Culinary Crafts is the caterer to provide you with exactly what you need to make your event flawless. When you are in charge of a corporate function, you need it to turn out great without your constant oversight. We will make certain that your event is perfect down to the very last detail. Let us orchestrate your event and turn it into something you and your guests will never forget.
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George Wythe College Annual Gala
Salt Lake Hardware Building
Symbria Patterson knew exactly what she wanted when coordinating the George Wythe College annual Gala. The theme was Dream giver and everything from the place settings to the lighting had an ethereal look and feel. We began the reception by butler passing hors d'oeuvres of Chipotle encrusted Shrimp and Housemade Bruschetta with sun roasted tomatoes and freshly shaved Parmesan. Once guests were invited to be seated, we presented them with a not so typical meal beginning with a fresh Strawberry and edible Orchid salad. We followed with a Nori encrusted Beef Tenderloin with a Wasabi mashed potato and freshly grilled Asparagus and finished with a Meringue cloud topped with a fresh berry Compote. It was a pleasure planning this event with Symbria--every last detail was covered from the beautiful place settings to the stone place cards...I look forward to our next venture.
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Doctorman Bar Mitzvah
Jewish Community Center
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 it's 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.
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Bernstein Bar Mitzvah
Utah Olympic Park
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!
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"Monet to Picasso" VIP Opening of the French Exhibit
Utah Museum of Fine Arts
Salt Lake City is honored to have this extraordinary French Artists
Exhibit at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. Culinary Crafts was honored
to cater the VIP Grand Opening featuring everything French...from
French Wines, to French Cheeses, to tantalizing French Hors d'oeuvres
and Desserts. Tuna Nicoise, Smoked Salmon and Caper Canape, Beef en
Croute with Bordelaise, Creme Brulee, Chocolate Mocha
Mousse, and Flaming Crepe Suzettes...and the list goes on and on with
wonderful culinary creations from French cuisine. We created "French
Bistro Cafe" with French musicians, and waiters in berets and
neckerchiefs where guests stayed well into the evening sipping Cafe au
Lait and wines.
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Sutherland Institute Annual Legacy Award Gala
Rice-Eccles Stadium and Olympic Cauldron Museum
The Sutherland Institute once again hosted its annual gala at the Rice Eccles Stadium and Olympic Cauldron Museum. The evening began with a VIP reception in the Cauldron Museum featuring poppy linens and our copper floating buffet to accentuate the Olympic colors throughout the venue. Guests were treated to our scrumptious butler-passed hors d'oeuvres as well as the small plate presentations on the floating buffet. On the 4th floor of the main stadium tower, we had quite a surprise waiting as we ventured from the typically traditional decor and menu of this event. The room featured sea foam green and blue linens, sea glass plates, emerald green goblets, and a pre-set Asian first course of Thai Shrimp in a Cucumber Cup with a Crab-filled Won ton drizzled with a sweet chili sauce. An unusual rectangle plate carried the entree of Asian beef tenderloin, grilled asparagus, and a sesame noodle nest. The dessert sampler trio featured my new creation of Star Anise and Caramelized Pineapple Creme Brulee, long-stemmed strawberries with lime curd, and the bite of chocolate mint truffle to finish off the palette temptations.
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US Presidential Visit to Utah
Stewart Home
In our catering business, it has become common place to serve high profile events, people, and celebrities. However, a presidential visit is always something special and requires extra care and planning. This is the 3rd opportunity Culinary Crafts has had to cater for President Bush yet the security, the details, and the excitement never cease to amaze me. The day began with a VIP luncheon at the guest home of the Stewart's and then moved to the main estate for the large hors d'oeuvre reception. The formal plated luncheon featured a fresh Utah asparagus soup; a summer salad of Utah berries, local goat cheese, grilled chicken, and fresh micro greens; and concluded with our decadent Black Satin Fudge cake. The reception was hosted in the breathtaking gardens of the Stewart's avenue home. Our theme throughout all the food service was to showcase the many bounties of Utah's harvest and artisan delicacies. You will notice the lack of any guests in our photos as the photographer had to leave before any of the prestigious guests arrived, but we heard only raves from these discerning guests!
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Pepper Nix Photography Open House
Photography Studios
Culinary Crafts was very honored when Pepper Nix Photography and Zuma Photo, two of the city's best photographers, asked us to cater the opening of their new studios. With more guests than seating, all of the menu needed to be finger food and easily eaten while standing. Pepper and Mitch allowed us to select the menu and I always enjoy creating some fun new things when the clients are this trusting. Both of these event photographers have seen some of the nation's best cuisine and I was thrilled they selected Culinary Crafts for this important occasion. The zebra linens were the perfect choice for these two photographers who live a bit on the wild side!
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Evolutionary Events
Utah Olympic Oval
When the international event company, Evolutionary Events, called us
to plan their closing night party, we jumped right on board. Where
better to host all of these out of towners than our famous Olympic Ice
Oval? The evening began with butler passed hors d'oeuvres and
cocktails while guests enjoyed the Olympic speed skating exhibition.
Following the race, we dropped the walls and laid down some carpet in
order for the guests to cross over into our spectacular "Winter
Wonderland" where everyone enjoyed a hip lounge set up with custom
lighting and expert design. We provided a spectacular feast of action
stations and vertical buffets. On our first Vertical, we featured our
glazed scallops with an almond caper butter sauce along side vegetable
spring rolls with a Thai peanut sauce. On another vertical buffet we
displayed s'more shooters and miniature crème brûlèes. All of these
surrounded by our live chef's action stations serving pan seared sea
bass with a piquillo pepper sauce on a bed of wilted garden greens,
seared crab, shrimp and lobster on a bed of shredded lettuce with a
lime vinaigrette and cilantro aioli, and our famous mashed potato bar
with a beef tenderloin carvery. Truly unforgettable!
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Subaru
Union Pacific Depot
When Subaru came to town with their international incentive program, they were clear on their expectations from the beginning: high-end quality food, beautiful presentations, and impeccable service. I love working for these demanding clients as they are the ones who really appreciate all our attention to detail and our truly amazing food. 1200 guests were treated to such delights as Chilean Sea Bass with Wild Mushrooms, Roasted Tomatoes, and Three-cheese Polenta, Roasted Rack of Lamb Hand-rubbed with Rosemary, Thyme, Garlic, and Shallots, Sautéed Shrimp with Garlic, Chili and Lime served over Wilted Arugula and Israeli Couscous, and Flaming Crepe Suzettes just to name a few selections. Subaru initially didn't want to offer any butler-passed hors d'oeuvres until I served these 2 chef specialties at their tasting and the flavors were simply too scrumptious to resist: Gorgonzola Bruschetta With Seared Garlic Greens, Pine Nuts, and Sultanas, and a Local Artisan Lavender and Coffee "Buzzed? Cheese On a Crisp Utah Apple Wedge. The event was, of course . . . flawless! My thanks to Destination VIP for their gracious event guidance, to Design Werks for their creative design, and to my incredible staff for their never-ending support.
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O.C. Tanner 80th Anniversary Celebration
Eagle Gate Plaza
It is always an honor to cater an O.C. Tanner celebration. They are a
company of integrity, service, and excellence, which just happens to
be Culinary Crafts mission statement as well! To celebrate the
jewelers 80th birthday, we transported the guests back to 1927 where
it all began. Waiters in tuxedo tails and black top hats greeted
guests in true "Great Gatsby" style with elegant and indulgent passed
canapés. What other company has the clout to close South Temple
Street and dance the night away to the sounds of Governor Huntsman's
swing band!! O.C. Tanner unveiled their signature "Grace" diamond of
unparalleled beauty, which was named after Grace Tanner. An
extravagant Peacock cake was served to all 1200 guests as a lifetime
of memories combined to create a magnificent evening under the stars.
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Oelsner Bar Mitzvah
Red Butte Garden
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 team's 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 papya 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.
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Sutherland Institute
Rice-Eccles Stadium
The Sutherland Institute Annual Black Tie Dinner was celebrated this year at the Rice Eccles Tower. The VIP evening began with passed hors d'oeuvres, vertical buffet appetizers, and a Sugar-rimmed Strawberry Mojito. The dining room was set in black and white with fushia and lime florals for a truly dramatic event. The salad course was particularly stunning with the Raspberry Vinaigrette shooters for each guest to drizzle the perfect amount. The 400 Republican "who's who's"
of Utah were definitely impressed by this years menu and impeccable service!
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Ebay
Rice-Eccles Stadium
This was the 4th Holiday event we have catered for Ebay- and each year we think of a new theme to wow the entire group of employees and executives. This year the event was held at Rice-Eccles Stadium where we transformed the 4th floor and overlooking mezzanine into a chic and trendy club atmosphere. Scenemakers provided lit up bars and frosted panels with the ebay logo as well as contemporary, white lounge furniture. We lit the room in cool blue and fuscia and our food stations were a huge hit! The ?must have? chocolate fountain flowed into the evening and the aroma of chef prepared Maple Salmon and Tuscan ravioli with sundried tomatoes and pesto drizzle wafted through the air while all enjoyed the evening dancing, mingling, and celebrating.
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"Art In The Garden" Gala
On Walker Lane
Utah Museum of Fine Arts Annual Gala was once again held on the magnificent Flamm estate nestled in the heart of Holladay. The guests were greeted by uniformed butlers, professional bar service, and a plethora of silent auction art pieces. This year the gala committee broke out of the usual plated dinner menu and offered an array of chef action stations to enhance the mingle and interaction of guests. My favorite part was the custom dessert presentation featuring a chocolate artist palette with Zabaglione, Fresh Berries,and Orange Poppy Butter Pound Cake. We have received many rave reviews exclaiming this event was better than black-tie events the guests had attended in New York and San Francisco!
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Meeting Planners International
Pierpont Place
Meeting Planners International--So who do the meeting planners of Salt Lake City turn to for creating an exquisite evening of food and pizazz? Culinary Crafts, of course! For the Presidents Gala, we unveiled our new "Floating Buffets" to display of trendy small plate hors d'oeuvres. Guests were almost afraid to taste the food at this visual piece of art, but only for a moment until the feasting began in
earnest! Butler-passed hors d'oeuvres, ice sculptures, eye-popping
linen, and contemporary china all set the tone of gracious entertaining in this "New York loft" venue. The plated dinner featured our dramatic waiter-poured soup course, grilled flank steak on potato rafts, and a demi dessert sampler plate. Total yummm!
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International Caterers Association Awards Dinner
Empire Ballroom, Las Vegas, Nevada
Let's see, how do we explain this? The gals were dressed up in food. No wait, they were food,...ah, no rather, they each celebrated some aspect of food. One wore a skirt made of bright green chilies, one had a dress embroidered with tortellini, another had cookies braided into her hair! Well what do expect when your catering for the preeminent food authority, the International Caterers Association. You have to do food in the most outrageous ways possible, because these folks have seen it all. And we did!
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On Location in Utah
National Tour Association / Utah Olympic Oval
Our Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau worked for many years to land this prestigious convention full of international meeting planners and tour operators. The goal: Showcase Utah! Culinary Crafts was honored to be chosen as the caterer for the only off-site event at the Utah Olympic Ice Oval. 2400 attendees; 800 pounds of BBQ beef; 6400 local microbrewery beers...just to name a few! The pictures tell the story. Following the event, one of the national guests wrote me a special note: "on the buses back to our hotel, everyone was a buzz with surprise over the amazing food. It was the best food we have had at any NTA convention in anyone's memory! Congratulations, Utah! What an incredible event!"
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Sample Salt Lake
Memorial House
One of the great things about being a caterer in Utah is featuring some of our local artisan products and showcasing our abundant heritage of food. Oh, we may not have wild salmon from the Northwest and Cajun red beans and rice, but hold on to your hats, Cowboys, we've got some great grub! Smoked Utah Trout, Dutch-oven Fruit Cobbler, Wild Turkey, Luscious Red Raspberries, Crisp Mountain Apples, and some of the best Artisan Cheese around! Banjo and fiddle strings filled the air and Mary Crafts, star of PBS Culinary Creations, was on hand to demonstrate dutch oven cooking and recipes with Utah honey. This is an event every convention attendee should experience!
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O.C. Tanner Jewelers
Eagle Gate Plaza
Few businesses in Salt Lake City are as prestigious as O.C. Tanner. It was a true privilege to be the caterer of choice for the grand reopening of their beautiful new location. The outdoor gala utilized the Eagle Gate Plaza, and the sidewalks were filled with festive music, dazzling cuisine, and Cirque de Berserq performers. It was a sight to behold as Salt Lake's finest strutted their most eye-popping jewels, representing their years of loyal patronage. The many food stations were accented in rich coppers, muted golds, and brilliant bronze, and included seared ahi tuna tatake, orange rosemary pork loin with asiago polenta, and petite gold-leaf truffles.
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Cingular Wireless
Utah Olympic Oval
Cingular's branded orange color was everywhere at this event! Spandex, lighted cubes, mood lighting, and trendy action stations made for an enticing night - complete with 8 chocolate fountains flowing from Cingular's orange "jacks" logo. The New York Ice Company was on hand for a dazzling ice show, and L.A.'s Cirque d' Solei provided additional entertainment to the guests. With 25 food stations and 16 bars, there was not a line to be found anywhere among the 3000 guests. Cingular went out of their way to applaud theCulinary Crafts staff of 125 who made this event absolutely perfect!
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Xango
Union Pacific Depot
"Lights, camera, action!" Hollywood comes to Utah at the International Xango Convention at the Union Pacific Depot. Guests were greeted by sky lights, red carpet, and curb side valets to add to the feeling of excitement for the black tie event. Dazzling ice sculptures with the Xango logo poured the "Xango-tini's" as butlers passed several scrumptious bites of our famous cuisine. As guests were escorted to dinner, they were met with photo-ops, grand decor, and the sounds of cool jazz. The plated dinner featured a dual entree of Filet of Beef Chauseur and Seard Ahi Tuna. The highlight of the evening arrived as the chefs filed from the kitchen to begin the Flaming Crepes Suzettes to the drama of drum roll and applause! A night to remember for all!
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Tahitian Noni International
TNI's Orem Offices
TNI's annual conference brings thousands of attendees to the state of Utah. TNI wished to host an off-site event at their new facility and showcase the beautiful Tahitian Gardens. In days past, the logisics of feeding 1500 guest outdoors would have been daunting to us, but with our state-of -the art mobile kitchens it's just another day. In addition to the kitchens, an impressive line-up of 8 mammoth grills served up fresh barbecued chicken with grilled vegetables "hot-off-the-grill" and a great time was had by all!
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National Convention of State Legislature
Utah State Capitol / Utah Olympic Oval
NCSL provided several challenges to Culinary Crafts – but, of course, we love a challenge! 3600 guests arrived for a western reception at the State Capitol where they only had 1 1/2 hours for food and beverage before being whisked off to a special performance by the Tabernacle Choir. The very next night, we had to repeat the feat at the Olympic Ice Oval but this time, they were staying for 4 hours and ate the whole time! Both events were to showcase Utah and our cuisine – okay, so we couldn't do barbecue both nights! Guests had no idea the cuisine of Utah was so diverse! In this business, it's always something new and that's why after 21 years, I still love it!
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Destination VIP
23rd Floor (Wells Fargo Building)
When it's Culinary Crafts turn to entertain, the sky's the limit! We shuttled our guests to the Wells Fargo 23rd floor via first class helicopters which landed atop Salt Lake's tallest building for a breathtaking view! We treated this group of reknowned event planners to a preview of our most recent culinary developments. 13 courses of demi plates were presented including such offerings as Glazed Mescovie Duck with Plum Sauce and Roasted Yam, Beef Tartare with Gaucho Relish, and Coconut Shrimp with LIme Curry. Our in-house sommelier paired the perfect wines for each course and awed the guests with his knowledge. The grand finale was the presentation of our staff from chef to server and the years of experience they represented. Cudos!
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Sky Chefs
Utah Olympic Park
It's a little nerve racking to serve dinner to a room of chefs who want to entertain the CEOs of the world's largest airlines, but such was the task before us. We chose the Utah Olympic Park, high in the Wasatch Mountains, to set the stage for this prestigious event. Hors d'oeuvres and cocktails at the top of the luge run were followed by formal dinner seating in the lower museum. Everything had to go off like clockwork, and each course was a creative masterpiece. We held our breath as the clients finished desserts, hoping we had met all their expectations. Rave reviews from the guests produced a completely satisfied client. They counted on us to make them look good, and we did!
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Servenet
Union Pacific Depot
Culinary Crafts designed this 1930's dining experience from start to finish. The Union Pacific Depot set the stage for the entire evening. Guests were greeted by travelers and conductors, announcing the boarding of their trains at Gate 47. Guests entered the station to train waiters passing hors d'oeuvres and era-costumed bartenders serving Golden Spike Martinis. The velvet drapes parted and dinner seating was announced. Black, gold, sparkle and trains were the decorative them of the dining room. Entertainment for the evening was provided by the renowned Platters, bringing and end this most memorable event.
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Novell
Union Pacific Depot
Novell's international clients came together for this explosion of color, fun and festive food. Scenemaker's "Grand Escape" party and entertainment set the stage for our international chef stations featuring: Chinese Sizzling Wok, Americana Mashed Potato Bar, Mexican Quesidilla Bar, The Old West Revisited, African Chocolate Falls, Italian Caesar and Pasta Station, and the Sizzling Seafood of the South Seas. There's never a dull moment at an event like this!
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Macromedia
Utah Olympic Oval
This technology giant's off-premise convention night was held at the Utah Olympic Oval. The event planner was amazed at our "no lines" approach to food and beverage, while still offering the highest standards in "restaurant style" cuisine. High energy, high volume and high expectations were all met with grace and skill, thanks to our 20 years of high-end experience.
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Gallivan Center 10th Anniversary
Gallivan Center
Salt Lake's "who's who" were guests to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the city-center plaza. Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres started the evening of beauty and fun. Pristine white tents, gobo lighting, white linens and ice sculptures created the enchanting summer atmosphere. After the formal dinner, guests were surrounded by mobile chef stations. The night air was the perfect accompaniment for our flaming dessert, which was served to each table. What could be more dazzling?!
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Rice-Eccles Stadium Grand Reopening
Rice-Eccles Stadium
When Culinary Crafts was given the green light to create what ever design and menu we wanted, our thinking caps went on and our creativity went wild. The outdoor plaza was filled with Strolling Mariachi's and Southwestern Gourmet Quesadilla Stations. Margaritas were, of course, the signature cocktail. The contemporary design of the indoor tower was accented with a modern lime green décor and interactive food stations. Even the wok station had lime green containers. Cool jazz and cool martinis finished the remarkable evening.
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G.E.
Union Pacific Depot
General Electric hosted this new product launch at the Union Pacific Depot, at the Gateway. Guests were greeted at an old world display with cheese and rustic bread – era-costumed waiters invited them to step into the new world. The typical turn-of-the-century train depot had been completely transformed into a world of blue. Some of the biggest hits of the evening were the International Water Tasting Station and the Shrimp Cocktails (on Blue Cellophane Noodles in Martinis). Let Culinary Crafts create a unique party menu and design to fit your most creative themes!
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