Hope Is Indeed Sweet At Georgetown's Michel Richard Citronelle!

GEORGETOWN -- An unwrapped toy (or a substitute monetary donation) was the small price of admission to the ninth annual 'Sweet Hope' celebration held inside the inviting walls of Georgetown's top-rated Michel Richard Citronelle restaurant on Saturday afternoon.

Conceived of as a fun way of bringing a little holiday cheer to the young patients at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, this weekend's event drew hundreds of Washingtonians to M Street.

Indeed, by mid-afternoon, the lobby area of The Latham Hotel was full of toys of all shapes and sizes. We spotted everything from board games to sports equipment to a 5-foot tall stuffed giraffe!

After depositing their playful donations, guests were ushered into the lower-level dining room of the restaurant. There, Citronelle's team of talented chefs stood ready to dish out a veritable feast of sweet treats from the main counter of the sparkling open kitchen.

Passion Fruit Mousse, Crème Brulèe Cheesecake, Pear Tarts, and M&M Cream Puffs were but just some of the desserts being offered. Additionally, the restaurant's famed Chef's Table had been festively decorated and adorned with plates of cookies and brownies and flasks full of hot chocolate, apple cider, and eggnog.

Always the attentive (and rather jovial) owner, Michel Richard himself was ever-present throughout the party, jumping between the kitchen, hugging longtime guests/friends, and joking with children.

Dessert for toys? Sounds like a sweet pairing to us!