I wanted our first pop-up restaurant of 2017 to be as special as the day it featured. I was incredibly grateful when Mary asked if I would plan and host our Valentine’s Day Pop-Up. Our pop-up restaurants feature not only Culinary Crafts’ signature cuisine, but the exceptional chefs behind the scenes. I wanted this pop-up not only to be a culinary experience, but a romantic evening focused on the guests attending. The menu featured aphrodisiacs throughout each of the courses. Guests were greeted with tray-passed hors d’oeuvres as they sipped on champagne, enjoying one another and settling in for the evening. My favorite passed hors d’oeuvre had to be the roasted beets, local goat cheese, and pistachio brittle, featuring the visually stunning aphrodisiac: beets. The amuse bouche held the most notorious aphrodisiac, the oyster, accompanied with a vinegar-shallot mignonette, champagne infused foam, and a house-made pomegranate caviar. Guests moved through a five course meal featuring new and classic favorites. The meal started with roasted cauliflower salad with citrus honey vinaigrette and three house-made breads: cranberry levain, black pepper brioche, and galette perougienne. The entree courses were seared scallops with saffron risotto followed by pork medallions and caramelized Brussels sprouts drizzled in fig and port wine reduction. Utah has a wealth of local products making it easy to highlight our state. The salt and honey tasting featured a few of these amazing local products and how best to use them. Few desserts are as romantic as chocolate fondue, which closed out the evening with a shared course for two. Love, Jocelyn
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This was a beautiful baby shower for a gorgeous mother-to-be. The pretty pastel color palette was a great choice for this event and venue, the Provo City Library! The carpet even coordinated! We love the vintage chair, ribbon backdrop, and gorgeous florals, and the fun earring favors were a great addition to the event as well! We brought out all the brunch favorites for this shower! Local farm greens, feta, walnuts, and cranberry came together for a beautiful brunch salad. We carved honey, cherry, and balsamic glazed ham. And what brunch is complete without hash browns or our house-made spinach and vegetable quiche? For our sweet-toothed guests we served raspberry lemon and mascarpone crepes and yogurt parfaits with fresh berries. Bagels, croissants, and blueberry scones gave the guests choices for their perfect plate. Our decadent southern biscuits and sausage gravy put the finishing touches on this amazing brunch buffet! Guests also enjoyed cute (and scrumptious) dessert offerings like gold-accented French macarons, milk and white chocolate mousse cups, and tiramisu shooters!
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Designing the menus for our pop-up restaurants is one of our favorite things! We select a theme for the evening and then our creative minds go wild. We selected honey and salt for this harvest-time menu and featured wonderfully flavored Utah honeys and 13 different salts from around the world to perfectly season each course of the evening. Our venue for the evening was Snuck Farm which supplies all our greens, herbs, and edible flowers. This is the heart of farm to table! Love, Mary
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The high tea party was for the YWCA lifetime members. They hold an annual tea every year and for the past several years at the Grand America Hotel. This year they changed it up a little. They wanted a private and smaller venue that would allow for a more intimate feel. When their organizers came by for a site visit at The Tasting Room, they fell in love with the space. During the planning of the High Tea, we decided that it would be fun to use eclectic vintage tea cups and saucers. Kate from Blue Bird Vintage rentals had exactly what we were looking for. She supplied us with the most adorable vintage tea cups, saucers, creamers with matching sugar bowls, salad plates, lace linens and three-tiered vintage cake stands. Her selection is amazing!!
As the guests arrived, they were greeted with sparkling lemonade.
Once the guests were seated we introduced three loose leaf local teas. The guests were invited to choose their tea, fill their tea bag, and steep their own tea. For many of the guests, this was the first time going through the whole process, and they commented at the end of the event about how they enjoyed the experience.
On three-tiered plate stands we served four petite tea sandwiches: cucumber avocado, smoked salmon, egg & olive salad, and an open-faced goat cheese, pecan, and red pepper jelly.
Once the guests had a chance to nibble on the sandwiches, we presented them with cranberry orange and current cream cheese scones with clotted cream, fresh house-made mixed berry jam, and lemon curd.
For the grand finale we brought out a fine selection of petite desserts: lemon poppyseed mini cupcakes, chocolate eclairs, fresh fruit pavlova, and white chocolate tarts. Love, Wanda
I love Great Gatsby parties! Everyone gets into the theme with dresses, outfits, signature cocktails, and custom-designed 1920’s food frivolity! The gala was hosted at The Tower at the U of U stadium. Valets greeted the guests and sent them down the red carpet to the 6th floor speakeasy for the silent auction, hand-passed period hors d’oeuvres, and original bootleg cocktails. The 4th floor and the 5th floor mezzanine were transformed into glistening black and gold dining rooms where we served the classic Waldorf salad, brioche, butter croissants, lobster fricassee, Steak Diane, and a dessert sampler plate to complete the fantastic evening. Can’t wait until next year! Photography by Angela Howard Photography. Love, Mary
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I love all food, but my favorite is undoubtedly the hamburger. A good burger requires a lot of care and attention to detail. No shortcuts can be taken; you have to take the scenic route. This dinner was so much fun to plan and serve. The final cut of the menu included a wide array of my personal summer favorites: grilled sweet peppers, wood-fired breads, strawberry shortcake, and (in my humble opinion) Utah’s best burger with homemade chocolate ketchup. I loved hosting the event at Snuck Farm. Not only are they an amazing green house, growing fantastic greens and herbs, they are a gorgeous venue—truly a jewel of our local community. -Ryan
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Now here is someone who knows how to party! Planning an event with Lisa is fun from start to finish. As a well-traveled and well-versed foodie, her creative process is unique and non-stop. She has so many great ideas, and we love to flex our creative muscles as well. We were fortunate to have Fuse Events’ experience and expertise throughout the process, and they killed it on the event design and production side. Family-style dinner for the adults with a separate children’s buffet allowed the kids to have some fun while the adults enjoyed a nice evening. Talk about a recipe for success . . . pun intended. My favorite part, aside from the food, had to be the goat costumes for the dessert passers at the end of the evening (since Michael was born in the year of the goat). We appreciate Fuse Weddings and Events for allowing us to be a part of this wonderful night.
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Sometimes we serve people by creating fabulous events for them, and sometimes we serve people by hosting guests to a gourmet meal to raise money for a cause that is close to our hearts. I have a strong commitment to the Lift A Life Foundation and their missions in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Culinary Crafts hosted a pop-up restaurant and invited 24 of our dear friends to enjoy a meal on us and donate to a worthy cause. I greeted guests with a warm cranberry apple cider and hors d’oeuvres of scallops, butternut squash soup, and roasted artichokes with Gorgonzola. The first course salad is always a hit with Snuck Farm greens and local goat cheese with our artisan breads. Lemon herb salmon with wild mushroom risotto and our new showcase entree: braised pork shank with pomegranate Brussels sprouts! Flaming bananas foster over dulche de leche cake and coconut gelato topped off the meal. Guests are still talking about dining in our actual kitchens with the chefs firing the food right before their eyes. A great gourmet night for a great children’s cause.
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Talk about an elegant setting for our final pop-up of 2016! Camilla at the Hope Gallery was gracious enough to partner with us on this event and it turned out beautifully. Guests were greeted with tray-passed appetizers on the first floor and enjoyed a gallery stroll while sipping an apple and fennel cocktail with choice of local whisky or vodka. My favorite appetizer had to be the bison carpaccio with citrus glaze and brined caper berry, though the salt roasted pears with whipped bleu cheese and Utah honey was a close second. Guests moved to the elegant 3rd floor with original stained glass ceiling for a seven course dinner among the artwork. Our chefs really knocked this one out of the park, and each course was a home run. It’s too hard to pick a favorite here . . . though the pan-seared scallops and zoodles with cashew avocado cream were definitely up there. Dessert was something I have been begging our head pastry chef for: a local pear tarte tatin with house-made honey caramel gelato . . . AMAZING!
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A huge thank you to Fuse Weddings and Events for bringing us on board for this event and introducing us to Kathryn. I love working with a client who loves food and trusts us to be creative with the menu. This three day birthday celebration kicked off at the client’s gorgeous Park City home with chef action stations, charcuterie, and tray passed appetizers. Check out the venison tartare with black cherry gastrique and quail egg. Day 2 took the group to a private club on Main Street where they partied the night away with Flo Rida. We weren’t there that night, but couldn’t help to include some of the photos. Day 3 had us back up at the home for a hangover brunch. Cooked-to-order omelettes with orders taken by strolling models, bloody Mary and mimosa bar, individual parfaits, and a hangover helper smoothie bar were just some of the things on the menu that morning. Photography by Angela Howard, a Pepper Nix Photographer.
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When there’s fire and great food involved, you know it’s going to be a good party. It was so fun to see our client put together her first social party for her friends. The assortment of traditional Hawaiian food was exactly what she was looking for. We especially loved firing up the grill for the huli huli teriyaki chicken and honey-glazed grilled pineapple. The guests were able to feast all night long and participate in hula dances with the performers from Pacific Sound Productions. Photography by Claire White Photography.
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Culinary Crafts was honored to cater Ballet West’s first gala in their newly-created arts building as part of the Capitol Theatre renovation. Every event for the Ballet is special and this one was no exception. Hors d’oeuvres to greet guests, formal dinner service, ballet performance, intermission refreshments, and finally the late night party and desserts. It was a major feat of organization and moving parts throughout the building, and it was truly a grand success!
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This has to be one of the most fun parties that I have ever been a part of. Lisa had an unbelievable vision for her event, and we had an amazing time bringing it to life! A bar mitzvah with a traditional dim sum family style dinner. We were privileged to partner with Fuse Events, and Mara took the event logistics and decor to a whole new level!
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What better way to throw a housewarming party than to throw a Halloween bash at the same time! Emily was a delight to work with as we put together her black and white themed evening to remember. Guests were invited up the front steps to a front porch photobooth and a tour through her newly renovated home filled with desserts galore! Next, guests headed out into a tent covering her driveway filled with hanging chandeliers, passed hors d’oeuvres, dry ice cocktails, cotton candy centerpieces, and an awesome dance floor. Not only did the adults have their own awesome setup, the kids’ space three doors down was just as fun with movies, games, and delicious treats!
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As the ACS prepares to start construction on their new Hope Lodge, England Trucking stepped forward to be the premier sponsor of this gala. And what more perfect theme could have been chosen than “Driving the Highway” with truck stop food and vibe! Each of our appetizers was an upscale version of a fun truck stop pub food. The decor let people know they were in for something other than the usual stuffy black and white gala. As I designed the menu, it was pretty clear what was needed: Bacon and Bleu Cheese Wedge Salad, Gourmet Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes, and Chocolate Brownie a la Mode for dessert! Photography by Logan Walker, a Pepper Nix Photographer.
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Chef Action Dinners are Culinary Crafts’ showcase events where they get to bring all their skill and years of experience into play. In years past, chefs were allocated to the back of house, and all the cooking was kept out of sight. At these events, the chefs are brought front and center in the middle of the formal dining room to create the entertainment for the evening. This amazing event began with signature cocktails: Pomtini with Gingered Lemon Wheel and Phil Collins with Mint and Lime. The fun high boy tables were adorned with cowboy boot arrangements, and Culinary Crafts provided our great whiskey barrel bars to set the country ranch atmosphere. Guests munched on retro appetizer stations and passed hors d’oeuvres before being seated for a private concert with the Oak Ridge Boys! During the concert, all hands were on deck to ready the dining tent and set for the “Chef Showcase.” Each course was designed with maximum flare and fire to give plenty of action for guests to enjoy. The waiters loved taking the food right from the chef’s hand to the tables only a few feet away. To end the evening, guests were invited back to the concert area to our signature gelato and dancing. The estate, which was a flurry of activity all day, is now quiet, and a tired crew is ready to head home and entertain another day. Floral and decor by Scenemakers. Photography by Logan Walker, a Pepper Nix photographer.
Whenever Kim Albers is involved, you can bet the party is going to be fabulous! She plans the best bar mitzvahs, and Oliver’s was no exception. The party was held at the amazing new Leonardo Museum, the perfect venue for this rocking party. Lights, props, great DJ, and fun activities all made for a memorable night. Culinary Crafts was on hand to cook Oliver’s favorite foods, but he especially liked the “Virtual Dessert Display” with our new “Brownie Sliders.” The “Street Tacos” were the hit of the evening and kept everyone coming back for more! Maple-glazed salmon, Tuscan panini, and torched honey chicken rounded out the evening with the signature beverage bar for young and old alike.
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It doesn’t get any better than this: 900 of Utah’s Who’s Who, a beautiful summer day, and the finest cuisine, all adding up to the social event of the year. I love hats, and where else do these glamorous women get to show their finery than at a gala polo match hosted to support the U of U Pharmaceutical Research Foundation? Butler-passed hors d’oeuvres greeted the guests as they imbibed the signature “Mint Julep” and “Ginger Pomegranate” cocktails. We created new custom brunch stations, appetizers, and desserts to make sure each morsel was over the top. During the “Stomping of the Divots,” prosecco with blueberries and rosemary sprig was passed to the guests on the polo field. Caviar Bellini, oyster shooters, crab, shrimp, Nutella French toast bites, and over 75 dozen perfectly fried eggs were just a few of the highlights. The Culinary Crafts team was flawless and Mary was on-site to oversee all the amazing details. Hats off to Scenemakers for setting the perfect atmosphere for a day that will be long remembered! Photography by ZumaPhoto.
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We were honored to serve the prestigious guests again this year at the American Cancer Society Gala. This year’s event was held in the parking lot of the future home of the Salt Lake AMS and offered its own set of challenges with no running water, electricity, or truck access to the site. Undaunted, our expert team pulled off an amazing event and, as you can see, it was "all hands on deck" to create a flawless evening for everyone. We love teaming with our great friends at Scenemakers who always hit perfection in design, decor, and floral! Photography by ZumaPhoto.
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Nestled in the heart of Salt Lake City is a large estate that whisks you away to what seems like the green pasture of Kentucky! The home was the setting of one of my favorite events of the year…I want this for my 80th Birthday Party! Guests were greeted with a plethora of tastes in the fun passed hors d’oeuvres which featured retro to trendy. We worked out in the host’s garage among a million dollars worth of cars…careful everyone! The beautiful tent, citrus and cowboy florals, and bright pink and mango linens set the stage for an unforgettable evening. The Western theme called for the grill master’s finest skill for perfect chicken and rib eye steak. It took three chefs for the last-minute touches of the Lobster and Mascarpone Mac and Cheese! The evening started with the Oak Ridge Boys concert, then dinner, then another band with dancing, and never-ending desserts. My favorite: Homemade chocolate chip cookies with iced milk shooters! My hat is off to the International Caterers Association cookbook that inspired the entire menu, and my heart-felt thanks goes to the wonderful ICA chefs for sharing their creativity.
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I had so much fun planning Riley’s party. Kelle, her mom, is THE BEST and such a joy to work with! She really trusted us to take the theme and run with it. And run with it, we did! I wanted to stay away from typical colors, so instead I chose to use pink, purple, and green as our base colors. I first chose the linen and built the design around it. I couldn’t do all of the design alone, so, I called in Jen from Scenemakers to help, and she did just an amazing job with the vintage carnival theme! We served traditional carnival food like sliders, hot dogs, and quesadillas, and we added a nice fruit and salad station for the moms. The piece de resistance of the party was the fabulous birthday cake created by Carrie and the candy table that we designed around it with mini circus tent boxes and pastel colored macaroons surrounded by freshly spun cotton candy and old fashioned candy treats! A birthday is not complete without entertainment, so we arranged for hula hooping stilt walkers, face painting clowns, and a fabulous magic show! There were games galore such as balloon darts, ring toss, and bean bag toss while the bouncy house was the go-to place for some time alone with gravity. Seven is going to be a good year for Riley! Photography by Zuma Photo.
Full of color, food, and fun, this was a fabulous event for a wonderful girl.
Culinary Crafts loves to team up with Kim Albers and the Jewish Community Center to create some of Utah’s best bar and bat mitzvahs. Hannah’s beach party featured a yummy South Sea’s menu and ended with our homemade artisan gelato served in waffle cones with fresh tropical fruits. Check out her special non-alcoholic beverage bar for all the kids. Hannah is such a beautiful and amazing young woman . . . no wonder she had so many friends come to help her celebrate!
Steve’s 50th was such a blast! Not only was it chic and elegant for the adults, but full of fun for all of the children! The party began with an extremely tall man on stilts greeting all of the guests and then moved from a bird exhibit all the way to video games and an air slide for children and adults alike to enjoy. We hosted Steve’s birthday at the Utah Opera House’s Black Box and Theatre room, the perfect location! We served miniature gourmet hamburgers, mini beef brisket sandwiches, pasta and alfredo sauce, and miniature to-go’s filled with Chinese noodles, vegetables, and chicken. The menu was designed first and foremost to be kid-friendly while still sophisticated and delicious for the adults as well. To satisfy every child’s sweet tooth, we prepared rice crispy treats, peanut butter cookies, and chocolate chip cookies accompanied by Shirley Temples with a cherry. At the end of the night, the adults had a wonderful celebration where they could mix and mingle while the kids were all tuckered out from all of the fun. Photography by Zuma Photo.
How do you create a perfect fund raiser? By combining “out of the box” themes and translations with fabulous entertainment, soft and subtle decor, and an amazing menu. Sandra Ence Paul and the committee of volunteers truly outdid themselves this time! The silent auction began while we served delicious passed hors d’oeuvres . . . smoked salmon and goat cheese bruschetta, mushroom bouchees, and miniature zucchini cakes with a dill yogurt sauce. These, accompanied by cocktails and conversation, created a fabulous silent auction. Once guests were invited into the hangar, they were treated to a decadent dinner of sake salmon, beef tenderloin with mushroom chausseur sauce, and a fabulous vegetarian layered lasagna. During the presentation, guests were treated to an amazing silk acrobat show, and dinner ended with a custom dessert, a slow-baked merengue cloud topped with a Bear Lake berry compote and finished with fresh whipped cream. Everything came together this evening to make a truly outstanding event that continues to receive the highest compliments! Thank you American Cancer Society and Sandra for giving us the opportunity to work with you again this year. Photography by Zuma Photo.
This bar mitzvah was so much fun! Shari and her son Noah have vibrant personalities that made the entire process of planning this party a blast! I can’t wait for the next one. We started with a hip hop theme and made this party all about the kids. We offered a dress up photo booth, a mix music station where the kids wrote their own lyrics and recorded their masterpieces on a CD which we mailed out after the event, skilled hip hop dancers to teach each child the moves, a graffiti artist to paint a custom piece for Noah that night, and a fabulous DJ from Diamond Music to entertain everyone–young and old alike–with dances, hula hoops and competitions. The kids had a blast and the parents did too. One of the things I love about bar mitzvahs is that the parents are still young enough to enjoy the party too! Have I mentioned the food? Live chef action stations lent to the festive mood and kept the food as delicious as possible since it was prepared right in front of the guests! Grilled salmon with a piquillo pepper sauce, mini corn muffin, and fresh micro greens were served alongside mini burgers and fries. Macadamia halibut with polenta was served in the same room as our gourmet quesadillas and our on-fire Chinese wok station! The CANDY STATION was all lit up with blinking and glowing jewelry and every rockin’ candy I could find! Who knew the adults would enjoy the bling as much as the kids? Along with all of this, 9:00 p.m. hit with an awe inspiring “Flying Aces” show followed by autographed posters, dancing and desserts until 11:00 p.m. The music was fantastic, and the entire crowd couldn’t help but dance into the night, not wanting the fun to end. Photography by Zuma Photo.
When the JCC asked for our donation to their annual fundraiser, we gladly agreed to make this a fabulous event for them, while also donating 15% of our cost. We offered fantastic kosher style hors d’oeuvres such as the mini roasted corn cakes and mini beef brisket sandwiches on our homemade buns along with a fabulous chips and salsa assortment. Once the silent auction wrapped up, the evening proceeded with a fabulous waiter-served dinner. The dinner consisted of our signature ancho glazed salmon with cilantro creme fraiche along with Japanese long beans and saffron roasted red potatoes. We finished with a caramel apple torte with creme Anglaise. Our waiters were festively attired in their cowboy hats and red bandanas offering good, old fashioned, friendly service. We received rave reviews from the JCC stating that it was the “best ever” fundraiser!
Kim Albers did it again! She created this fun and creative set up where the centerpiece was a liquid bar and a huge dance floor. Light up cubes, moving liquid lighting, lava lamps, and dance music created ¨club liquid.¨ Once again, chef stations were a hit, pleasing adults and children alike. While the adults savored halibut with a piquillo pepper sauce over asiago polenta, the kids enjoyed homemade gelato milkshakes in light up mugs! Diamond Music did a fantastic job playing games with the kids and entertaining them throughout the night with great music and mesmerizing lighting. Photography by Zuma Photo.
Wow! What a lucky girl! This event was so much fun! Tessie’s Aunt, Gracie, gave her the coolest sweet sixteen in Utah, complete with a graffiti artist, a Laker’s shoe birthday cake, and break dancers galore! We supplied every fun food station we could think of from a dazzling candy station to specialty pizzas and burgers and fries. DJ Juggy spun cool tunes through the night while Tessie and 500 of her friends enjoyed the party. Photography by Zuma Photo.
What a fantastic fundraiser at the gorgeous Flamm Estate on Walker Lane. Everything this night was about hope, hope for the cure and hope for those recovering, suffering, and living with the loss from cancer. The American Cancer Society chose an Asian theme that evening with Asian menu items such as vegetable tempura with wasabi aioli and freshly rolled sushi. The grounds were decorated with clean lines, light colors, and gorgeous flowers, and the silent auction was a huge hit. We passed a lychee, raspberry, and rosewater martini as guests browsed the silent auction items. Once guests entered the main tent, they were treated to an elaborate buffet featuring pan-seared teriyaki salmon and orange chicken. The piece de resistance for the evening was the dessert pre-set on each table: a housemade key lime cheesecake with fresh berries, mango coulis, and chocolate chopsticks. Sandra and Robin were fabulous to work with, and I look forward to our next gala. Here’s to raising more for the cure! Photography by Zuma Photo.
Sam and his friends had a blast this evening! Our staff dressed as characters from Sam’s favorite movies: Jack Sparrow, Indiana Jones, Darth Vader, and Spiderman, just to name a few. We had a fabulous hot buttered popcorn station and pizza for the kids while the adults had a sophisticated caramelized salmon with mango salsa and fresh mozzarella and tomatoes. Dessert was an array of our miniature gourmet cupcakes: chocolate diablo, red velvet, and mango butter cream. Each table had its very own theme, from The Simpson’s to Spamalot! Kim Albers, the JCC’s own event designer, came up with each theme and carried it out to its fullest extent–fabulous work! Guests danced into the evening to all of our favorite show tunes and movie themes while the children enjoyed drinks from our fabulous “skull” ice tube slide.
We had such fun planning this bar mitzvah! The groovy signs, lava lamp centerpieces, and take-home treats with tie dye chair cover t-shirts were a blast from the past. The younger crowd enjoyed non-alcoholic mai tais and a wonderful sundae and frushi bar while the adults enjoyed our fabulous pad thai, macadamia encrusted halibut and Vietnamese lacquered chicken. The lava lamp martinis were a hit well into the night while we all took in the gorgeous surroundings of the Utah Olympic Park in the spring!
Michelle came to me with a sports theme and we took it from there! Guests were greeted by a huge banner welcoming them to “Josh’s World Class Smackdown.” Josh listed all of his favorite sports teams for me, and we covered each table in linens to represent each of his favorite teams' colors. We ran a double line, jersey-style stripe down the middle of each table and added huge arrangements made from pendants and pompoms. Our food stations ranged from sophisticated halibut with a coconut curry sauce and papaya chutney with Saffron rice to chicken wings, French fries, and mini sliders. For dessert we served cotton candy while servers passed miniature ice cream sandwiches in hawker trays. These kids had a blast dancing into the evening as the adults enjoyed wonderful food and conversation.
27x winner Utah’s Best of State
24x Best of State Caterer
3x Best of the Best / Hospitality
1x Entrepreneur of the Year