Today in Las Vegas Magazine

The Philosophy of Eating Well

A visit to Canyon Ranch Grill now would be timely, after all that excessive holiday wining and dining. At this restaurant, just reading the menu makes you feel virtuous and possibly a bit self-righteous, as you’ve made a choice to “eat well and healthy.” The restaurant’s philosophy is to serve wholesome, seasonal, fresh ingredients using organic and sustainably-grown produce. A plus for health-conscious diners is that each item on the menu lists the amount of calories, fat and fiber present in each dish. But really, this is not necessary, as Executive Chef James Boyer puts it, “Everything for us is in moderation.”

Crab Cakes	Organic Arugula Salad

Here, you won’t find towering plates of food or giant bowls of anything, the servings are portioned just right (at least to me, anyway) and there’s none of that pressure of feeling you have to finish whatever you ordered.

The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, though we decided to go the middle-route and come for lunch. Breakfast and lunch is a more casual affair, and diners comprise a mix of spa-goers (in their plush spa robes, no less!) and possibly hotel guests who want to catch a quick bite before they head out for the day.

Shrimp Quesadilla	Grass-fed Beef Burger

Allow us to clear up the misconception that this restaurant serves nothing but fruit smoothies and salads. On the contrary, the cuisine will stand-up to the harshest and most discerning of food critics.

By the way, breakfast is served until 2:30 p.m., so be forewarned. Choosing from both menus will make it doubly difficult because everything sounds good. And who knew that “chorizo and scrambled eggs” has less calories than a grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich? At any rate, the lunch menu won out, though admittedly it was largely due to the fact that I would be able to order (and sample) more dishes.

Still in virtuous-mode, we opted for the crab cakes, arugula salad, shrimp quesadilla and the beef burger. This is probably one of the times when we wholly recommend every dish that we sampled, unable to select just one as a favorite. Each plate was perfectly executed, the flavors and ingredients coming together beautifully, and while done simply, was also substantial. And perhaps it might be psychological, that organic produce really does taste better, but it did.

The crab cakes were meaty and chunky – not with bread or stuffing, but with actual crab meat. Of course, there was none of that glob of mayonnaise disguised as a sauce – this version came with a roasted red pepper puree. Nothing beats the arugula salad for its simple elegance. The greens come with cherry tomatoes, romano cheese and a lemon vinaigrette dressing which was very refreshing, working well as a complement to other dishes, or as a starter. Another recommendation was the shrimp quesadilla, served with roasted poblano peppers and goat cheese, wrapped in a whole-wheat tortilla, to boot. It may sound a bit too wholesome, but it’s good. When you taste this, you might never go for the traditional version (with ground meat) again. As for the burger, it was my only concession, being a meat-lover. Let me tell you, it was great, all the more so because it was grass-fed and I figured I was already gaining “health” points because, one – it was served on a multi-grain roll, and two – the sides were artichoke fries, not french fries.

The restaurant also serves what they call “Square Meals,” a kind of three- course set meal for the undecided, or I suppose, those who are worried about calorie- and fat-intake. Available for all meals, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner, they’re all surprisingly very reasonably priced, for what you’re getting.

For those who are in less of a rush, dinner might be the better option, only because it will allow you to linger and savor every last morsel on your plate. Being the restaurant’s “crown jewel,” the menu highlights such dishes as Mongolian marinated salmon and Asian bison short rib. You must leave room for dessert where you can choose any three out of a selection of 10 sweet tastes. We sampled the chocolate soufflé, chocolate hazelnut crème brulee and blueberry mousse which came served in almost bite-sized pieces, except they pack a pretty powerful punch.

If all this sounds too “high-brow” for you and impossible to attain at home, take heart, Chef Boyer says, “I think that if you’re making your meals from scratch, buying fresh ingredients and not buying canned goods, then you’re 90 percent there.” Sometimes, the smallest of decisions, make the biggest impact. It need not be all-or-nothing. In life, as in food, “everything in moderation” is a good mantra to live by.

-Rachel M. Sugay

Canyon Ranch Grill
Canyon Ranch SpaClub, Level 3, The Palazzo (access via guest elevators), 3325 Las Vegas Boulevard South, 702-414-3600. Open daily, breakfast, lunch and dinner; 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Price range: breakfast, $3-$14; lunch, $6-$18; dinner, $18-$25; “Square Meals” for breakfast and lunch, $11-$22, dinner, $30-$38.