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We have catered Casino Night themed parties before, but never like this one at the gorgeous McCune Mansion!
For one glorious evening last winter, Culinary Crafts treated our guests to a true “high rollers” experience, pulling out all the stops, no expense spared.
Of course, McCune was the only place in Salt Lake City to host such an opulent event.
The Mansion
McCune Mansion, just a block north of Temple Square, is one of Utah’s most exquisite cultural treasures.
Begun in 1898, the McCune home’s exterior is built of red Utah sandstone, but the inside incorporates materials and designs from all over the world. It features gorgeous fireplaces made of Nubian marble, mahoganies from San Domingo and South Africa, Russian leather, various silks and tapestries, and an enormous mirror wall shipped from Germany in a specially made railroad car. The mansion was completed in 1901 at a cost of a million dollars (over 37 million dollars today).
McCune Mansion’s twenty-one rooms include two ballrooms, a tea room, a bar-gallery, and an English hunting room. Built in the Gothic revival style with an East Asian influence, the mansion is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
We were thrilled to tackle the challenge of staging an event worthy of such a stunning venue!
Front Fireplace
As our guests arrived, we welcomed them in from the cold with a warm smile and glass of hot mulled wine or Red Barn cider with spiced Red Rock pistachios. Once they’d shrugged off the winter chill, they were invited to mingle, explore the mansion, and enjoy the culinary delights they discovered along the way.
First Floor Sitting Room
As they wandered through the first floor sitting room, guests enjoyed snow crab claws with lemon and drawn butter as well as oysters with mignonette granita and micro basil.
First Floor Formal Dining Room
Following the music to the First Floor Formal Dining Room, guests were presented with delectable seared trumpet mushrooms with wilted spinach, brown butter, thyme, and citrus aioli. This was served with Schulmberger Grand Cru Riesling Saering or a zero-alcohol Giesen Sauvignon Blanc.
Stairway Alcove
A quick bite in the cozy stairway alcove: truffled deviled eggs with truffle garnish.
Second Floor Mrs. McCune’s Room
Raw tuna belly. Razored fennel. Lime dressing.
And check out that perfect napkin swirl!
Second Floor Master Bathroom
What better way to refresh yourself than with a vanilla rose gimlet featuring Utah’s Holystone Cerulea Gin or non-alcoholic Monday Gin? Scented with a spritz of rose water, it was a little taste—and whiff—of heaven.
Second Floor Mr. McCune’s Room
Baked apples, Ibérico ham, and baked brie from Park City Creamery.
Third Floor Main Ballroom
Foie gras mousse and wine gellée on brioche with pomegranate seeds. Paired with Chateau La Rame Sainte-Croix-du-Mont 2019 or no-alcohol Sheffield Cider.
And all that was before dinner began!
Third Floor Gilded Ballroom
Formal Dinner was an eight-course affair in the Gilded Ballroom.
We served the caviar with crème fraiche, fine-chopped egg, chive, dived red onion, and fried capers on buckwheat blinis baked fresh in our kitchen. The accompanying Pol Roget Brut Reserve is a personal favorite of our COO, Ryan, who served as master of ceremonies. Guests could opt for non-alcoholic Zilch Brut Reserve instead.
We served the caviar in personalized ice bowls engraved with the names of each guest. These were take-home gifts, along with caviar serving shells and a set of mother-of-pearl caviar spoons.
Next up: Chef’s Garden radish terrine on fresh rustic sourdough bread served with Culinary Crafts Albion White or zero-alcohol Kin Bloom. We followed that up with sliced pears, cara cara oranges, Culinary Crafts cheddar slices from Beehive Cheese, and rainbow chard from Snuck Farm served with Culinary Crafts Towers Rose or Zilch Rose.
Pull out your phones! Squid ink tapioca cracker with roasted carrot and crème fraiche.
Next came butter poached lobster risotto with Flowers Chardonnay 2016 or non-alcoholic Waterbrook Chardonnay.
And finally, the pièce de résistance: Five Spice MacFarlane Pheasant with blackberry gastrique, served with Emmolo Merlot 2019 or Waterbrook Cabernet.
Then a cleansing refresher before dessert: sparkling water, fresh fruit.
For dessert, a blood orange tart with Chateau Rieus sec Sauternes or Kimino Yuzu.
Dancing in Third Floor Ballroom
From the Gilded Ballroom, guests moved to the Main Ballroom for a graceful dance performance.
The band played on while guests were invited to stay for personal dance instruction or continue downstairs for other festivities.
Second Floor Board Room
At the bar, guests enjoyed refreshing spirits, Publik coffee, decaf, and tea service.
First Floor Lounge
In the lounge, guests relaxed with after-dinner drinks and a selection of local artisan cheeses from Beehive, Heber Valley, and Park City Creamery.
First Floor Drawing Room
The rest of the evening was filled with the click of dice, the slap of cards, and the sounds of laughter and excitement.
First Floor Formal Dining Room
One last treat for the evening: mignardise made fresh in our kitchen and bakery.
Our Fellow Vendors
We want to expend our sincere thanks to the fabulous people who helped make this event happen!
- Venue: McCune Mansion
- Furniture: Vault Event Rentals
- Florist: Every Blooming Thing
- Serviceware: Diamond Rental
- Music: Gold Standard
- Dancers: Margaret George and Sergei Safarov
- Photography: Elisha Braithwaite
- Videography: Walter Mirkss
- Valet: A Plus Valet
- Casino Games: Empire Games
