A Perfect Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day at CityCenterDC
This season at CityCenterDC, love takes shape in two meaningful ways: a spring-forward floral arrangement by Sidra and an intimate Valentine’s Day brunch for two, prepared by John and Sidra at Thermador Experience & Design Center. Rooted in nature, seasonality, and care, each reflects the beauty of slowing down and sharing something special.
Just ahead of February 14, we are also giving one lucky winner the chance to win a custom flower arrangement. Read on to discover the inspiration behind the bouquet and brunch, and learn how to enter our Valentine’s Day contest.
The Promise of Spring:
A Valentine’s Day
Bouquet by Sidra
For Sidra, arranging flowers begins where all good things do, with nature. In the quiet of February in Washington, DC, she creates a Valentine’s Day bouquet that looks toward the coming season, filled with light, color, and early signs of spring.
The arrangement starts with structure. Foraged branches from her garden and nearby alleyways form an open framework, giving each bloom room to breathe. Early seasonal flowers follow, including airy mimosa from California, winter tulips grown locally, the first daffodils of the season, and expressive anemones. Imperfection is intentional. Bent stems and natural movement give the bouquet its life and character.
Art and travel quietly shape Sidra’s work. From Dutch flower paintings at the National Gallery of Art to the way flowers are gathered and arranged in places like Paris or along the Mexican coast, her inspiration feels both familiar and worldly. Nature garden inspired, she wants each bouquet to feel as though it grew organically in place.
Sidra works one flower at a time, leaving space and resisting an over-packed look so each bloom can stand on its own. There are no strict rules, only trust in the process. Mistakes are part of the beauty. When you start with beautiful flowers, it is hard to go wrong.
To keep arrangements fresh longer, Sidra recommends trimming the stems slightly each day and changing the water often. Clean cuts and fresh water help slow bacteria and extend the life of the bouquet.
A Valentine’s Day Brunch,
Made with Love
For Washington, DC–based chefs John and Sidra, cooking is an expression of partnership—one shaped by more than 30 years spent cooking, working, and building a life together. This Valentine’s Day brunch begins where all of their meals do: with the best local ingredients, sourced from longtime collaborators like the Path Valley Cooperative, whose farmers and foragers have supplied their kitchen for decades.
The menu unfolds naturally and seasonally. A raw winter relish of Jerusalem artichoke, carrots, turnips, and watermelon radish is finely chopped and gently “cooked” with lemon juice and salt, transforming fresh roots into a bright, quick pickle. Sorrel adds a sharp, citrusy note, bringing freshness and color to the plate. Nearby, red onions, baby kale, and black trumpet mushrooms are sautéed simply in olive oil, while apples and heirloom sweet potatoes caramelize on the griddle alongside sunny-side-up eggs and cornmeal pancakes.
Throughout the cooking, John and Sidra return to a simple philosophy: when ingredients are this good, less is more. They avoid heavy fats like butter and cream, choosing instead to cook gently and respectfully, letting natural flavors shine. Each dish is built around just a few elements—three ingredients, three notes—balanced like music: high (acid), low (alliums), and mid (greens or mushrooms).
At its heart, this brunch is a celebration of love: love for ingredients, love for the act of cooking, and love for sharing a meal with those closest to you. For John and Sidra, cooking for one another—and for the people they care about most—is the truest expression of Valentine’s Day.
Visit Thermador Experience & Design Center and discover the immersive showroom where you can explore high-end appliances in real-world kitchen settings, consult with experts, and plan your culinary space.
THE Must-Enter CONTEST
Valentine’s Day is getting nearer, and we are giving one lucky winner a stunning flower arrangement to celebrate. Ready to enter for your chance to receive this custom bouquet? Follow @CityCenterDC on Instagram, like the post, and keep an eye out for our Valentine’s Day contest post. Be sure to tag the loved one you would gift this bouquet to, and sign up for our emails for an extra entry.
The winner will be announced on CityCenterDC’s Instagram on February 11, with bouquet delivery on Valentine’s Day within a 15-mile radius of CityCenterDC.
