10 Ways to Celebrate the Cherry Blossoms…With Food & Drinks Of Course.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival Dates are March 20-April 13, 2014.

Image via STK “Rediscovered Cherry Cosmo”

Park Hyatt Washington, located at 1201 24^th Street NW, 20037, invites guests to reinvigorate after a cold winter with its Spring Cherry Blossom Package.  Guests receive a complimentary upgrade to a Premier Park Deluxe room, a pot of Cherry Blossom Green Tea from Park Hyatt Washington’s rare and vintage tea selection, breakfast for two at Blue Duck Tavern each morning, and a backpack filled with sightseeing supplies to explore the famed blossoms.  Rates begin at $309 per night plus tax and the package is valid through April 27, 2014.  For reservations please call (800) 778-7477 or visit www.parkhyattwashington.com.  Additionally, Park Hyatt Washington is offering up a special Southern Blossom cocktail that is available in Blue Duck Tavern and its Lounge for the duration of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.  Priced at $14, the Southern Blossom is made with cherry-infused rye, lemon juice, carpano antica, simple syrup, and cherry bitters with a cherry and flamed orange peel for garnish.  For reservations, please call (202) 419-6755 or visit www.blueducktavern.com.

Daikaya, the  izakaya and ramen shop located at 705 6^th Street NW, 20001, is pouring three special cocktails during this year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival. The first floor ramen shop is serving a $10 Black Cherry Old Fashioned, modified Bird Dog bourbon, Daikaya old-fashioned bitters, and black cherry syrup garnished with a twist of lemon peel.  The second floor izakaya is serving a Bark & Bite Fizz, Lento Kokuto brown sugar shochu and Wild Cherry Phosphate soda garnished with a lemon peel for$11, as well as The Gift, IICHIKO (sic) Barley Shochu, Cocchi di Torino Vermouth Rosso, Kiuchi no Shizuku, and Bittercube Orange Bitters served in a cocktail coupe and garnished with a preserved edible cherry blossom,priced at$13.  For reservations or additional information please call (202) 589-1600 or visitwww.daikaya.com.

José Andrés’  tapas restaurant Jaleo is toasting the Cherry Blossom Festival with a variety of cherry inspired dishes.  Menu highlights include the Panceta Confitada con Salsa de Cereza, pork belly confit with cherry sauce for $11; theQueso Murcia al Vino Tinto con Mermelada de Cereza y Pan Tostado, ‘the drunken goat’ with Murcia cheese, cherry marmalade and toasted bread for $9, as well as the Sopa de Frutas Rojas con Helado de Queso, a wild red berry soup with Idiazábal cheese ice cream for $9.  These specials will be available during the National Cherry Blossom Festival at all three Jaleo locations:480 7^th Street, NW, 20004, (202) 628-7949; 7271 Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda, MD, 20814, (301) 913-0003 and 2250 Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA, 22202, (703) 413-8181.  For more information, visit www.jaleo.com.

Oyamel Cocina Mexicana, located at 401 7^th Street, NW, 20004, is offering a special cherry blossom dish during the festival.  Oyamel has kept with its authentic Mexican cuisine to create the Chile Relleno filled with a duck picadillo and topped with a cherry sauce and pomegranate seeds.  The dish is priced at $14.  For reservations or additional information please call (202) 628-1005 or visit www.oyamel.com.

Ambar, located at 523 8^th Street, SE, 20003, is showcasing dishes from the Balkan Peninsula and prepared with a modern twist during this year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival. The restaurant is offering the Cherry Cvet, made with srpska trojka cherry brandy, gin, fresh lime juice, cranberry, simple syrup, egg white and bitters for $12.  For reservations and more information, please call (202) 813-3039 or visit www.ambarrestaurant.com,

The Mediterranean restaurant Zaytinya, located at 701 9^th Street, NW, 20001, is also participating in the cherry blossom festivities.  The restaurant  is offering the Roasted Asparagus with bahar spiced labneh, crushed pine nuts and chives for just $9.  For reservations and additional information, please call (202) 638-0800 or visit www.zaytinya.com.

Washington, DC’s Shake Shack locations are partnering with Dangerously Delicious Pies. For a limited time, cherry blossom fans can indulge in a Cherry Pie, Oh My concrete. Available now until April 14, the concrete blends fresh, creamy vanilla frozen custard with a whole slice of cherry pie from DC’s own Dangerously Delicious Pies. The concrete is available at Dupont and F Street Shacks in two sizes: $4.25 for a half size, and $6.50 for a regular size.  Shake Shack is located at 800 F Street NW (202-800-9930) and 1216 18^th Street NW (202-683-9922).

Vinoteca’s Executive Chef Lonnie Zoeller has created a savory, sweet, sour and smoky Chicken with yellow lentil, quinoa, smoked sour cherry and cashews ($16). The smoked cherry dish is available at Vinoteca until mid-April.  Vinoteca is located at 1940 11^th Street NW. For reservations, please call 202-332-9463.

Georgetown’s new bowling, bocce and dining concept Pinstripes is serving up a buttery Baked Cherry Tart with cherries, maple syrup and tart cherry juice served warm in a sweet crust with housemade caramel sauce and vanilla gelato ($7). It is available at Pinstripes until September as part of the restaurant’s spring and summer menu. In addition, Pinstripes is introducing a DC-exclusive Cherry Rosso Grand Martini ($10), which mixes up vodka, Pama pomegranate liqueur, housemade cherry juice and sour mix. The cocktail is topped with froth and has a sugar rim with an Italian cherry to garnish.  The cocktail is available for a limited time until April 20.

AVOIDING THE CROWDS??  TRY THIS RECIPE AT HOME VIA DC’S NEW RESTAURANT STK:

Rediscovered Cherry Cosmo

1.5 oz Grey Goose Cherry Noir
.75 oz Triple Sec
.25 oz Fresh lime juice
.5 oz White cranberry juice
1 Dried cherry

Shake and strain all ingredients into a martini glass, garnish with a dried cherry.

STK will open in Washington D.C on April 25th, 2014.  In honor of this expansion and to pay homage to its new home in the Nations Capital, The ONE Group has created a very special cocktail, the Rediscovered Cherry Cosmo – inspired by the District’s annually celebrated event, the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Tags: Cherry Blossoms, cocktails, events, festivals dc, restaurants

Category: Alcoholic beverages, Announcements, Food.Fun.Stuff., Washington D.C.