LAKE AUSTIN SPA RESORT, 1705 S. Quinlan Park Road,
Austin, TX 78732.
Tel. 512/372-7360,
Fax 512/372-7280,
ToIl-free reservations 800/847-5637,
Web: www.lakeaustin.com
Three-night refresher packages for one begin at $1,560 in deluxe accommodations; seven-night ultimate pampering packages for one are $3,880 in luxury accommodations. Accepts major credit cards. Ninety minutes from Austin-Bergstrom Airport; transportation to and from provided for a nominal fee.
Three hundred native species of wildflowers dot the Texas hill country that surrounds Lake Austin Spa Resort, making a spot in the grass and a good view of the blooms enough to ease your soul for weeks to come. But around here, the beauty on the hillside becomes a simple backdrop to other foods for the soul. With biking and hiking, kayaking, sculling, a plethora of fitness classes, and lots of pampering, there’s plenty to ease your spirits at Lake Austin Spa Resort. Chief among the diversions from the rat race back home is what’s on your plate here at the spa, and — from the chef to the gardener — learning how it got there.
The first thing you’ll notice about any meal at Lake Austin is the color. Like the flowers on the hillsides, meals here send a vibrant message to the senses. Pick up a fork, and forget about beauty being only skin deep; the food here has depth. Thick textures and rich flavors go to work quickly as you soon forget that this is low-calorie, low-fat spa cuisine.
Considerthe pico de gallo. It’s served with a tostada that Chef Terry Conlin will call a chalupa. If you’ve never had pico de gallo, imagine a salsa about as chunky as it comes, and then get rid of the liquid. Like a three dimensional collage, the condiment is bright and eye-catching, with coarsely chopped purple onions, bright red chunky tomatoes and deep green leafy cilantro.
It’s all representative of Conlin’s effective art of allowing you to eat what you like, but not suffer the fat. The genres that lend themselves nicely to this touch are, conveniently, some of our favorites: Tex-Mex, Thai, Cajun, and classic Mediterranean.
But where would such food be without a nearby garden? While Trisha Shirey can’t take credit for the blankets of wildflowers, she does deserve recognition for everything else that grows here at Lake Austin, including most of the herbs and vegetables used in Conlin’s kitchen.
In her gardening classes, you’ll learn that these herbs are just as easily used in making your own oils and lotions for the skin. So in more ways than one, her gardens please people. But they also please the birds, the butterflies and bees, even the local animals: she’ll also teach you how to make good use of environmentally conscious fertilizers and pesticides.
Conlin, too, likes to share his knowledge. In the Demo Kitchen, he makes a regular show of his methods. From time to time, Conlin is visited by fellow luminaries in the field of culinary art. Here, he makes more intensive demonstrations in specially scheduled cooking schools and culinary camps.
Lake Austin Spa Resort Services and Options |
