“Healing. Rest. Renewal. A blissful week in a magical place.” That’s Rancho La Puerta, voted “World’s Best Destination Spa” by Travel + Leisure magazine in 2010 and 2011. Here is a recap of a glorious week I recently spent there, starting with the most important part… the food.
Fabulous gluten-free shrimp entree
Gloriously Beautiful, Healthy Food
Simply put, it’s delicious, healthy, and beautiful to look at. You eat breakfast and lunch, buffet-style, in the Ranch’s large dining hall. Dinner is plated individually and brought to you at your table by one of the Ranch’s gracious servers.
The main dish at breakfast differs each day (usually centering on eggs) but there is always a hot cereal such as brown rice or quinoa, plus gluten-free granola and other cold cereals. In addition, there is lots of fruit plus strong coffee for those who miss the Starbucks jolt (like me).
Lunch starts with a delicious soup, often made from vegetables grown in their own 6-acre organic garden. Each day features a lovely salad, but then you are also offered many additional vegetables, nuts, or legumes (or chia seeds or flaxmeal) to jazz it up to your liking. The homemade salad dressings are fabulous, using their own herbs. You get lovely flavors, enticing colors, loads of fiber, and all those wonderful nutrients. But you don’t care: it all tastes so good that you’re just focused on savoring it.
All this wonderful food is the work of Executive Chef Gonzalo Mendoza who is a magician with food. Kudos to him and his marvelous staff, who strive to meet your every request. If you want to enjoy some of the Ranch’s food, get their fantastic cookbook, Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta. Most of the dishes are gluten-free and those that aren’t are easily converted.
Beauty is everywhere at Rancho La Puerta
Some people lost weight on this healthy regime: two of my colleagues each lost 5 pounds, probably due to a combination of the healthy food and lots of walking since the Ranch is spread out over several acres. But you can eat as much as you like and nobody scolds if you ask for seconds. (I’ve done it often, especially if I really like the dish.)
Special Diet Needs? No Problem!
You’re probably wondering: can the Ranch accommodate my gluten-free needs? The answer is yes, they can. When you arrive, your packet contains a notice about dietary needs. You register your needs with the Dining Hall supervisor and are given a little flag with your name on it, which you pick up at the beginning of each dinner and place on your table. When dinner is served, the server knows what to serve you (because you’re on the list) without having to ask you each and every evening.
The Ranch serves very natural, minimally-processed food so there is usually no gluten in the main dish. If there is, it’s usually in a garnish which can be omitted. If the dessert contains gluten, you may get a gluten-free version (such as the filling, but no crust). Each entrée is a work-of-art, beautifully-plated, perfectly seasoned, and is either fish (fresh from the Pacific Ocean 45 minutes away) or a vegetarian dish.
Traditions at the Ranch: Morning Fruit and Afternoon Smoothies
There are many traditions at the Ranch, but two of my favorites were the morning fruit tray and the daily afternoon smoothie. Of course, the smoothie is really healthy….papaya as the foundation, and made with your choice of rice, coconut, or soy milk. This is one idea I definitely do at home now; it is a healthy way to stave off those mid-afternoon hungries!
Carol and friend, Diana, in sculpture class.
Activities
So, what does one do besides eat? There is a smorgasbord of activities starting with a variety of early-morning hikes and ending with fascinating, stimulating speakers in the evenings. In between, you can get spa treatments (don’t miss the hot-stone massage); swim in one of the Ranch’s five pools; make jewelry or sculptures; take a Pilates, yoga, stretch, or Feldenkrais class; take a cooking class in the gorgeous “La Cocini que Canta” (the kitchen that sings) overseen by Executive Chef Denise Roa….or find a quiet spot somewhere on the Ranch’s 3,000 acres and read a book or simply contemplate life. You choose your level of activity; jam-packed or gloriously schedule-free. No matter what you do, you’ll return to your everyday life more relaxed, refreshed, and rejuvenated.
