.  No regrets. CC_LaunchParty8 Last, but certainly not least, we include a station that gave a nod to one of our signature offerings, our House Made gelato!  The "Gelato" station included an Olive Oil Gelato with Balsamic Poached Pears Garnished with Sea Salt, Red Wine Gelato with Chocolate Shortbread, and Salted Caramel Gelato which we used in either a Porter Float OR a Root Beer Float!  Plus, to balance all of the sweetness this station has to offer, we brought in our Coffee Nerd Coffee Bar with cold brew and french press coffees!  Such a delicious treat and our guests LOVED the interesting flavors! CC_LaunchParty11 We are SO excited for our new series - and if you haven't watched the first episode, we hope you check it out!  (You can see it here.)  We are so thankful to each and every one of you who has helped us get to this AMAZING place in our business!  We are so happy to be able to bring you this new venture and also keep creating new and inventive culinary trends!  Happy viewing, everyone! Check out more Salt Lake City, Park City, and Utah County catering at www.culinarycrafts.com!

December 16, 2016

Friday Instagram of the Week!

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cc_igoftw91 Today's Instagram of the Week comes from our friend, Kelli Bramble Photography!  We LOVE this pic of our DELICIOUS house made breads with our gourmet flavored butters.  It's one of our favorite ways to add a little something extra to our guests's dinner plate!  Plus, we love re-visiting the gorgeous ranch weddings we had this summer and can't wait for next year's.  Thank you so much, Kelli, for sharing!  Remember, for your chance to be next week's Instagram of the Week, tag us at @culinarycrafts or add the hashtag #culinarycrafts to your posts and check back for next week's pick.  Happy weekend, everyone! Check out more Salt Lake City, Park City, and Utah County catering at www.culinarycrafts.com!

September 6, 2016

Venue Spotlight: Hank’s Place

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Today, I am going to show you a new venue that we are LOVING!  It's called Hank's Place and it's located in the beautiful Provo Canyon and it is simply stunning!  Perfect for an intimate wedding, rustic fête, or even a corporate retreat that is sure to enchant any guest - simply put, this place is AMAZING!  Check it out! HanksPlace Isn't the outdoor fireplace awesome?  We love how great this space is and it truly provides an extra ordinary location that is simply breathtaking! HanksPlace2 We made sure our hors d'oeuvres were elegant, but still had a rustic feel to match the feeling of the space - and they were as tasty as they were pretty! HanksPlace6 How awesome is this lounge?  We love the rentals and the eclectic vibe the furniture created! HanksPlace5 We made sure the guests had refreshing beverages too!  These Utah Lavender Lemonades were not only fabulous, but we made them with local Sugarhouse Distillery Vodka! HanksPlace3 And, of course, to take the event to the level, we roasted a whole pig on the spit - which the guests always get a kick out of! HanksPlace4 Isn't this space, pretty?  Such a perfectly, magical evening! HanksPlace7 Another, fun station our guests loved was the Fresh Hand-Pulled Mozzarella station, which we then used on our Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad!  Yum! HanksPlace9 So, you might be wondering what we did with the pig we were roasting?  Well, after it was done, we served it with White Cheddar, Cabbage, and Mustard Slaw topped with Blood Orange Barbecue Sauce and Pickled Onions all on a House Made Cornbread Waffle.  So good!  Plus, what's a barbecue without grilled yummy-ness?  So, we served Shrimp, Onion, and Sweet Pepper Skewers glazed with Sweet Tomato Jam and Utah Corn on the Cob with Smoked Paprika and Lime Butter - and it was SO delicious! HanksPlace8 Our Mustard Slaw was so good!  Plus, aren't these individual mason jars of Mary's Gnocchi fun?  We love this dish! HanksPlace10 Lastly, of course we had to served some super, fun desserts!  Our Southern Style Shortcake Bar served up Buttermilk Shortcake with Fresh Peaches, Chocolate Shortcakes with Strawberries, and Lemon Shortcake with Berries (and of course all of them had a generous helping of House-Made Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream!)  Plus, we just had to have a S'mores bar too! We love this venue and had so much fun creating such a fun menu for this event!  If you are looking for an exceptional venue for a unique wedding or event, this is the place!  We loved Hank's Place and can't wait to do more magical events here!  Happy planning, everyone! Check out more Salt Lake City, Park City, and Utah County catering at www.culinarycrafts.com!

August 11, 2016

Repost from All Seated: Top 5 Ways To Simplify Your Event

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Check out this AWESOME post from All Seated with tips from our very own Kaleb Crafts!
Kaleb Craft, Chief Sales Officer at Culinary Crafts is here today as a contributor to the AllSeated blog to share the top 5 ways to simplify planning your event. Thanks Kaleb! Planning a large event can be one of the more stressful experiences of your life! But, it can also be quite enjoyable if you do it the right way. Planning doesn’t depend on your personality as much as it depends on your approach to event planning. Event industry professionals aren’t always passionate about events to begin with. Often times they begin with a passion for organization and organizational systems, which in turns leads them into the event industry where they get a chance to use those skills to pull off incredible things they get to experience and share with others on a daily basis. Culinary Crafts Here are 5 quick tips the sales team here at Culinary Crafts use to make the process a bit smoother. Nail down your vision before you jump in. Contractors won’t start digging a hole, setting footings and pouring foundations the first day a client comes in a says “I want to build a home.” They have blue prints complete, engineered plans finished, building permits in place, and a plan in place to execute from start to finish before they turn the first shovel full of dirt. Stress free event planning starts the same way, you should have a general vision, budget, and concept in place before jumping in. This will prevent doubling back tasks multiple times. Ask yourself questions like, “What is my overall goal?” or “What feelings do I want my guests to have while at the event?” and “What is the single most important thing to me about the event?” Make a chronological checklist and itemizing the tasks to be done and prioritize by what makes the most sense to you. This usually helps paint a road map of what to do. We like to do things in this order, 1) pick a date 2) pick a venue and 3) pick a caterer. Complete your list with as many details as you can think of. Work through your list step-by-step. Research vendors that fit your style and budget. Often, people suppose that all event companies are created equal. That is not so. Each company has a niche type of event and demographic they work best with. Most can do many things, but that still doesn’t mean one company is going to be the perfect fit for every situation. I wouldn’t walk into a Ferrari dealership looking for the most fuel-efficient car on the planet. Similarly, if luxury is the single most important thing to me when it comes to buying a new car, I wouldn’t go to the Hyundai dealership. Consider styles, budgets, and overall healthy working relationships. Do some online research and narrow your vendors choices down to 2 or 3 for each category. Have a short 5-10 minute conversation with each one and see who you feel most comfortable with. Use your contracted vendors to your advantage. By now you have picked your first couple of vendors and you feel really good about them. They know their stuff, they are clear experts in their field, and they have oodles of experience creating exactly what you are looking for. Well, use that knowledge and expertise. Culinary Crafts Ask your caterer for recommendations on good florists, bands, and entertainment companies. Ask your AV company what additional services they offer. Often times, these vendors can help ease the stress of all those additional details. In fact, many times, they may be able to be your one stop shop for all things event. They can coordinate your ice sculpture, transportation, linens and everything else. Bring in additional help. Some events really are just more than one person can handle. If your event has the high level of detail that is just too overwhelming no matter how you organize, checklist and structure, then find a good event planner or coordinator. Let them know up front how much help you need. Determine if you need someone you can trust with everything and hand over the reins, or if you just need help with a few key tasks. Culinary Crafts Our bonus tip is to remember Rome wasn’t built in a day… don’t try to plan the event of the century in a day. Give yourself plenty of time. Enjoy the process and the smaller details. The best events are about creating memorable experiences and using all 5 senses to do that. Happy Planning! Learn more about Culinary Crafts by visiting their website and following along on social media: Instagram: @culinarycrafts Twitter: @culinarycrafts Pinterest: @culinarycrafts Of Possible Interest: Vendor Spotlight: Culinary Crafts Check out more Salt Lake City, Park City, and Utah County catering at www.culinarycrafts.com!

June 30, 2016

A Culinary Crafts Welcomes Paralyzed Veterans of America’s National Veterans Wheelchair Games!

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Just in time for the July 4th holiday weekend, we have this AWESOME event that we did recently at The Tower at Rice-Eccles Stadium to welcome the sponsors for the 2016 Paralyzed Veterans of America's 36th National Veterans Wheelchair Games!  What an amazing event and we had so much fun kicking off this competition which has been taking place in SLC all week long!  Check it out! CC_ParalyzedVeterans3 CC_ParalyzedVeterans What a turn out!  We loved being able to host for such a great group of people.  Plus, we had so much fun with the sports themed event! CC_ParalyzedVeterans2 Of course, we served stadium favorites like popcorn!  But we put a Culinary Crafts gourmet twist on it.  We served gourmet flavors like White Chocolate Peppermint, Bacon Bourbon, and White Chocolate Blueberry! CC_ParalyzedVeterans4 Aren't the floral centerpieces fun?  Plus, we created some sports favorites at the "Lollipop Station" that were easy to eat on the go so guests could easily mix and mingle through the event.  First up?  These BBQ Wing Bites with Blue Cheese dressing that were delicious! CC_ParalyzedVeterans5 We also served Mini Corndogs with Ketchup and Mustard and Pretzel Bites with Cheese Sauce.  YUM! CC_ParalyzedVeterans6 Of course, we didn't stop there!  We also had Crab Cakes with Creme Fraiche and Utah Beef Chuck Sliders with Beehive Cheddar, Angry Onions, and Fry Sauce.  Seriously, so yummy! CC_ParalyzedVeterans7 And no Culinary Crafts event would be complete without some action stations!  First, the 'Dodger' Dogs Hot Dog Bar! CC_ParalyzedVeterans8 Next, the 'Yankee Stadium' Nacho Bar.  Over the top yummy, I'd say!  Mmm... CC_ParalyzedVeterans9 This is one of our guests's awesome Nacho Bar creations.  We love action stations that let people create their own dream eats with the best quality ingredients! CC_ParalyzedVeterans10 Another fun creation we served were these 'Milwaukee Brewers' Pulled Pork Parfaits - and just like the sign says, parfaits aren't just for breakfast anymore!  These were a crowd favorite, for sure! CC_ParalyzedVeterans11 Our house made gelato was another "fan-favorite"!  Perfect for the warm summer night and a great way to round out this awesome meal!  Mmmm... Culinary Crafts loves being able to give back to our local community as well as national organizations like the Paralyzed Veterans of America who do such great work for the heroes who have given so much to our country!  We hope this inspires you to celebrate the holiday with a spirit of gratitude and honor - as well as enjoying the day with joy and freedom!  Happy 4th, everyone! Check out more Salt Lake City, Park City, and Utah County catering at www.culinarycrafts.com!

May 31, 2016

Welcome Summer With A Barbecue to Remember!

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Culinary Crafts LOVES a good barbecue.  I mean, we love ALL food, don't get me wrong, but there is just something about a good barbecue that really just makes our day.  As we say goodbye to May and hello to June, we here at Culinary Crafts would like to welcome the summer months by posting some pretty amazing BBQ inspiration - starting with this event!  Check it out! AoCF_RanchEvent Utah weather can be so unpredictable (as I'm sure you all have noticed!)  But who says you can't grill on a rainy day?  Not us! AoCF_RanchEvent2 We really wanted to play up the BBQ feel with a western inspired decor theme - so we used red bandanna linens and our recycled wine glass votive covers.  Plus, our servers “cowboy-ed” up too and passed the guests delicious local brews! AoCF_RanchEvent3 One of our fine food offerings was our Smoked Fresh Utah Corn on the Cob with a variety of flavored butters.  This Chipotle and Utah Sea Salt Butter was just one of the many choices.  Yum! AoCF_RanchEvent4 Love the festive vibe of this party! Such a fun event! AoCF_RanchEvent5 Another one of our dishes?  Chef Torched Ancho Rubbed Grass Fed Utah Beef Tri Tip served with Farro, Arugula, and Dried Cherry Salad! AoCF_RanchEvent6 And, of course we wanted to take this event over the top, so we roasted a whole pig on site!  This is one of our favorite BBQ show stoppers! AoCF_RanchEvent7 Last, but certainly not least, we also served up Charcoal Grilled Rocky Mountain Trout with Utah Green Apple Relish and Roasted Utah Summer Squash and Zucchini and Pulled Snake River Pork Shoulder with Ryan Crafts’s Blood Orange BBQ Sauce, House-Made Cornbread Muffins, and Local Greens, Utah Apricots, Plums, Pistachios, and Goat Feta with a Ginger Chili Pepper Dressing.  AH-MAZING! AoCF_RanchEvent8 Plus, planning one-of-a-kind activities like bull riding and lasso lessons with a bona fide cowboy always takes your event to the next level!AoCF_RanchEvent9 AoCF_RanchEvent10 What's a barbecue without awesome music?!  May we suggest The Ugly Valley Boys?  You won't regret it! AoCF_RanchEvent11 And, of course, always save room for dessert!  We made a selection of Homemade Southern Style Shortcakes with Fresh Local Peaches, Rhubarb and Blackberries with Vanilla Rum Cream AND we had a Old Fashioned Float Station with Jackson Hole Sodas.  So good! We love planning ALL kinds of events but barbecues will always be one of our favorites! Happy planning, everyone! Check out more Salt Lake City, Park City, and Utah County catering at www.culinarycrafts.com!

May 11, 2016

Attend Ryan’s “Scenic Route” Burger Pop-up Restaurant

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Ahh….. the scenic route, a leisurely drive to relax, take in your surroundings and relish the experience of being alive. That’s the inspiration behind our next Pop-up Restaurant, and what we affectionately call, Ryan’s “Scenic Route” burger* (a burger that has taken no short cuts on its way to your plate). Yes, we’re featuring a hamburger at our next Pop-up! And, we promise you have never tasted a burger quite this extraordinary. The amount of care, passion and preparation that goes into its creation is astounding. bmBPBQciWVIoCsN2zY9F0-kSnXXcgFwQSVYh_Djv2tY,sZG6KkeVNybZbdjDn9aUEIs3CpGM_qsML2JCC-4w__Q,2sGGr78DF-zaxpvgWBpPe4Of_wwAvWRDvVKBX_7esO0,Xtg_g8uTdMMsVwazyaQgYr14wv_6x47ytRg4tsIG8EE For this pop-up restaurant, Ryan Crafts, Culinary Crafts Partner and Chief Operations Officer, has set a 6-course modernist epicurean homestyle menu that will take you on a culinary back roads journey as it delights your senses with inspired flavors and artistry. The “Scenic Route” burger may be your destination, but the entire trek will be delicious. The location for this experience? find_us_header_SMALL_mini-1938x531-696x191 The picturesque Snuck Farm in Pleasant Grove. Our chefs will be using Snuck Farm’s ridiculously fresh herbs, vibrantly organic greens, GPS coordinate specific honey and bouquet-worthy edible flowers throughout the 6-course dinner. During the evening you’ll savor cheeses from the local artisans at Heber Valley Dairy and Beehive Cheese, and indulge in piping hot flatbread fresh from the wood-fired oven. But, it’s the “Scenic Route” burger that will steal the show and quite possibly ruin your tolerance for industrial burgers forever. It’s perfection on a plate, a char-grilled piece of heaven…call it what you will, it is a burger you’ll remember for the rest of your days. bu52S7oWtbHDP31xGqSTJF-U56rMV-yk_Y6TS6N1kqg This restaurant and menu “pops-up” for a single night and then disappears, offering a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience. In order to attend this exclusive event, you must purchase your tickets in advance. Seating is very limited, reserve your seat now!  Don’t miss your chance to ride shotgun on our “Scenic Route” culinary journey. Ryan will be in the drivers seat sharing tips and pointers for your own backyard grilling adventures, and will describe the nuances of each pop-up course—each one a scenic masterpiece waiting to be tasted. IMG_7097   Hamburger To get more information and buy your tickets, go to www.culinarycrafts.com.

27x winner Utah’s Best of State

24x Best of State Caterer

3x Best of the Best / Hospitality

1x Entrepreneur of the Year