Oops...forgot to post a picture. Here's a link to the DR set if it helps any.

Here is a link that might be useful: Birch DR set

Where does it say that it's birch? The description says "cherry colored veneers".

Birch wood is used as a base material for veneered furniture, along with poplar. Birch is sometimes used for solid furniture, with no veneer. It has a fine, strait grain, and is very light unless it has been stained. It is not as hard as maple, but it is harder than pine. Veneers are subject to bubbles and lifting, but these defects can be prevented by using the correct glue and correct pressure during the laminating process. I personally would not order furniture based on a picture in a catalog or on the internet. I would want to get up close and touch the surface, and sit on the chairs.