The first time I visited Desert Botanical Garden was during a life-changing Visit Phoenixpress trip that inspired me to move to Arizona. When I mentioned this magical place to my mother that showcases the Sonoran Desert and its botanical gardens, she had no clue it existed as she lived here before I was a glint in anyone’s eye and I’m assuming somewhere that was all desert straight out of Looney Tunes. However unlike the cartoons, the Sonoran Desert is home to about 100 species of reptiles, 20 amphibians, over 350 types of birds and 60 mammals.
Fast forward to modern day and welcome to the fine dining experience with gorgeous sunset views located right inside the entrance gate, Gertrude’s restaurant named after Mrs. Gertrude Divine Webster, an environmentalist ahead of her time founded the Desert Botanical Garden in 1939. Seasonally inspired cuisine celebrates Arizona’s growers and farmers in an upscale setting and shines a spotlight on the fact that you can grow sustainable farm fresh food even in the sizzling sun.
We popped in on a brisk desert night right before sunset and were pleasantly surprised with the quality and presentation of the food. Follow along as we delve into ambiance and food porn face first (if there’s another way… that’s another blogger).
Overall it was a wonderful fine dining experience and with a stroll around the Desert Botanical Garden after a few glasses of wine, incredibly romantic too. Somehow we missed wild boar on the menu (!!!) but it changes seasonally so check it out to see what other Sonoran treats they have in store! It’s also nice to note Gertrude’s embraces a sustainable, eco-friendly approach as a true farm to table restaurant.