by contributor Suzanne Struglinski
Spring flavors and fashion filled the Renaissance Washington hotel in downtown DC as the Pink Tie Party fundraiser kicked off the National Cherry Blossom festival, an annual tradition in the Nation’s Capital.
The full spectrum of savory to sweet treats lined the perimeter of the room as guests nibbled on tastes from some of the area’s most popular restaurants chef’s—all who took the challenge of creating a dish around a DC-centric theme inspired by cherry blossoms, spring or the overall Festival itself.
“Today we welcome the spring with fantastic food from the best chefs and restaurants in DC,” said Chef Lorena Garcia who hosted the event.
Garcia is probably best known right now for being in Taco Bell commercials for the new Cantina Bell menu, but she is so much more than a new fast food menu item. The Venezuelan-born chef released her first cookbook in 2011, is a judge and investor on NBC’s“America’s Next Great Restaurant,” a guest chef on the season finale of Bravo’s “Top Chef All-Stars,” and she also competed on season four of Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters.”
With more than 35 restaurants involved, it was practically impossible to sample every single dish but the chefs created everything from salads and sushi to cocktails and pate all standing up to the challenge.
Chef Shannon Overmiller of The Majestic in Alexandria, VA miller offered her signature chicken liver mouse but topped it off with cherry compote served on a house crispy baked brioche bite.
Daniel Maldivian of Belgacafe and the soon-to-be-open BToo made a cocktail of basil-infused vodka, pomegranate-infused vodka, lavender syrup, spiced rum, grapefruit and lime zest all topped off with a cherry Lambic.
Watershed by Todd Gray created a pink beet cured salmon topped with horseradish crème fraîche and crunchy potato sticks.
Chef Demetrio A. Zavala offered some wild boar loin from his almost-opened restaurant Teddy, another presidential namesake building on the success of Lincoln.
Newly opened Edgar in the Mayflower hotel had cylinders filled with creamy panna cotta with a cherry topping.
From Policy’s cherry BBQ short rib sliders to Ben’s Chili Bowl’s famous half smoke on a tooth pick, the chefs did not disappoint offering up the tastes of the city.
Those offering sushi samples helped illustrate the 101st anniversary of the gift of the famed Cherry Blossom trees from Tokyo to Washington, DC.
Guests kept with the pink tie theme with men –and some ladies- wearing pink neck ties or bow ties and breaking out all hues of pinks, pastels and other spring colors to kick winter to the curb and welcome spring.
Proceeds from the event’s tickets and silent auction benefit the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Inc., which works to keep many of the festival’s events free and open to the public.
Even though the forecast still calls for cold weather and the blossoms haven’t bloomed quite yet, there was certainly a slice of spring in the air.
