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| - The Arizona Cactus and Native Flora Society. Doesn't that sound kind of like the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League? That was the group of hens Lucy and Ethel joined and then had to convince Ricky to direct the league's annual fundraiser while Marion Strong cackled like a rooster when she entered the room with her ugly hats. Yeah, I remember "I Love Lucy" not from its original run (despite rumors to the contrary) but from the reruns that played over and over again after school. But the Arizona Cactus and Native Flora Society was a real group in 1936 headed by a Phoenix social doyenne named Gertrude Wilson.
She spearheaded the effort that resulted in the gorgeous Desert Botanical Garden in Papago Park (review: http://bit.ly/2iTMXzG), so it came as no surprise that the adjoining restaurant was named after her. I came in here after a couple of hours in the blazing sun as I was studying the various cacti along the walkways. It was a pleasant, country-club-style space that appeared to attract customers in their golf shorts. I still had plenty of time to get back to the airport to catch my flight, so a light lunch sounded like a reasonable option here. Since there were only a couple of couples at the bar, I must have amounted to the lunch rush since Gertrude's is not the type of place that spontaneously attracts passers-by.
I decided to go for the $12 Arugula Salad with pomegranate seeds, candied pecans, and blue cheese, all of it drizzled with an agave vinaigrette (photo: http://bit.ly/2zD6HxC). Quite a mound of leafage and quite tasty. For a side, I went for the $7 Roasted Vegetables which was quite a cornucopia of root vegetables, potatoes, and squash, all of them drenched a bit too much in olive oil but I wasn't complaining (photo: http://bit.ly/2zCitst). It was most satisfying. Truth be told, I could have sneaked in an add-on of flat-iron steak for $9, not bad for five ounces, but I showed more discipline than I normally do on a business trip. Gertrude would have likely disapproved anyway.
FOOD - 4 stars...light fare well done if not too creatively, a bit too much oil on those veggies
AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...casually upscale place seems a good fit for the cacti garden
SERVICE - 4 stars...quite attentive...who else was there to serve?
TOTAL - 4 stars..."Welcome to the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League...Marion, stop cackling. I've been waiting 10 years for you to lay that egg!"
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