I just finished a cherry dining table (48" diam expands to 10 ft) and
want to make 6 cherry chairs to go with it. Have considered steam bending
(never done it) but the tenoning process seems like a potential problem to
me (among the other imagined problems)...

Are you talking about a solid curved back, or just curved rails?
If the former, all I can do is wish you good luck; I wouldn't tackle a job
like that.
If the latter, I went through it and can give you the benefit of my
experience.