"Named for the Desert Botanical Garden’s co-founder Gertrude Divine Webster, Gertude’s sits near the entrance to the garden, and its roomy semi-circular patio is surrounded by desert plants and cacti. It’s a beautiful setting for a Southwestern weekend brunch or lunch of bread pudding French toast, Sonoran Benedict, surprisingly good fried tofu, or a good old Gertie Burger, jazzed up with mushroom duxelles. With the exception of the $52 bison short rib, the dinner menu is similarly casual and affordable. Get there before the dinner crowd and settle in on the patio over cocktails and snacks such as pork rind nachos and baked brie with chorizo. Bonus: You can visit the restaurant without buying an entry ticket to the garden." - Mcconnell Quinn, Nikki Buchanan, jamiekillin, Rudri Patel
