Designed around fresh locally and seasonally sourced ingredients, including produce harvested from our on-site organic garden, Menla’s buffet-style dining features protein-balanced plant-based dishes.
Our Executive Chef and her team bring a creative flair to dishes that are as delicious as they are nutritious. Menla’s wellness cuisine is centered around healing foods, sourced primarily from the Menla garden and local farms with an eye toward seasonal and organic fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes.
Our guests consistently rave about the high quality and memorable tastes of our meals. Be sure to check out some of our sample menus!
Originally from Los Angeles, Chef Alicia grew up surrounded by the rich cultural and culinary heritage of her Mexican family. She is classically-trained in the culinary arts with a career spanning more than 25 years. Among the many roles she has played professionally, she has always been a creative force. She served as Executive Chef for Dreamworks Studio, Managing Chef for Bon Appétit at Sony Music, Executive Chef at Beets Cafe in Austin, Texas and more recently as the retreat chef for Australia athlete, Grant Campbell, in Thailand. Chef Alicia was also invited to be the Executive Chef for the Woodstock Fruit Festival.
A proud grandmother of three, she has completed two sprint distance triathlons and a 90-day Bikram Yoga challenge. Her own experience with significant weight loss coupled with new found energy inspired her to dedicate her life to helping people redefine their relationship with food, empowering them to create their own masterpieces. She is excited about living and working in the community at Menla.
Discover beautifully appointed deluxe private rooms and suites featuring unique Tibet-inspired artworks and features, or opt for our more modest shared cabins & cottages for couples, families, or small groups. ShareShareTweetPin...
From the biggest conference hall in the Castkills to an intimate septagonal meditation space suspended above the valley, Menla offers fully equipped facilities to accommodate a wide range of programs and groups of every size ...
Seated on the world’s oldest known meteor crater, our 325 acres of tranquil mountain forests and streams are nestled deep in the heart of the Catskill mountains and feature a range of indoor and outdoor amenities ...
I just returned from an over-night stay at the Menia Retreat Center. During that time, I was very fortunate to have had four services at the beautiful Dewa Spa.All of them were amazing, but I really have to take a few minutes to write about Sarite Sanders who did Craniosacral Therapy and Nicole Bernhardt who provided Extended KuNye Massage.
Both of these women are gifted practitioners who clearly are dedicated to their healing modalities. Sarite is not just a healer but a teacher–a very powerful combination for a true wellness practitioner. She even suggested movement exercises that I could do at home to help with an old injury–one I had not told her about, but that she “felt” as she worked on my body. Both of these women took time to explain what and why they were doing certain things and thus were able to create a very safe environment for healing. Thank you for a truly lovely experience.
Virginia Giordano
“As a residential employee, Menla is a beautiful place to live. Work doesn’t feel like work when surrounded by the natural beauty of upstate New York. The co-workers are all caring and dedicated, and form a community, rather than a workplace. I am grateful to make my home in such an environment of compassion and peace, and to make a living here as well.”
Wyatt Foxe
“You have to experience it to believe the kindness & caring concern shown, not to mention mind-blowing teachings.”
Diane Lee
MENLA
