Sunrise Springs Surprises
The Blue Heron Restaurant has hired a new chef and offers fire dancing on Wednesdays
Usually, a director of marketing doesn’t make decisions about the operation of a business. But Judy Herzl, the director of marketing at Sunrise Springs Resort Spa in La Cienega, functions as much more than the person designated to develop a strategy that promotes the resort’s local and out-of-state business.
“I’ve been providing vision for the resort,” Herzl said. “I’ve worked with the owner, Megan Hill, for years and know her vision. When it came time to hire a new chef for The Blue Heron Restaurant this winter, I did the searching.”
Sunrise Springs, a 70-acre, 58-room eco-resort with a restaurant, Japanese tea house, spa, arts center and series of gardens and ponds under a canopy of tall cottonwood trees, is constantly changing and expanding to meet the needs and desires of its owner, staff and customers. The hiring of chef Eric Laslow in February makes a statement about the resort’s philosophy and the direction of its growth.
“We were looking for someone with a strong entrepreneurial spirit,” Herzl said. “That’s our business model. We wouldn’t necessarily do well with a chef from a corporate background.”
Sunrise Springs’ previous chef, Malik Hammond, left the resort three months ago to work as sous chef at The Inn and Spa at Loretto. Laslow, who co-owned the Denver champagne bar Corridor 44 and had owned four restaurants in Oregon, has revamped The Blue Heron Restaurant, as well as The Lotus Champagne Bar, which reopened for the season on May 24.
“At Sunrise Springs, creativity is not only embraced but required,” Laslow said.
A few items on The Blue Heron’s menu appeared on the menus of Laslow’s Portland restaurants Laslow’s Broadway Bistro, Malanga Cocina Cubana and Laslow’s Northwest. The crab and roasted corn flan appetizer was served as crab and roasted pumpkin flan in Portland. The recipe for the garlic taro fritters hearkens back to childhood and Laslow’s culinary experiences with his Cuban mother and grandmother.
“I was raised in New York City in a Cuban household,” he said. “I learned a lot of Cuban dishes from my grandmother.”
When Laslow came to Sunrise Springs, he was given a kitchen staff and a horticulturist. The property’s extensive gardens produce 12 types of heirloom tomatoes, chiles and a wide range of herbs, such as chives, thyme and parsley.
“The menu will change all the time, depending on what’s in season,” he said. “When I was in Oregon, much of the produce I used came from farms that were no more than 60 miles away from the restaurant.”
The Blue Heron’s wine menu boasts 40 sparkling wines and champagnes, including some hard-to-find spirits from Australia and Austria. Laslow says the wines and champagnes cost between $10 and $18 per glass, with most of them falling in the $10 to $12 price range.
The Lotus Champagne Bar also features a selection of made-to-order ceviches. Laslow says the yellow tail tuna with yuzu grapefruit sorbet has a floral quality that’s between lemon and lime. He came up with the recipe for vodkapoached heirloom tomatoes in basil broth after thinking about a Bloody Mary.
“I’m not trying to shake up the world with my recipes,” he said. “I just look at something, like in this case a Bloody Mary, and think what if it wasn’t tomato juice with vodka but whole tomatoes. Often, I do variations on a theme.”
Music takes place at The Lotus Champagne Bar every Friday and Saturday night. Among the acts performing are Three Faces of Jazz, the Cuban ensemble Savor, and jazz and cabaret vocalist Susan Abod.
On Wednesday nights, guests can watch advanced students of Michelle Voss practice an exercise and entertainment version of traditional Maori fire dancing in the property’s ceremonial circle. Staffs are lit for some practice sessions, while poi (balls on chain) are set on fire and swung in the air during other exercises.
“If it’s too windy, the poi can be battery operated,” said Cari Cohen, one of the advanced students and the director of the resort’s Spa Samadhi.
Sunrise Springs is entering the busy summer season after good late-winter and early-spring business, Herzl said.
“We’re well-priced for a luxury, get-away experience,” she said. “We have loyal groups that come here in the slow season because it’s a great value to use the facility at our low, winter rate.”
While many alternative healing and spiritually oriented groups hold meetings and conferences at the resort, Sunrise Springs has also attracted local and out-of-state business groups that use the 7,500 square feet of meeting space, take advantage of the spa services and participate in yoga and Tai Chi classes that are offered weekly.
“Sunrise Springs is often viewed as a special place to visit, but we hope more locals will see it as a regular place to go,” Herzl said.
Information
Sunrise Springs can be reached by calling 471-3600. For more information, check out www.sunrisesprings.com.
