Canyon Ranch Lenox: the food!
Hi friends! Hope you’re having a great Monday! So happy that you’re stoked about this year’s Winter Shape Up! Don’t forget to check out the week 1 fitness and meal plans (and enter the giveaways on those pages!).
I’m back in San Diego after an incredible adventure at Canyon Ranch in Lenox. I was invited to attend the trip as media (I paid for my travel, but all accommodations and services were provided), and got the chance to hang out with some beloved blog friends and also meet some ones.
(Got to see my friends Anne and Tina again!)
I got in Thursday night, after a long day of traveling, and practically melted into this glorious bed.
The rooms at Canyon Ranch are complete with coffee and tea service (and a cute little tea kettle), a dreamy bed with luxurious linens, shampoo/conditioner/bodywash/lotion, free Wifi (boom!), and the softest robes.
(Watching the Wildcats!)
Since most of the girls got in later Friday afternoon, I spent that morning exploring and taking classes. I went a little overboard the first day because I was so stoked to TAKE classes, from new instructors, and learn some coaching and form tips. I started the morning off with a 300 workout, which consisted of 300 reps. There were five exercises (pushups, squats, lunges, rows, and core work), and you had to complete 60 reps of each. It was killer! I love these types of workouts that allow you to work at your own pace. I completed a couple of warmup laps, and was finished with the workout within 20 minutes. It will be a great one when I’m looking to change things up and challenge myself.
During the day, I also took a spin class and a barre class, and enjoyed some really amazing food. Lenox has two main dining establishments: the cafe, which is more casual, and the dining room. They also have an INCREDIBLE snack bar which has pumpkin crunch, to-go meals, smoothies, lattes (with almond milk!), fresh fruit with almond butter, and hummus with crackers or veggies. I want one in my house haha. I took advantage of the snack bar quite a few times for an afternoon latte, pumpkin crunch granola, and hummus and veggies.
Most of our meals were enjoyed at the cafe.
I ate the same breakfast every day I was there: sunrise oatmeal (with cranberries, apples, maple, almonds and cinnamon), eggs, a chicken sausage, and a green smoothie from the snack bar. Perfection.
Lunches usually consisted of salad -they have an enormous salad bar with pretty much every topping you could wish for- and a mix of entrees to try everything. I had an awesome gluten-free chicken sausage flatbread, a veggie burger, and soup, which were all fantastic.
With as amazing as the food was -I feel like it’s such a treat to go on vacation and enjoy healthy, yet delicious meals- dinner was the star of the show.
The cafe dinner menu has an entirely new farm-to-table concept, featuring Mediterranean-inspired dishes, small bites, grilled flatbread, local features… and the entire menu was designed by this guy:
My brother, Chef Kyle!
Many of you have asked where Kyle is working in MA, and this is it! He is the new Chef de Cuisine, and completely transformed the cafe’s menu and offerings. He works with local farms and fisherman, and bases the menu off what’s fresh, available and in season. He also creates a special each night featuring what was caught that day on the boat.
Needless to say, I was beyond excited for the opportunity to attend his first media dinner in the cafe. He created a 4-course tasting menu, just for us, which included the following options:
The meal started off with an amuse-bouche, which was smoked local fish, grilled baguette, lemon garlic aioli and caper parsley salad.
and a beautiful apple-parsnip bisque with crispy sage, crushed hazelnuts and Tuscan olive oil.
Next, we enjoyed a hearth-roasted beet salad with sheep’s bleu cheese, kettle cooked pecans, grapefruit, dragon fruit and arugula.
Here’s what I chose for the following courses:
Vegetarian Wild Hive pizza, with roasted garlic spread, forged mushrooms and olive tapenade
grilled artichoke with Romano dipping sauce, charred lemon and Tuscan olive oil
seared scallops with grilled apple, meat market bresola, fennel salad and apple gastrique
berry tart with zabaglione sauce. The crust was like a sugar cookie. I can’t even explain it.
(And yes, I totally broke the detox a bit while I was there. If Kyle was making it, I was eating it.)
Even though Kyle has accomplished so much at such a young age, his specialties are fine dining and spa cuisine. After graduating culinary school, he was Chef de Partie at the Canyon Ranch Tucson location before accepting a Sous Chef position at another local resort. Now, he’s Chef de Cuisine at Lenox. It was pretty amazing to see him bring this concept to life, and enjoy the meals he impeccably prepared. I’m really proud of him.
One of his nightly specials: lobster pho.
I’ll have some more adventures to share in tomorrow’s afternoon post, including the Discover Your Fitness Age test. The Exercise Physiologist said I earned a second 21st birthday! baha.
Time to get ready for spin!!
xoxo
Gina
Special thanks to Canyon Ranch for the opportunity to attend. <3
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Wow, everything looks increeeedible!
All that food! My lord, it looks so fresh (and so clean? haha). Was that just a coincidence for you that Kyle is the Chef? Very cool.
yeah, isn’t that so awesome?!
Wow all the food looks amazing! I wish I could taste it all! I’m so glad you had an amazing time and even got to spend time with some family!
thank you, lovely!
Omg everything looks so good, especially that tart! That’s so cool that your brother works there- I love anything farm to table and would love to check out his food!
it was seriously so amazing!
I’m so jealous! And, where is that grey shirt from, the one you are wearing in the pic with your brother?
it’s from lululemon! not sure if they have it anymore since it was on the sale rack.
It looks like you ladies are having an incredible time – I am SO jealous about the cross country skiing as I sit here in warm California – the best and most beautiful workout ever 🙂
Jill
Latest Post: Hurdles to Eating Clean: 3 Easy Ways to Beat Them for Good
As always your words fill my mind with the experience of your travel, joy of seeing friends, comfort and beauty of where you stayed, challenge of exercise, taste and color of food, and pride and love of family. The gratitude for the opportunity is felt as well. This is what draws others to you and one of the many talents I love about you, Gina! Sounds like a wonderful time!
Xo, Madre
thank you, madre! we need to go together next time 🙂 i love you mucho
you are lookin’ super tiny + ripped!! how fun and special to see your brother across the country 🙂
whoooaaaa thank you! it was a very special trip <3
Everything looks so delicious! Congrats to your brother – how sweet you were able to be there!
The food looks amaaaazing! Congrats to your brother! The pumpkin crunch recipe somewhat reminds me of what I imagine the Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Pumpkinseeds recipe would look like.
That is awesome you got to see your brother! All the food looks amazing. I don’t think I would’ve survived the cold though.
The food looks amazing! The lobster pho looks particularly tasty.
Cold on the outside, warm and hearty on the inside. Not to mention your brother is a cook! What a bonus!
This resort is like a dream vacation! All the food looks amazing and congrats to you AND Kyle!
What an amazing job for him to have!! 🙂 I’ve only been to Kripalu in MA but really want to visit Canyon Ranch too, especially after seeing those food pictures. 🙂
That food looks amazing. Curious to hear more about the fitness assesment too. So cool your brother is the chef!
I am so excited for your brother– sounds like an amazing opportunity!
WOW WOW WOW! Huge kudos to your bro!! Everything looks amazing! This makes me want to visit a Canyon Ranch location even more. It’s like paradise!
Sounds like am amazing trip! And congrats to Kyle, what an opportunity!
What a fun trip! The food looks amazing and congratulations to your brother! That’s a pretty big accomplishment! I hope you enjoyed yourself and didn’t get caught in too much snow!
What gorgeous food! Your brother is such an artist! No wonder you are so proud :)!
Yummm…that food looks fantastic! Your brother must be an amazing chef!
Okay, how amazing that your brother is the chef at the lovely place where you got to attend a media event? All of the food looks wonderful. I’ve always wanted to take a “healthy vacation” like this and hope to one day. Sadly, most of my vacations include a lot of bad eating, not healthy eating hehehe. I’m totally in awe of this food!
Lobster pho sounds amazing! All that food looks delicious!
The room looks so rejuvenating and the food looks amazing!
ForAged mushrooms.
Lobster pho sounds so good.
Wow it looks amazing! Especially breakfast 😛 x
Oh the snow!! We are having snow right now too, but in the city it is just gross since by all the cars it gets black and melts.
All the food looks so good too! How cool that you got to enjoy your brothers Menu!
Kyle! He’s such a cutie!
Sounds like a lovely eating adventure and so awesome that you got to support your brother.
I grew up in the Berkshire and have never been to Canyon Ranch, one of these days though. I’m so glad you got to see your brother and enjoy time with your friends.
That is so amazing for your brother! Everything looks delicious 🙂
All that food looks so good!
WOW! That food looks glorious.
Everything looks lovely and delicious! Congrats to your brother on all of his success, too! I’m sure he was so happy you were able to visit.
What a fun trip! All the food looks amazing! You must be so proud of your brother!
Wow! The food looks amazing! You must be so proud of your brother! He did a great job on the menu and the food looked so good! And for the record, you picked all the same things that I would have and it was nice to see what they looked like prepared 🙂 Also, I just visited my brother in San Diego and stayed right in the condos next to Ritual Juice Box! I wish I had asked you in advance where the best veggie places were…I had no idea you were in the same area! Next time for sure. Oh and we went to the OB Noodle House which as you know is across the street from the Tiki Port! My brother got a smoothie from there that was so good! I am addicted to San Diego and can’t wait to go back!!
I cannot believe how talented your brother is! The food looks incredible. I love the idea of incorporating healthy eating and exercise classes into a vacation. As much as I love traveling, I also love sticking to a routine.
same! it’s nice to come back and feel energized instead of lethargic/blah 🙂
That is so cool about your brother! Good for him!
How awesome that you got to see your brother & enjoy his delicious food!