For Immediate Release:
March, 2009

Washington, DC’s Restaurants Celebrate the
National Cherry Blossom Festival® with Cherry Picks

Washington, DC restaurants are once again celebrating the National Cherry Blossom Festival, running March 28-April 12, by offering “Cherry Picks,” or cherry-inspired recipes throughout the signature springtime event.  During the two-week festival, diners can enjoy a variety of alluring entrées, decadent desserts and delectable cocktails with a special cherry touch at participating restaurants.  

Destination DC’s dedicated cherry blossom webpage, washington.org/cherryblossom, features a special section dedicated to Cherry Picks, where culinary enthusiasts can find lists of participating restaurants as well as photos and recipes to create the dishes at home. Blossom watchers can also log on to view blossom-themed hotel packages, festival highlights and more.

Participating “Cherry Picks” restaurants include:

• Aria Trattoria, featuring Executive Chef Xavier Deshayes’ Cherry Clafouti with lemon verbena ice cream.
• Art and Soul, featuring Executive Chef Ryan Morgan’s Country Sushi made with Maryland crab roll with horseradish soy.
• Asia Nine Bar & Lounge, featuring Executive Chef Rod Yotmanee’s Sun-dried Cherry Puff appetizer and Blossom Fried Rice.
• B. Smith’s, featuring Executive Chef Ronald Reid’s Spring Garden Salad with sundried cherries and candied walnuts; Grilled Pork Tenderloin with a sweet cherry glaze; and Chocolate Cherry Tuxedo Cake.
• Bangkok Joe’s Dumpling Bar and Café, featuring Chef/Owner Aulie Bunyarataphan’s three-course meals, including Smoke Shrimp-Cherry Blossom Dumpling with cherry-lime cream sauce; Broiled Salmon Filet with spicy cherry-basil sauce; and Warm Cherry Custard with sake-marinated dried cherry and ginger dust tuile.
• Beacon Bar & Grill featuring Executive Chef Dylyn Coolidge’s Cherry and Short Rib Wontons with ginger sauce.
• Bourbon Steak at the Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC, featuring Executive Chef David Varley’s Poached Hudson Valley Foie Gras with cherry blossoms, green almonds, and Balinese Long Pepper.
• Café Mozu at the Mandarin Oriental Washington, D.C., featuring Executive Chef Anthony Reynolds’ Mini Chocolate-Coated Cones with warm cherry kirsch compote, cherry sorbet and Minus 8 vinegar.
• Domaso Trattoria Moderna at Hotel Palomar, featuring Pastry Chef Kevin Boxx’s Chocolate Cherry Napoleon with sweet and sour cherries, cherry mousse and chocolate.
• Fahrenheit Restaurant, featuring Quang Duong’s cherry-inspired dinner selections: appetizer options to include Miso soup, Tofu, or Ahi tuna with seaweed and ponzu; choice of entrée to include Seabass with lemongrass ginger broth or Teriyaki Beef; choice of desserts to include Warm Cherries Chocolate Cake or Cherries Clafoutis and Cherries.
• Fyve Restaurant Lounge, featuring Chef Amy Brandweln’s Cherry Parfait with layers of foie gras mousse, amarena cherry marmalade, meyer lemon crema and toasted almond.
• Georgia Brown’s, featuring Executive Chef Jim Foss’ Ma Brown’s Homemade Bourbon and Chocolate Cherry Cobbler.
• The Grille at the Morrison House, featuring Executive Chef Dennis Marron’s Cherry Wood and Tea Smoked Duck Breast with frisée and cherry blossom salad with cherry vinaigrette.
• J. Paul’s, featuring Executive Chef Tom Crenshaw’s Baked Brie with cherry marmalade and frisée salad.
• Jackson 20, featuring Chef Derek Simcik’s three-course tasting menu of House-Made Sausage or Pan Seared Scallops appetizer options; Slow Roasted Cornish Hen or Braised Beef Cheeks entrée options; and Cherry Cheese Cake or Pot de Crème dessert options.
• Juniper, featuring Executive Chefs Jason Dalling and Claire Wetherell’s Duck Proscuitto with a salad of dried cherries and pistachio nuts.
• M Bar at Renaissance M St. Hotel, featuring Executive Chef John Therres’ Chocolate Cherry Jubilee Shortcakes stuffed with vanilla ice cream.
• M Street Bar & Grill, featuring Chef Edgar Melendez’s Cherries and Brie Purse with a cherry-pecan sauce.
• The Melting Pot, featuring Executive Chef Megan Fricker’s Dark Chocolate Cherries Jubilee.
• Old Glory, featuring Executive Chef Richard Brooks’ Grilled St. Louis Ribs basted in a cherry-cola bar-b-que sauce.
• Palette, featuring Executive Chef Arnel Esposo’s Bing Cherry Cured Wild Alaskan Salmon Sashimi.
• Paolo’s Ristorante, featuring Executive Chef Bill McPartland’s Spinach Salad with honey soaked red cippoline onions, gorgonzola dolce and oven-dried cherries, tossed in cherry vinaigrette.
• PS 7’s, featuring Pastry Chef Leon Baker’s Cherry-Chocolate Linzer Tarte with tangerine granite, orange blossom liquid and chocolate crumbles.
• Roof Terrace Restaurant, featuring Executive Chef Joe Gurner’s Duck Breast Montmorency with Muscovy duck breast, Swiss chard, herb roasted red fingerling potatoes and a black cherry reduction.
• Urbana Restaurant and Wine Bar, featuring Executive Chef Alex Bollinger’s Chocolate Brioche and English Toffee Bread Pudding with Bing cherries and cherry gelato.
• Vinifera Wine Bar and Bistro, featuring Executive Chef Seth Eldridge’s specialty Cherry Blossom Dessert.

Try a festive cocktail to compliment your blossom-inspired dish:

• Art and Soul, featuring the Cherry Blossom Cocktail (St. Germain elderflower Liqeur; Morello cherry reduction, Regans’ Orange No. 6 bitters and Lucien Albrecht brut rosé).
• Asia Nine, featuring Infused Cherry Sake or the Sakura Caipirinha (Brazilian sugar cane liquor, fresh lime wedge, chopped fresh ginger, fresh cherry).
• B. Smith’s, featuring the Cherry Jubilee Martini (cherry and vanilla-infused vodka, triple sec, splash of grenadine).
• Bangkok Joe’s Dumpling Bar & Café, featuring the Frozen Cherry Bellini (champagne, Bing cherries, cream sherry and lime juice).
• Domaso Trattoria Moderna, featuring the Bubbly Blossom Cocktail (Prosecco and Campari)
• La Tasca Spanish Tapas Bar & Restaurant, featuring Cherry Blossom Sangria (white wine, cherry brandy, triple sec, juice and a cherry).
• The Melting Pot, featuring the Cherry Ginger Snap Martini.
• Mie N Yu, featuring the Cherry Blossom Cocktail (SurReal Grape Vodka; cherry-infused plum wine and cranberry juice sour).
• Neyla, featuring the Cherry Vodka-Infused Cherry Blossom Martini (vodka, green tea, mint, Bonne Maman Cherry Preserves, lemon juice, ginger ale).
• OYA Restaurant and Lounge, featuring Think Pink! (a three-wine flight of pink rosé wines from various regions).
• Palette, featuring a shot of Cherry Sake Float or Cherry Blossom Martini.
• Poste Brasserie, featuring the Cerise en Fleur Cocktail (Skyy Infusions Cherry Vodka, Schochu, St. Louis Kriek Lambic, aloe vera juice and fresh lemon), as well as Sapporo on draft.

For more information about the National Cherry Blossom Festival, log on to nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.

# # #

About Destination DC:  Destination DC, the lead destination marketing organization for the nation’s capital, is a private, non-profit membership organization of more than 1,000 businesses committed to marketing the area as a premier global convention, tourism and special events destination with a special emphasis on the arts, cultural and historic communities. Destinationdc.com.