Spa Snackin'

After a “muscle melt” treatment or a “green tea and ginger wrap,” what does a spa client actually feel like eating? The chefs at The Essex [1] are banking on lighter fare.

The kitchen delivers with a new selection of lunch items, costing between $13.95 and $15.95, which can be sampled at the recently opened spa or ordered at The Tavern [2] restaurant. According to Executive Chef Peter Pryor, the extra-healthy eats — including grilled lamb with chickpea salad and cumin yogurt — are low in salt and filled with fiber. “We keep our protein to 5 ounces.” Instead of the usual olive oil, “The poached herb salmon is done in court bouillon,” he explains. The menu will change seasonally and with customer demand, Pryor adds.

Just because the fare’s diet worthy doesn’t mean visitors have to pass up dessert. All five entrées, served in bento boxes, come with a combo of seasonal fruit, whipped ricotta and a lemon crisp.

Coming soon: a “raw juicing program,” as Pryor calls it. “I’m a big juicer myself. It’s a personal passion,” he says, noting there will be a multiplicity of fruit and veggie options plus supplements such as wheat grass. When will the juice be loose? “We should have it implemented by the middle of September,” he guesses.