Visit the mesmerizing Electric Desert display at the Desert Botanical Garden and enjoy a wonderful lunch or dinner at Gertrude's in Phoenix Arizona
The Desert Botanical Garden is the Southwest’s Largest Botanical Garden and offers visitors extensive hours for exploration. Only closed three days a year, seasonal hours range from 12 hours a day from October through April, and 13 Hours a day from May through September. There are posted early closure date to accommodate the unique events that are hosted at the Garden.
A special event beginning October 12th is the Electric Desert. We had the opportunity to see this facinating installation. It will remain in place until May 12, 2019. Don’t miss it!
Electric Desert – A Light and Sound Experience by Klip Collective
“You're invited you to see desert, light and sound unite in a mesmerizing display like never before. Cactus and desert become a living canvas in this nighttime experience, taking visitors on an immersive journey through the garden using light and original music. This is Klip’s second garden installation; the first was at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania.
Electric Desert includes six site-specific locations, with each experience inspired by and related to the Garden.
Electric Desert
DATES: October 12, 2018 – May 12, 2019 PRICE: Member reservations and general public tickets now available.
Members | Free
Electric Desert Only Adults ages 17+ | Ranges from $24.95 – $29.95 Youth ages 3 – 17 | Ranges from $12.95 – $15.95
Daytime + Electric Desert Adults ages 17+ | $34.95 – $39.95 Youth ages 3 – 17 | $19.95 – $22.95 Children under 3 – FREE
Doors open at 6 p.m.
We invite you to see desert, light and sound unite in a mesmerizing display like never before. Cactus and desert become a living canvas in this nighttime experience, taking visitors on an immersive journey through the Garden using light and original music. This is Klip Collective’s second garden installation; the first was at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. Electric Desert includes seven site-specific locations, with each experience inspired by and related to the Garden.
About Klip Collective Founded in 2003, Klip Collective is an experiential video shop that uses virtual reality, projection mapping, storytelling and soundscapes to create captivating, immersive sensory experiences on behalf of institutions, corporate clients and cultural partners. Philadelphia-born but globally based, Klip Collective has created projection experiences in a diverse array of environments across the world.” Desert Botanical Garden
We also had the pleasure of experiencing the new fall menu at Gertrude’s.
Gertrude’s Introduces New Fall Menus
PHOENIX (October 2, 2018) – Gertrude’s, the highly touted full-service restaurant located just inside the Desert Botanical Garden, is serving a new fall menu at lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. The new ingredient-driven menus feature locally grown and sourced ingredients with something from Arizona in nearly every dish. Guests can expect to enjoy delicious comfort food and spirited drink from around the world with a Sonoran twist. The culinary team added touches of “flare” to the menus to mirror the magic of the Garden’s Electric Desert exhibit. https://www.gertrudesrestaurant.net/cuisine/seasonal/
Electric Lemon Drop and Cactus Cosmo
Elote Fritters
Crab Dip
Smoked Salmon Salad
Seared Scallops
Braised Beef
Blue Power Tea and Cactus Chi
Mexican Lime Butter Tart
Sweet Beets Cheesecake
Gertrude’s seasonal menus meld produce and products from local farmers and purveyors to offer extraordinarily fresh and unexpected flavors. This season the menus feature butternut squash, beets, beans, ancient grains, wild boar and duck. Butternut squash can be found in the Three Sisters Soup and with the Roasted Half Duck. Wild boar is highlighted on the all day and brunch menus. Beets are on both the main menu in the Seared Scallops with Red Beet Mole and the dessert menu with the Sweet Beets Cheesecake. Arizona chiles and cheeses appear throughout the menus.
The diversity of the weekend brunch menu has been broadened with the addition of a Breakfast Fried Rice made with Arroz Verde, featuring local sausage from Schreiners, Hickman’s eggs, micro cilantro from AZ Micro Greens and locally sourced veggies. This scrumptious dish is hearty, gluten free and can easily be made vegan. Other brunch additions include a Maqui Berry and Chia Seed Yogurt Bowl, Orange-White Chocolate French Toast with brioche from Mediterra Bakehouse plus a new Kid’s Brunch Menu. The ever popular Prickly Pear Mimosas and Boar-rito remain on the brunch menu.
The dessert menu still features Donuts & Sauces and House-Made Frozen Treats. Other new items are Abuleta’s Tres Leches Chocolate Cake with Banana-Roasted Ice Cream, the Mexican Lime Butter Tarts and a vegan and gluten free Rainbow Custard.
New to the cocktail menu is the Electric Lemon Drop. This playful lemon gin medley includes Ty-Ku Citrus, Tonic, Chartreuse, Butterfly Pea Shimmer Syrup and Maqui Berry. Also new is the Hot Whiskey Cider in anticipation of cooler evenings. It features Peach-Pecan Whiskey, House-Made Apple Cider and Pecan Simple. Now on draught are Provisioner White and Rose from Willcox Basin, AZ. Bar favorites like the Cactus Cosmo, Tombstone LIT and Garden ‘Rita remain on the cocktail menu.
Rest assured diners can continue to enjoy popular items like the Korean Fried Chicken Thighs with Brussels Sprouts + Kimchi Vinaigrette + Yogurt, Green Chile Hummus, and Smoked & Fried Tofu.
Featured Fall 2018 Cuisine
Elote Fritters (v) $10 | Corn + Cotija Cheese + Cilantro-Lime Aioli
Crab Dip $16 | Claw Meat + Old Bay + Mozzarella + Cream Cheese + Kale + Crostinis
Seacat Garden’s Salad (gf,v) $12 | Revolving Offering of Carl Seacat Treats
Three Sisters Soup (gf,v) $13| Butternut Squash + Hominy + Pole Beans + Garbanzos + Almond Poblano Cornbread
Smoked Salmon Salad (gf) $18 | Greens + Yard Long Beans + Tomato + Olives + Fingerlings+ Hard Boiled Egg
Roasted Half Duck $34 | Butternut Squash Gnocchi + Pitaya Gastrique + Roasted Parsley Root
Vegan Grits (gf,v) $20 | Poblano Corn Grits + Grilled Mushrooms + Roasted Fennel + Squash + Braised Greens
Seared Scallops (gf) $36 | Red Beet Molè + Caribbean Forbidden Rice + Micro Cilantro
10oz Flat Iron Steak (gf) $30 | Grilled Nopales + Black Bean Ragout + Chimichurri
Wild Boar in Green Chile (gf) $26 | Refried Anasazi Beans + Arroz Verde + Corn Tortillas
Sweet Beets Cheesecake $10 | Goat Cheesecake + Red Velvet + Beet Medley
Maqui Custard (gf,v) $9 | Maqui-Almond Custard + Coconut-Lemon Cream + Fruity Pebble Crisps + White Chocolate Rainbow Bark + Edible Stars
Gertrude’s dining experience pairs delicious cuisine with lush desert ambience. The menus are delicious, diverse, and daring – catering to every palate, culture, pocketbook and dietary preference. Garden admission is not required to dine at Gertrude’s. Reservations recommended and can be made on Open Table (www.opentable.com) or by calling 480.719.8600.
Hours
10:30 a.m. - 9 p.m. – Seasonal Menu | Monday-Sunday
8 a.m. - 3 p.m. – Brunch | Saturday-Sunday
Gertrude’s is Farm to Table and Table to Farm.
We embrace a sustainable, eco-friendly approach. Our To Go items are 100% compostable and we are one of Recycled City’s top composting contributors.
