We had an amazing lark at Maia’s Cottage in Laguna Beach. Unsure of late October weather, we boldly stepped into a misty and windy day and began our prep, which thankfully included a gorgeous and highly functional fire pit designed by our friends at Haskell. Maia’s Cottage calm French Provincial vibe could not have been more perfect – as we flowed through the house with drinks, appetizers, introductions and greetings. As the weather stilled, we gathered under the stars to enjoy a heartfelt menu crafted by Chef Kyle Powers and Sous Chef Nelson who fortunately had the luxury of a gorgeous and functional kitchen.
We often visualize communal tables in spaces where people can gather, be themselves and connect with others. Our biggest inspiration has always been Mother Nature; hence we decided to feed our creative vibe with a small “guerrilla” lark at the gorgeous Bolsa Chica Ecological Preserve in Huntington Beach, California. This expansive space provided us the most amazing opportunity to think out loud about lark, as is our motto: Do, Reflect, Refine, Do Again. We are excited to continue our journey by deliberately embracing and gravitating towards the things we love….good conversations, gatherings involving amazing food & drinks, chefs with passion, style, design, photography, art, books, inspired spaces, and, of course, one of the things we love is sharing our adventures with you! Come on a lark with us! xo~l
We had an amazing time popping up in East Side Costa Mesa at the locally loved (and vice versa) Heritage Mercantile Co., with a gathering of those who are both adventurous and curious.
While casual introductions were made, we mingled indoors and out, eventually settling at the communal table simply adorned with gorgeous hand made ceramic pots and plates by Andrea Luna Reece (@lunabirdie) and a decorative menu by artist Jeri Vann (@jerivanncreations) that detailed the carefully crafted meal.
We are grateful that the talents of Chef Kyle Powers who not only created a makeshift kitchen, but also presented us with four courses of which is best described as “passion on an a plate”, each one better than the next. As each entree was introduced, Mike Otto of Tolosa Winery thoughtfully poured each glass of wine while sharing the nuances of the blends and pairings.
As the sun slowly set and the lights above became more vibrant, friendships were formed, food was savored, wine was enjoyed, art was discovered, music was played and true connections were made.
Thank you to everyone came together to create such a beautiful evening. Special thanks to Host Jennifer Bloch of Heritage Mercantile Co. and all of our guests for coming on a lark with us!
Xo~l
Established in 2013, Heritage Mercantile Co. is a purveyor of unique, handmade goods. They believe in sustainable products, local makers, timeless design, and USA goods.
Photo credits to @missmphotography
On lark at Heritage Mercantile June 2016.On lark at Heritage Mercantile June 2016.On lark at Heritage Mercantile June 2016.On lark at Heritage Mercantile June 2016.On lark at Heritage Mercantile June 2016.
Chef Kyle Powers Creative Crafted Menu
+ Tolosa Wine Pairing Pairing by Mike Otto
Welcome drinks + cheese platter + mingling
Course 1 corn/goat cheese souffle/ toast/ warm olives
Tolosa No Oak Chardonnay
Course 2 treviso/arugula/watercress salad with pine nuts and a blueberry coconut vinaigrette
Tolosa Rose
Thank you to all who attended our lark at Sourced Collective a charming old blue a-framed house on Glenneyre Street “where dreamers become doers”. We gathered around the communal table to enjoy the art of conversation, become inspired by design, raise our glasses in unison and enjoy delicious food.
We are grateful for our adventurous guests, Host Michelle Mercado, Chef Kyle Powers, Mike Otto of Tolosa Winery, Wunderland & Co., LetterSparrow and Andrea Luna Reece. We also had the pleasure of meeting @inviscus who brought their good vibes, appetites and curiosity to capture our story:
Thursday 3/24/16 Menu curated by CHEF KYLE POWERS {fork in the road catering}
upon arrival and paired w/chefs choice blackberry pie martini:
lobster roll toast + pickled mushroom flatbread
on the table and paired w/Tolosa Wine:
spicy clam in broth sip
grilled little gem w/picked plum & gorgonzola topped w/plum vinaigrette
Chef Jim Sullivan on a lark at The Hood Kitchen Space
We are thrilled to introduce Chef Jim Sullivan of Medium Raw Arts who we met on a lark at The Hood Kitchen Space last summer. Chef Jim is also a talented culinary photographer who captures food and pretty much anything associated with food. The best thing about Jim is his boundless enthusiasm for his craft. He will be cooking up the good vibes at our 1/30/16 DTLA lark at the Lawrence Fodor Loft.
What is your idea of the perfect meal?
I always think about this and ask my friends. What would my last meal be if I could pick anything? For me that’s easy, a hot spicy bowl of ramen w pork belly, poached egg and fresh herbs.
What living chef do you most admire?
I wouldn’t necessarily say a chef, more like person, my grandmother! This is a woman who was in WWII as a prisoner in a camp, left everything with just the clothes on her back and came to the US. Worked her ass off to raise 5 children (all are very successful) and has 16 grandchildren. That’s what inspires me!
What is you best, most simple, culinary advice?
Have FUN!
What is your motto?
Work hard, be humble…repeat!
What came first, food or photography?
Food/chef. I was doing pop up events after culinary school and people were taking images of my food with their iPhones, which were terrible. So I finally decided to get a DLSR and delve into food photography. This was about 3 years ago and since then my focus has been food/cocktail photography but still cook as much as I can.
How does your food and food photography influence each other?
For me they go hand in hand. My love for food drives my photography.
What foods/ingredients do you consider over or under rated?
I think a lot of “foodies” get caught up with the fancy ingredients i.e., foie gras or truffles. I like to keep it simple and just focus on fresh ingredients. I’m more of the adage less is more, which I feel you can see in my food and photography.
What was your most favorite dining experience?
Well Per Se in NYC definitely was the best restaurant dining experience. The way the FOH/BOH work in symmetry was amazing. BUT I will have to say the absolute best “food” experience was when I spent time in Paris. I stayed in a flat just a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower and was able to walk across street to all the available purveyors on a daily basis. I would walk to the fishmonger, pick out some fresh seafood and then walk over to vegetable stand and then go back and cook! The ability to have such amazing fresh and various purveyors right there was awesome! I wish I could have that every day! Being able talk to the purveyors and get what was fresh was so inspiring. Definitely want to have that experience again, soon! (on a side note: I do have this secret love for street food. The best thing I’ve eaten in awhile has to be in Tijuana. The food at Carwash del Torta is badass!)
Who is your favorite person to cook for?
My wife! Hands down. She is a foodie at heart, a great baker and my toughest critic.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Being able to provide for my family. My family is everything to me.
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We love how this Chef/Photographer captures the heart of the culinary community. See Chef Jim’s delicious Baja inspired menu and come on a lark with us!
3/28/15 Pop-Up Dinner Party at The Hood Kitchen in Costa Mesa, CA
We were honored to set our communal table at this amazing haven for Culinary Professionals, Food Artisans & Entrepreneurs. Our early inspiration was to reflect the fun and coolness of this amazing space that houses commercial kitchens and an extraordinary amount of support to the culinary community at large. We brought in some colorful paintings by artist Catherine Rex, along with some sharp looking cactus (pun intended). We grounded the vibe with tribal painted rocks and synced all of it up with a groovy soundtrack. Then, as always, Chef Kyle worked his magic and actually plated Hip & Edge – we enjoyed:
STARTERS
RHUBARB MARGARITA served on the rocks w/a sweet and salty rim,
garnished with kumquats & limes!
CURED SEAFOOD PLATTER beet cured salmon + citrus cured shrimp
served on a platter w/multi colored vegetable chips,
spiced fried hominy, roasted shisito peppers & cucumber salsa!
ON THE TABLE
& paired w/South American & Spanish wines:
BOWLS OF LOTUS CHIPS served w/a dried chile tapenade
COURSE ONE
CHARRED GREENS SALAD charred romaine and crispy kale tossed in a burnt tortilla vinaigrette w/pepitas, roasted red peppers & cotija cheese
COURSE TWO
BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIB TAMALES served w/a spicy lobster sauce, topped with fried black-eyed peas, roasted vegetables & chunks of lobster meat
****Vegetarian Alternative****
BRAISED JACKFRUIT TAMALES served with a spicy hatch chile sauce, topped w/fried black eyed peas, roasted vegetables & frisee lettuce
COURSE THREE
CHURROS TWO WAYS homemade churros, served w/a spicy chocolate ganache & deep fried churro ice cream
Many thanks to all the beautiful people who came on a lark with us! They brought their gorgeous smiles and good vibes! Special thanks to Shelby Coffman, LetterSparrow, Catherine Rex Art, Medium Raw Arts, Monique Schulfer, Seaworth Coffee Co., Jeri Vann Creations, Jaxsea Swimwear, Tom Goad, Marisa Powers, Jane Vo, and Dawn Martinez.
Charred romaine and crispy kale tossed in a burnt tortilla vinaigrette w/pepitas, roasted red peppers & cotija cheese. On a lark @TheHoodKitchen 3-28-15.Catherine, Monique, Shelby, Kyle, Marisa & Lisa. On a lark Lark @TheHoodKitchen 3-28-15.beet cured salmon + citrus cured shrimp served on a platter w/multi colored vegetable chips, spiced fried hominy, roasted shisito peppers & cucumber salsa! On a lark @TheHoodKitchen 3-28-15.Hip & Edge! On a lark @TheHoodKitchen 3-28-15.BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIB TAMALES served w/a spicy lobster sauce, topped with fried black-eyed peas, roasted vegetables & chunks of lobster meat. On a lark @TheHoodKitchen 3-28-15.On a lark @TheHoodKitchen 3-28-15.On a lark @TheHoodKitchen 3-28-15.Beautiful work by @LetterSparrow. On a lark @TheHoodKitchen 3-28-15.
