Let’s face it: Wrangling dinner for a crowd can be overwhelming. When you add in complications like dietary preferences and life-threatening food allergies, all while still wanting to wow your guests, decision paralysis can quickly set in. Sure, you can make a restaurant reservation, but the pricing for a multi-course dinner tailored to a large group can add up fast. And after a long day of mountain adventuring, settling in for a great dinner at home sounds so much more appealing than lining up transportation to get the whole crew to another location.
More and more, Utahns—and especially Park City visitors—are booking private chefs to personalize their dining experiences, from weekly meal deliveries customized to a family’s food preferences, to celebratory multi-coursed dinners at their mountain vacation home away from home.
“Budget-wise, a large dinner party in your home can be cheaper than going to a restaurant,” confides Park City-based chef Shirley Butler as she garnished appetizers for a five-course tasting at my home last spring. “I find that most people like to have an excuse to break out the good china and glassware, fill the house with flowers, and pull some nice bottles from their wine cellar,” she said of her clients’ approach to having her take over all of the kitchen duties, from food shopping to clean-up.
Over a couple of hours filled with clinking glasses and raucous laughter, our group of six friends enjoyed Chef Butler’s pea and mint gruyère gougères, mushroom pot stickers with zippy chimichurri sauce, a creamy asparagus risotto, and lemon-herb steelhead baked in parchment accompanied by fennel confit with wild garlic scapes and fresh grapefruit. Ethereal mini Pavlovas topped with Earl Grey crème and rhubarb compote, along with saffron and blood orange madeleines, were a triumphant finale to the meal.
Considering what we would have paid for the meal itself—plus gratuity, cocktails, and wine or corkage fees—hiring a private chef and providing beverages from your own bar and cellar is comparable to the expense of dining out. Even better? When you hire a private chef, your kitchen is sparkling clean and the refrigerator filled with delicious leftovers by the time your guests finish their final glasses of port.
In preparation for a summer packed with activities and hosting, several locally based private chefs shared their thoughts on why you should consider booking them for your next in-home soirée.
Private Chef Adam Walker
“What I love most about being a private chef is the creativity and connection it allows. Each event is its own experience; new ingredients, new stories, new settings,” says Chef Adam Walker of Only Foods Park City. Chef Walker builds on a lifetime of traveling and cooking all over the world—from coastal Alaska to Martha’s Vineyard in the U.S., to Southeast Asia and the greater Mediterranean—for his inspiration. “The level of connection is something you rarely find behind a restaurant line,” says Walker of the joy he finds in being a private chef. “Cooking side-by-side with guests, sharing their reactions and conversations, brings a kind of fulfillment that just hits differently.” Chef Walker has recently acquired a kitchen space to host curated chef’s table pop-up experiences.
Contact: onlyfoodsparkcity.com; instagram.com/onlyfoods.parkcity
Private Chef Shirley Butler
Originally from the United Kingdom, Shirley Butler is equally influenced creatively by nostalgic British Sunday suppers and global travel. “There’s a fine balance of being invisible and letting people enjoy the experience of having a chef in their kitchen,” which she says varies by client depending on their vibe. “The joy of cooking for friends and family gets spread to strangers, and I’ve been able to cook in some amazing kitchens and settings.” She’s a renowned pastry chef (you’ve likely experienced her delightful creations over the years at Deer Valley Resort, Tupelo Park City, and Riverhorse on Main, among other locales), and applies that attention to detail from the start of a meal to its decadent finish. “Desserts are more than an afterthought.”
Contact: instagram.com/butler_baker_cocktailmaker
Private Chef Jeffrey Sanich
With wife and business partner Audrey Campbell, Chef Jeffrey Sanich launched Renegade Table Luxury Catering and Private Dining after two decades working in professional kitchens from Nantucket to the Wasatch Back. “We love contemporary American cooking, and I like to cook all over the map,” says Chef Sanich of his culinary philosophy. “We offer a premium service and product, making everything from scratch,” and Renegade focuses on finding the best ingredients sourced at their peak, including local produce, wild game, and fresh seafood. “I love the freedom, the creativity—and honestly, the pressure—of performing at a high level; it’s difficult and very rewarding.”
Contact: renegadetable.com
Private Chef Billy Moschella, Jr.
Specializing in four-course dinners, often with generous platters of food served family-style, Chef Billy Moschella, Jr. of Betony Traveling Café enjoys preparing custom meals tailored to the palates and preferences of his clientele. “On a few occasions, I’ve had some rather precocious youngsters who took a great interest in me being in their homes,” says Chef Moschella of the unique client-chef relationship. “I was more than happy to have them assist me in the kitchen, preparing certain parts of the meals. This made it extra special, for kids and adults alike!” Moschella thrives when creating elevated cuisine for clients (he comes from a long line of Italian-American restaurateurs), and you can also find him crafting ethnically diverse, themed menu plans featuring cuisine from various nations and regions of the world.
Contact: betonytravelingcafe.com/ and @betony_traveling_cafe
