Cherries may not be in season until June, but the red fruit still got all the glory at the National Cherry Blossom Festival’s Cherry Picks media launch party yesterday afternoon at Asia Nine. From cherry-glazed foie gras to cherry-infused sake, the event offered up cherry-flavored bites from seven local restaurants—just a sampling of what some 40 eateries around Washington are putting forth for the festival, which runs from March 28 to April 12.
Pawlowski worked with the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington and Hisaoka Communications to produce the event, which garnered some 80 attendees from the media, Destination D.C., and the restaurant industry. Asia Nine provided its space, kitchen, and staff to assist the visiting chefs, who doled out everything from bing cherry-cured wild salmon sashimi from Palette and cherry-glazed foie gras lollipops from Taberna del Alabardero to chocolate cones filled with sour cherry compote from the Mandarin Oriental’s Café Mozu.
“It’s hard to get chefs thinking about their spring menu in December when we’re planning this event, especially since there’s such an emphasis on fresh food for D.C. chefs,” added Pawlowski. “But they make it work.”
