They say "April showers bring May flowers," and boy are we happy to see them! Everywhere we look right now, bright bursts of color are springing up from the ground and blossoming all around us. Not only are these blooming beauties catching our attention on neighborhood strolls, they're delighting us by showing up on our dinner plates.
Admired throughout the ages for their beauty and fragrance, flowers have also historically been used as objects of romance, ritual, religion, medicine and even as a source of food. These days, restaurants from coast to coast are feeling the sweet spring vibes, making this season's menus all the more tempting (and delicious). Check out the beautiful dishes sprouting up in some of our favorite cities.
With a menu that changes daily, Craigie on Main in Boston never ceases to impress with presentations that almost look too good to eat (almost). A variety of floral colors picked fresh from the garden are sometimes used play up French-inspired plates that highlight local, seasonal and organic ingredients from nearby farms.
Casa Luca in Washington D.C. crafts flavor-filled pasta dishes, including ravioli, bucatini and gnocchi. Occasionally adorned with a few colorful petals, these beauties need no flair to be simply delicious.
Prubechu -- meaning "you're welcome" in Chamorro, the native language of Guam -- offers a blend of Spanish, Filipino and Asian flavors in its Guam-inspired fare. Sample the bold cuisine full of local California ingredients, like a freshly tossed salad with flower petals and bright greens.
Modern American bistro Virginia's in NYC turns out seasonal, market-driven dishes with sweet touches like their Toast of the Day, in this case made with garbanzo bean puree and a vibrant green, house-made ricotta that's sprinkled with tiny blossoms.
Combining flavor-packed bites with lovely presentation, Lula Cafe in Chicago offers dishes like cauliflower served with brown butter hollandaise (a sauce made from egg yolk and liquid butter) and white grapefruit, adorned with bright yellow petals for a burst of color.
At A-Frame in LA, fresh Asian and international flavors combine in a variety of colorful, shareable plates. End the meal on a sweet note with a delicious Butter Mochi Cake, lightly salted and topped off with several delicate flowers.
Offering rustic American fare, High Street on Market in Philadelphia dishes out a Squid Ink Boule -- a pasta dish with lamb and clam, almond and beautiful red petals of sumac (a subtropical flowering plant that can also be ground into a spice).
For all the latest on food, drinks and restaurants, visit the Reserve blog and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.