Comments (0) BEST SPA CUISINE - 2007

Sprouts

After getting rubbed, scrubbed, and generally pampered to the point of exhaustion, a spa-goer is bound to get hungry. After all, you can only get so full on apples and cucumber-lemon water. At most spas in the Valley — which qualify as some of the best in the country — the dining options run the gamut of light fare, from smoothies to sandwiches and salads. Nothing wrong with that, but the healthful cuisine at the Spa at Camelback Inn is truly of another caliber. Early birds can chow down on a veggie-packed frittata with smoked basil mozzarella or a Belgian waffle with caramelized bananas and raspberries, while midday diners can indulge in guilt-free entrees like miso-glazed salmon with fennel orange sauce, shrimp fettuccine with pesto, and blue crab cakes with watercress and spicy chile remoulade. It's all so flavorful and artfully presented that you'd never think it's low-cal — except that the menu lists calories, fat, protein, and carbs for every dish. Good thing they make it easy to keep track of nutritional details, because after an hour-long hot stone massage, we're way too relaxed to worry about it.