Sedona: L'Auberge de Sedona, Part II
All photos by Food & Lifestyles
For Part I of my stay at Sedona's beautiful L'Auberge de Sedona, visit this link.
Day Two's itinerary started with a hike on one of Sedona's many scenic trails.
This was followed by a tour of the property led by Marketing Manager Meghan Joels. We learned about L'Apothecary Spa and its nature-inspired treatments, the Creekside Reserve gazebo for a romantic dinner for two, the Vista Cottages with their panoramic view of Snoopy Rock, and the two-story Lodge with additional rooms. We were told that when the property opened in 1984, it was comprised of a restaurant and seven cottages. Now, L'Auberge de Sedona has 62 luxury cottages and 26 guest rooms, and over a hundred weddings take place yearly in such picturesque settings as the Creekside Lawn and SpiritSong Terrace.
We had worked up an appetite, and it's hard to find a more blissful spot for lunch than creekside at Etch with the sounds of Oak Creek as our backdrop.
Chef Jimmy Day greeted our table with pintxos, Spanish small plates in the style of the Basque Country. They were as delicious as they were pretty:
For lunch, I chose the seasonal three-course prix-fixe ($36) which, on this fall afternoon, was a vibrant butternut squash soup, velvety Scottish salmon on a bed of polenta with brussels sprouts and tomato nage, and a cheese plate to finish. Bravo Chef! Everything was absolutely fantastic. Artist-in-residence Sherab "Shey" Khandro also stopped by to talk to us about the inspiration for her gorgeous works of art displayed throughout the property. Her pieces can also be purchased at the Goldenstein Gallery in Sedona.
After our leisurely lunch, we joined Devani Paige, yoga instructor and holistic expert, for a "Forest Bathing" experience. She told us how this is based on the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, describing it as "allowing yourself to really unplug and immerse yourself in the stillness of being in nature." With Devani as our guide, we learned to slow down and admire the beauty and sounds of the forest before ending our afternoon at Duck Beach where we were each given a journal.
We lingered in this peaceful creekside setting before heading back to our cottages to prepare for what would be an incredible dinner that evening at Cress.
Visit Part III to learn about our pre-dinner cocktail class, meeting Executive Chef Rochelle Daniel, and experiencing her amazing 8-course tasting menu.
This was part of a hosted culinary press trip.