Group Planning Guide the ultimate Vail culinary experience
Introduction
Since 1999, Thomas Salamunovich, chef-owner at Larkspur Events and Dining, has assembled a creative team of directors dedicated to providing hospitality and delicious cuisine. Depending on the size and goals of your group you may choose to buy out the entire restaurant, dine in our 40-seat private dining room, or host an outdoor reception. The contemporary and elegant ambiance in our recently renovated dining room is enhanced by the spectacular view of our bustling open kitchen, where our talented chefs can be seen creating your meals. The options at Larkspur are limitless, and our tenured team continually strives to exceed guests’ expectations. Whatever your needs, we will work with you to create and execute the dining experience that your group is looking for.
Private Dining & Meetings At Larkspur we know how valuable your time with clients or associates can be. Our private dining room comfortably seats up to 40 people for lunch and dinner, business meetings and small conferences. Utilize a boardroom-style table arrangement or round tables for convenient group breakout sessions. The private dining room has all of the capabilities for your audio-visual needs, including full dimmable lighting and floorto-ceiling curtains. When business is done, enjoy Larkspur’s modern approach to fresh and seasonal cuisine, along with our signature handcrafted cocktails.
Mountain Dining
Larkspur Events and Dining specializes in creating unique and memorable dining experiences in the Vail Valley. Located at Golden Peak, one of the three portals to the Vail Mountain ski area, our slope-side restaurant offers exquisite views year-round, and we encourage groups to take advantage of them whenever possible. During the winter months, groups can enjoy lunch or après ski in our elegant dining room with views of the ski slopes. The summer months lend themselves to outdoor dining on our expansive patio or an event on our (L) lawn with the breathtaking Gore Range Mountain as a backdrop.
The Great Room
The Larkspur Great Room is centrally located in Golden Peak Lodge adjacent to the main Larkspur dining room. It can be used as an extension of the dining room for large groups, increasing our capacity to over 300 guests. The Great Room can serve as an expansive pre-function space to enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Additionally, the space is often transformed into a late-night venue for a relaxed and spirited evening of live music and dancing.
Culinary Experiences Internationally trained chef Thomas Salamunovich offers a variety of culinary classes for groups and private parties. He shares with guests his passion for using seasonal ingredients to create simple, yet delicious dishes. Not only a fun and creative team-building activity, the classes offer attendees a unique and memorable experience, along with practical skills they can bring back to their home kitchens.
Our Menus Creativity is our focus and our passion. Let us customize a menu that turns your special event into a culinary experience. We can incorporate your theme into all aspects of the gathering from menu to dĂŠcor.
Here is a sampling of events we have put together in the past. We look forward to working with you to create a theme for your special event, incorporating your own unique brand and preferences.
Non-Profit W E C AN H ELP YOU TELL A STORY
And it all begins with crafting just the right setting using subtle and vibrant details. For the Habitat for Humanity event, we let our creative juices flow. Our job was to not only tell the story of this inspirational organization, but to honor the hard work of its volunteers and supporters. Our staff scoured Home Depot to find the materials for the décor for the event. The tables in the bar and food stations were bedecked with miniature buildings built by our staff using roofing materials, bricks, lattice fencing and chicken wire. They also built long dining tables out of work benches, 2x4’s and plywood. Some of little buildings doubled as candleholders. A construction silhouette provided a fitting backdrop for the buffet, and we used caulking guns to apply the sauces to the desserts. In the dining room, shiny nails came to the rescue to anchor candleholder centerpieces and hold together our famous Larkburger.
Wine and Dine
UNFO R G ETTAB LE CULIN ARY EV ENTS A R E A BOU T PER F EC T PA I R I NG S
A corporate group treated their guests to a true gastronomic experience — a five-course dinner with wine pairings. We love wine events because they let us showcase our fine dining talents. For this event, our culinary team created a menu of decadent dishes, from Truffled Mushroom Bisque “En Croute” to Petrale Sole Meunière to Prime Rib Oscar. Our beverage director selected a choice of red or white wine, from top wineries in Burgundy, Oregon, and California, to accompany every course. And our experienced serving team treated guests like royalty.
Ski-In Ski-Out Celebrations E VE RY GR E AT H OLIDAY CELEB RAT I ON S EEM S TO F OC U S ON F OOD A ND F U N
On July Fourth, Larkspur is home to a community event hosted by the Vail Valley Foundation for their donors and members. And we go all out for this classic American tradition! Our mountainside patio is transformed into a patriotic venue, with a BBQ buffet that features creative twists on traditional fare, such as Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread, Spiced Apricot Glazed Baby Back Ribs, and Housemade Barbecue Chips. Of course we cannot leave out the Larkspur classics, like the farmer’s market crispy beef tacos and the Larkburger.
Holiday’s
F LE XIBIL IT Y AND H ARD WORK AR E TH E B AC K BONE TO EV ERY S U C C ES S F U L E V E N T
Our annual New Year’s Eve Celebration is testament to the versatility, creativity, and dedication of the Larkspur team. In the late afternoon guests enjoy a special après-ski with front-row seats at Vail’s annual New Year’s Eve Torchlight parade and fireworks show. Then the restaurant transformation takes place. Furniture is moved, a production company converts our modern sophisticated restaurant to a sleek, retro disco venue. Then our staff adds their own décor and construction talent to add a nightclub lounge, discotheque dance floor, and party vibe. A bar is built and placed next to the dance floor to ensure the party vibe continues throughout the night. A few hours later guests return in festive party attire for signature passed hors d’oeuvres that progressed throughout the night every thirty minutes to heavier food portions, a dance party, and midnight toast. It’s a seamless performance by our team of experienced chefs, bartenders, and servers, who work double-time behind the scenes to make it all happen. If you are thinking of a fun night for your guests, let us show you what we can do to make the party happen!
The Gallery
At Larkspur Events and Dining, your winter wedding can capture the best of what winter in the Rocky Mountains has to offer — majestic scenery beckoning for outdoor adventure, complemented by the warmth and coziness of intimate indoor settings.
thomas salamunovich owner • chef
Thomas Salamunovich been an executive chef and restaurateur for over 35 years. He has a passion for creativity, whether finding the perfect mix of ingredients for that special dish or putting together a memorable event for couples and groups. Both in the kitchen and on the dining-room floor, Thomas works collaboratively with his team and clients to create an atmosphere and menu that is unique to each occasion. Over the years, Thomas has developed, managed, and operated dozens of successful restaurants in Colorado and beyond. After attending and instructing at the California Culinary Academy in the early 1980s, Salamunovich had the unique opportunity to work with famous chefs Jeremiah Towers at Stars and Wolfgang Puck at Postrio. On a year-long tour in France, he worked and studied in the kitchens of Michelin three-star rated restaurants l’Auberge du Pont de Collonges under Paul Bocuse and Lucas Carton in Paris, two-star restaurant Elysee Lenôtre in Paris, and the world-renowned bakery Poilane Boulangerie. Today, as founder and CEO of Savory Group, he owns and manages two of the Vail Valley’s most highly acclaimed restaurants: Larkspur and Larkburger.
Venue Overview golden peak gondola
SOUTH ENTRANCE
LARKSPUR ENTRANCE
BOOTHS
CHEF’S ROOM NORTH ENTRANCE
STAIRS
WINE ROOM
WINE CELLAR
GREAT FIREPLACE ROOM
MARKET
PRIVATE ROOM
KITCHEN
west lawn ELEV.
golden peak building
BAR AREA
valet underground pa
all even t space restarurant + great room
5252 sq ft
in terior
seats
reception
516
800
seats
reception
full indoor venue
1,984 sq ft
266
500
private dining room
524 sq ft
40
60
chef ’s room
760 sq ft
48
80
wine room
1,224 sq ft
98
120
great room seating
1,900 sq ft
250
350
bar
868 sq ft
62
100
seats
reception
e xterior west lawn
9000 sq ft
500
500
patio
800 sq ft
80
250
valet parking Larkspur is happy to provide valet parking for your event. This service is available for an additional fee.
accessibility Located near Vail Village, Larkspur Restaurant is in walking distance to a number of excellent lodging options. Larkspur Restaurant and Golden Peak Lodge are ADA accessible. Our staff is happy to assist anyone with special needs.
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Flexible F & B Minimums
larkspurvail.com (t) 970.754.8050
• (f ) 970.754.8052
info@larkspurvail.com