Lakeside Diner, Stamford Connecticut

 The sign in the window says Homemade donuts,
go inside and the first thing you see is a stack of
the real thing. I took a table in the window and sat
alone,  overlooking the lake, on a Thursday morning
at 10am. My order included coffee and a Mexican
omelet then I asked about the donuts, I swear
the friendly waitress told me I could have one for
free.

When the coffee came so did the donut and it
was still warm. Shortly after I had finished my
sugar coated donut the omelet came, it was
covered with chili and filled with cheese.

The Lakeside Diner had come up in conversation
one day as I discussed potential locations for
restaurant acquisition with my friend Dave,
the idea of looking into the Lakeside in came up.
It took me months to get there, during that time I
found a spot in Darien and have made a deal to
buy it. Now that I've been to the Lakeside Diner
and had such a wonderful omelet and a free donut
from my new favorite waitress I join the legions of
Lakeside fans who hope that nothing ever changes.

Canyon Ranch, Lenox

Having returned from Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires 2 weeks ago
I can now clearly report on the stay. The facility is all about having
a clean, energetic, comfortable experience. We spent 3 nights,
just right.

Canyon Ranch offers an excellent gym, indoor tennis, swimming pool
and yoga programing. All supported by world class trainers, my
favorite was the meditation component. I found each and every
professional I worked with to be focused and well educated in their
field, they were all totally engaged in my time spent on their post.

While I enjoyed the food and understand the point of it's salt free,
low fat preparation, it lost my interest after the 4th meal. That said,
it was always fresh and cook properly, however I didn't go there
to loose weight as some do. It did give me ideas on how to add
new whole ingredients to my diet, ideas that I have adopted and
for that I'm grateful.

Finally, my favorite moments at Canyon Ranch were those spent
in the deepest, darkest recesses of the property. At the end of
each day I retired to the men's lounge in the spa to read the days
news in my robe as I waited for a long, relaxing message. It is
in those rooms that I managed to truly relax and clear my mind.
 
If I return to Lenox Mass. and the Canyon Ranch I'll be sure to
add outdoor activities to my schedule. The first visit it was all about
getting my heart pumping and clearing the head. Time well spent.