The trees peaked a bit early this year, but the city’s Cherry Blossom Festival runs until April 17, and Washington-area restaurants continue to honor the annual celebration. Here’s a sampling of what’s on the menu:
• The Willard Intercontinental (1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW) is serving Cherry Blossom Afternoon Tea, Japanese-inspired cuisine and special cocktails. Tea is served Thursday through Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m., priced at $52 for adults and $22 for children. Visitors to Peacock Alley will be able to view real cherry blossom trees and handmade Kimekomi dolls by Akiko Keene of the Washington Japanese Dolls and Crafts School. On April 10, 16 and 17, from 5 to 6 p.m., the Willard will feature Japanese music and dance performances, martial-arts routines, as well as Japanese calligraphy and brush painting demonstrations.
• Bibiana Osteria Enoteca (1100 New York Ave. NW) will offer a classic Italian dessert during this year’s Festival — the cherry ricotta semifreddo with flourless chocolate cake and cannoli crisp.
• At the Oval Room (800 Connecticut Ave. NW), guests can order a Suzuki Crudo with salted cherry blossoms, black cherry emulsion and vanilla sea salt, and a frozen cherry blossom “souffle” with toasted Marcona almond emulsion.
• Cherry pie topped with vanilla ice cream for $6 is the special at Takoda (715 Florida Ave. NW), a contemporary American restaurant with a rooftop beer garden.
• Burton’s Grill (Hilltop Village Center, Telegraph Road and Beulah Street in Alexandria) is offering five cherry-inspired dishes: oysters with cherry-whiskey barbecue sauce; roasted cherry, asparagus and fig pizzette with mozzarella pearls; cherry and pecan-crusted salmon with warm watercress and fingerling potatoes; dried cherry and asparagus carbonara with crispy pancetta and linguine pasta; and a cherry-chocolate mason jar cheesecake with bourbon cream and an Oreo cookie crust.
• The Hay-Adams Hotel’s Lafayette Room (800 16th St. NW) is offering a $70 prix-fixe Japanese-inspired three-course meal. Each day of the festival season from 4 to 5 p.m., Executive Pastry Chef Josh Short will be in the hotel’s lobby, sharing complimentary chocolate and cherry cupcakes as he builds a Cherry Blossom Cupcake Tree.
• On Friday, April 8, Cuba Libre (801 9th St. NW) will celebrate National Empanada Day with a $1 empanada happy hour. Four different empanadas will be offered from 5 to 7 p.m., each priced at a buck. Cuba Libre will offer cherry blossom-inspired Cuban dishes and a featured cocktail during this year’s cherry blossom festival.
• April is Grilled Cheese Month at Station 4 (1101 4th St. SW) and Lupo Verde (1401 T St. NW) with unique hot-off-the-griddle sandwiches. The short-rib grilled cheese with onion marmalade and goat cheese on multigrain bread is available during lunch service at Station 4. The restaurant’s cherry blossom tribute consists of duck leg confit with brie, preserved cherries and alfalfa sprouts.
• At Lupo Verde, it’s a trio of cheeses, served with fried dough puffs, pear jam, roasted celery, and caramelized walnuts during dinner service. The cherry blossom special is slow-cooked pork belly with cherry glaze, baby potato and baby carrots.
• On April 20 and 21, Slate Wine Bar & Bistro (2404 Wisconsin Ave. NW) will feature its Denis Garden pop-up, Chef Danny Liedo’s tribute to his family’s hometown of Denis in Valencia, Spain. The menu consists of authentic regional Spanish dishes, including paellas, seafood, meats and tapas, as well as many Spanish wines.
• Macon Bistro & Larder’s (5520 Connecticut Ave. NW) Sunday Evening Movie Classics will take place in the new Magnolia Room. On April 10, it’s Julia Roberts in “Steel Magnolias,” “Pretty Woman” and “Eat, Pray, Love.” On April 17, Joan Crawford stars in “The Women,” “Mildred Pierce” and “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane.”
• Pearl Dive Oyster Palace and Black Jack (1612 14th St. NW) will host its annual crawfish boil on Saturday, April 23 with two two-hour seatings: noon to 2 p.m. and 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Traditional Louisiana-style crawfish, accompanied by a variety of Southern sides including corn on the cob, roasted red potatoes, house-smoked sausage, cole slaw, fritters and potato salad are on the menu. Tickets are $50 per person, or $70 with drinks included.
• Passover starts on April 22 this year. Met Bethesda (7101 Democracy Blvd.) celebrates the Jewish festival from April 22 through April 29, with three specials during the dinner service: matzoh ball soup with avocado and chiles; glazed corned beef brisket with heirloom carrots and potatoes; and an untraditional kugel chocolate noodle pudding with whiskey sauce.
Happy dining!
Please read our comment policy before commenting.