Park City, Utah – Forget the caviar, crab and cognac: At this year’s Sundance Film Festival the stars are eating cotton candy – with an adult twist.
At the Bon App itit Supper Club on Sunday, Sam Rockwell (“Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” “Matchstick Men”) and Catherine Keener (“40-Year-Old Virgin,” “Capote”) started off a late-night dinner with a bowl of roasted eggplant soup topped with vanilla-curry cotton candy.
“When you push it into the hot soup, it disintegrates, giving you a sweet, savory curry spice,” explained chef Cat Cora, of the Food Network’s popular “Iron Chef America” program. Cora is one of several celebrity chefs dishing up private cast dinners at the club, set up for five nights inside the old Claim Jumper Restaurant on Park City’s Main Street.
Earlier in the week, Iverson Brownell of Park City’s Iverson Catering served liquor-flavored cotton candy for an after-dinner treat.
“Orange liquor, lemon, scotch, brandy, citron vodka. Anything goes,” said Brownell, who had more than 70 private parties scheduled during the 10-day festival, including events for sponsors William Morris, Entertainment Weekly and AOL. In the past, Brownell’s clients have included Lisa Kudrow, Paris Hilton and Chevy Chase.
Next to the movies, the private parties are some of the most popular Sundance events for the Hollywood crowd, said Julie Keller, of Just Me Catering in Park City. The most visible parties are held everywhere from restaurants and private clubs to local art galleries and Main Street shops.
But what many people don’t realize is that dozens of these star-studded events take place off Main Street in private homes, away from the photographers and star-gazers.
“They are huge,” said Keller. “It’s where everybody lets their hair down and networks.” Two years ago, brothers Kevin and Robert Valaika, co-owners of Shabu and Park City Private Chefs, were hired to cook for Danny DeVito, the executive producer of “Garden State.” That night DeVito was entertaining film company executives.
“And the company bought the movie,” said Valaika, who hoped for the same positive effect this year when he cooked at a private party for the cast of the documentary “Chicago 10” featuring Nick Nolte.
During the first three days of the festival, Pamela Dore Alford and her company, Peak Productions, transformed a home into a spa that offered massages, beauty consultants and healthy food to the stars.
Later, they created a casino atmosphere in the same home, complete with blackjack tables and other gaming for a celebrity poker tournament, hosted by gambling guru Doyle Brunson.
“But we can’t say who’s coming through,” said Alford, who noted that most planners, chefs and other companies sign confidentiality agreements with the stars for whom they work. “But I can tell you all the money is going to charity.” While the food varies from year to year, Brownell said comfort food is always big at Sundance. This year he served meals with homey favorites like meatballs and individual mac and cheese cups.
“These people come into the mountains and they need stick-to-the-bones food,” he said. “They eat healthy all the time.
So they are happy to splurge when they are here.” Comfort food was on the menu at the Bon App itit Supper Club.
Following Cat Cora’s soup with cotton candy, the cast and crew of “Joshua” enjoyed North African lamb stew followed by steamed citrus pudding.
The previous night, Giada De Laurentiis, host of the Food Network’s “Everyday Italian” was in the kitchen. She served up minestrone soup, Italian pot roast and bread pudding for Anthony Hopkins and his fellow “Slipstream” cast members.
“Anthony Hopkins liked it so much,” said Bon App itit publisher Paul Jowdy, “He asked for seconds.” (The Salt Lake Tribune is a member of the ap News Service.)
