I remember selling Canyon Ranch Living -Miami Beach condos–oh man, at least five years ago.  I sold them before they had a sales office– at the developer’s office on 41st Street in Miami Beach.  It seems like it was a lifetime ago. 

Today, I had the opportunity to take a tour of the Canyon Ranch Living Hotel and Restaurant.  I was treated to a lunch with the developer, not a buffet-thing for agents, but a real impromptu lunch at the Canyon Ranch Living Restaurant.  The hotel is now in it’s soft opening phase. 

After healthy-living, Canyon Ranch is known for it’s food.  I wrote a post for the opening of DeVito’s Restaurant in South Beach and I had some disappointed readers annoyed that I didn’t “photograph” the menu.  It seems a little cheesy to me, but here it is…..

The numbers to the side of each menu selection display the calorie/carb/fat counts for each. 

Now that the “menu issue” is off my ”plate,” follow me right through my lunch today at Canyon Ranch.

As I entered the lobby, the paparazzi were frightening.  Flash bulbs.  “Kevin, over here!”  “How are you today, Kevin?”  “Can I get a smile for the New York Times, Kevin?”  Stressful.  Now I know what they all go through.  Oh, and the lobby is pretty hot, too!

The hotel is located in the center or Carillon Tower.  The Carillon was the hotel in it’s day (50’s) and a stellar example of Mimo (Miami modern) architecture.  A few people I know, including Rose Harris, babble about getting “it” for the first time at the Carillon.  I don’t know what she “got”, but I hope it is not communicable.  I’m not a big fan of looking back and re-hashing the olden days….so maybe someone can comment here more about “the day.”  Canyon Ranch Living-Miami Beach 2008:  think more Lindsay post-rehab and less Frank Sinatra (was there rehab in the “day”?).  

The restaurant is located just off the lobby and, as expected, both have a very earthy, and very high-end, feeling.  Though not open today, the restaurant has a very large outdoor seating area, and as far as I know, Canyon Ranch will have the only restaurant with oceanfront dining.  The Ritz-Carlton in South Beach has a very nice restaurant on the boardwalk, but Canyon’s restaurant is ON the ocean and comes complete with climate-control (that’s my fancy way of saying dining alfresco at Canyon is air-conditioned).  What recession.

My delicious mixed-greens salad, and in the distance, a chicken appetizer the Dieter raves about.

I know my knife is crooked, it bothers me, too.  I’m not a fan of pulled pork ANYTHING, but today I ventured out of my comfort zone and ordered the pulled CHICKEN sandwich.  I figured that this would be a safe foray into the “pulled” arena.  If you like spicy, you’ll love this.  My sandwich was on a great whole-wheat/multi-grain-type bun.  Dieter and Phil had the churrasco.  In front of my plate were the artichoke french fries.  That’s right.  The food was perfect and I loved the size of the portions.  I didn’t feel like a big, fat cow after eating.  After lunch we had a “home-made” soda.  It’s delicious because, the juice of choice, I had passion-fruit, is poured right into a sparkling soda.

This is the lounge area between the lobby and the restaurant.  This is the only Canyon Ranch that serves alcohol (organic, I’m told).

There is so much to see at Canyon Ranch, I couldn’t possibly fit it in all into one post.  Later in the week, I’m getting a tour of the hotel rooms and early next week, a tour OF THE SPA.

Browse Canyon Ranch Living real estate here

• More on Canyon Ranch Living-Miami Beach [Miami Herald]