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| - I went on a Thursday evening, waiting for a garden member to meet me to tour the gardens. I am disabled and parked my scooter outside, and walked in. I was asked if I had a reservation; I replied no, I was meeting a member and just needed to sit for a beverage and a bite. The room had a large bar, so I assumed the entire room was the bar (wrong on my part- it was bar and dining room combined) and said "I'll sit in the bar" at which point the hostess gestured towards the bar stools. When I told her I can't sit there due to disability, she said she had an empty table for two but there was a 6:30 reservation; if my friend was late in coming things would have to be changed up. I told her I had no problem leaving the table to park off somewhere else, like the empty table in the reception area.
I was seated, my drink order was taken, though it was slow in coming. The servers were polite and professional, accommodating as well. Needing to wash my hands, I learned the restaurant did not have dedicated restrooms. They were across the garden plaza. Accordingly, I ordered a knife and fork meal so as not to have to touch my food with unwashed hands.
My meal came out swiftly after my beverage, which was a delicious AZ craft beer from Uncle Bear's brewery- the Mandarin Wheat.
My Blue Claw salad was made with blue claw crab meat formed in a sort of flat round timbale; about an inch tall and four inches in diameter. The crab meat was mixed with the roasted corn integrated inside, the avocado spread on top, the local cress garnishing above and two pork rinds atop. I opted to have the chiles omitted.
It was delicious, though it's hard to go wrong with blue claw crab meat. What was a bit surprising was it being an item on a seasonal menu that features locally produced food. The main component of this salad came from the eastern seaboard- I grew up eating blue claw crabs caught in my own canal-front back yard.
My meal was enjoyed, but it was not enough to entice me back a second time, or to make a special trip simply to dine at Gertrude's.
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