Southern hospitality comes to Auburn at White House Spirits

White House Spirits is bringing more than an events center and catering to the Foothills. In addition to bringing southern hospitality, White House is providing the community with customizable experience to fit their vision. "We're really about making it a memorable and custom experience," owner Nina Salarno Besselman said. "We want to work with you to bring something that you really want … so we bring this whole team, and we say, 'Okay, what do we have to work with?' And we're going to do the best we can to make it work for you so that you walk out of here with something that is so special to you." Salarno Besselman said after purchasing the building, she and her husband, Jim Besselman, saw there was a need for the community to have a place to utilize and appreciate the history of the area. Salarno Besselman saw the need for a wedding venue but wanted to expand beyond that to cater to other events, including birthdays, retirements and bar mitzvahs. "We want to be able to serve all those needs, and there really isn't anything, I think, in the area nor with this beautiful setting of our rich history of this community," she said. "... I enjoy the community and I enjoy seeing people utilize and enjoy things. And if I can provide that service, that's amazing." In addition to weddings and private events, White House Spirits also offers cooking classes and community events to support local nonprofits. "We're really focusing on bringing in weddings and other big events, events to help nonprofits, events to just kind of bring the community back together, especially after everything in 2020 and just kind of the weirdness that has been the last 12 months," Executive Chef Cecile Ganel said. "We're really excited to slowly and surely bring the community back together." Originally from south Louisiana, Ganel's background is in Cajun Creole and comfort food, in addition to French and Italian techniques. "I just really want to bring the authenticity of the food I was raised eating, the food that I was taught to cook and the food you would get in New Orleans here, while still having the ability to do other styles," she said. In addition to bringing the highest level of service, Ganel looks forward to helping "people see their vision," which is why White House has no set menu. Ganel said she enjoys working with people's likes, dislikes and budgets to craft a menu with items that may not have been considered. Ganel also said she is open to researching and learning new techniques if an item outside of her wheelhouse is requested. "It's exciting, it's fun," she said. "I always tell people food is where art meets science. I get to do all the cool research-y science-y things, and that's the creative part. The art part is figuring out what people like." Another component of White House is the Barrel Club, which provides members with a quiet, private space to meet the needs of social and business gatherings, and the inspiration for the club came from Salarno Besselman's mother, Harriet Salarno. Salarno Besselman said her parents belonged to a similar private club in San Francisco, and bringing that to White House was not only nostalgic but also provides the community with a sense of ownership. "I want people in this community to be invested and enjoy this building and have as much pride as I do in bringing this back to life," she said. According to the website, the White House has an extensive history of housing a blacksmith, serving as a home for juveniles and accommodating restaurants, as it previously served as the location for Latitudes and Meat & Potatoes. White House Spirits features two floors with five outdoor areas, a bar and four indoors rooms, is ADA accessible, has parking and can accommodate 300 people with food and alcohol service. "We brought together something old and new," Salarno Besselman said. "It was the oldest historic building, and then we renovated it, but we kept true to its roots." Upcoming White House Spirits events include: St. Patrick's Day Brunch on Sunday, March 14: A meal of corned beef hash & boxty, Irish whiskey brown sugar bacon rasher, Irish soda bread and fruit, coffee and juice for $25, or $40 to include bottomless mimosas, Bloody Mary and Irish coffees. The event features two seatings of 10 a.m. to noon or 1 to 3 p.m. Wedding Expo from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, March 21: Enjoy champagne, food tasting, raffles, cake tasting, music and prizes, along with various vendors, including photographers, florists, chocolatiers and caterers. Additional information on events and services can be found at whitehousespirits.com.