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
8/14/15 Pop-up Dinner Party at Molly Wood Garden Design in Costa Mesa, CA
Our lark with Molly Wood Garden Design brought together a beautiful group of people who enjoyed mingling and dining in their charming and inspirational garden.
The stars aligned perfectly and we were grateful to have Mike Otto hand select wines from Tolosa Winery to match our menu. With their wonderful aromas and great taste, we have found a perfect match.
The common tables were styled with lovely elements from Molly’s garden shop. The graceful hand of Letter Sparrow created a gorgeous menu and hand-made ceramic plates made by artist Andrea Luna Reece took the crostini to new heights.
As a garden spider diligently weaved its intricate web for all to admire, we enjoyed this amazing August menu crafted by Chef Kyle Powers:
upon arrival
sugar snap pea cocktail w/lemon thyme syrup
crostini platter of charred leek and green onions with a goat cheese spread; red beet ricotta puree w/minted herb salad + pistachios; roasted tomato & garden pesto
on the table & paired with hand-select Tolosa wines
caramelized pork belly on top of a celery root puree, wilted swiss chard, w/salad of celery & cucumbers on top
*veggie option: caramelized tofu
on top of a celery root puree, wilted swiss chard w/salad of shaved celery & cucumber
grilled stone fruit w/vanilla bean ice cream, fresh whipped cream, macerated berries & mint compote
We are grateful for all who gathered, making this an exceptional summer lark! A heartfelt thanks to our guests and @MollyWoodGardenDesign, @LetterSparrow, @MySaltySoul, @LunaBirdie, @ForkInTheRoadCatering and Miss M Photography for capturing the moment!
And just like that, summer slips into fall. Next lark October 8, 2015, details to be announced soon. Cheers! xo~l
7/30/15 Pop-up Dinner Party at J o l i e in Newport Beach, CA
J o l i e {beautiful in French} truly lives up to it’s name. Owner Cherie D’Sa and her crew Nicole and Norma operate with style and grace. We love their light and airy seaside location showcasing amazing collection of curated high-end clothing, shoes, handbags, and home goods.
J o l I e embraced lark and then showed us what the word “hustle” actually looks like. One of the few shops open while Lido Marina Village is under construction, they have managed to build a strong local following and create their own piece of fashion paradise in a short period of time.
To add style upon style, lark was fortunate to collaborate with talented artists Andrea Luna Reece and Stacy & Selavi at Ready Set Make. They added some beautiful handmade ceramic tapas plates and stunning Himmeli sculptures to sit alongside the gorgeous menus created by LetterSparrow.
Everything about J o l I e is perfect, so we decided to set the vibe just outside the doors by creating a hip and fun vignette with fabulous furnishings from 503found (check out those yellow chairs from Paris!).
As you may surmise, our communal dinner table was already bursting with good vibes when Chef Kyle shared all the delicious details of his eponymous menu:
tossed in a burnt tortilla vinaigrette, w/grilled kale, burrata cheese & toasted almonds
shrimp & crab cake
served w/white bean tahini puree, fried soft shell crab + a charred corn & fresno chili salad
*vegetarian option: summer squash cake served / white bean tahini puree, and a charred corn & fresno chili salad
dessert
shortbread biscuit served w/frozen greek yogurt & blueberry sage compote
Bringing this lark to fruition, we discovered this fashionista’s paradise is rooted to the ground with genuine people on every side of the counter.
We are grateful for all who gathered, making this a beautiful summer lark! A gazillion thanks to our guests, @Shop_Jolie, @LetterSparrow, @ReadySetMake, @MySaltySoul, @LunaBirdie, @503found & @ForkInTheRoadCatering. Until we meet again! Xo~l
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.
We will forever revel in our super fun lark at the beautiful 503found. Chef Kyle delivered BIG time on effort and flavor. He crafted his own makeshift kitchen steps away from our communal table and served up a fine menu. Music flowed, wine was poured and friends were made in the midst of the beautiful, eclectic artwork and furnishings.
We had a beautifully styled table thanks to our lark crew, 503found’s offerings, and the hand-lettered menus created by LetterSparrow.
Thank you to all the beautiful people who attended, we are grateful to the good energy and love you brought to this occasion. We hope we inspired you to come on a future lark!
In closing, we are super thankful to Kim J., owner of 503found, for her free spirit, style and inspiration. 503found is housed in a former boathouse sure to be full of good times and stories – and we are proud to have added to them.
Special thanks to Photographer Brian Tropiano, Marisa Powers, & Lark stylists: Ginger Wallace, Monique Schulfer & Catherine Rex.
We are excited to announce our collaboration with Letter Sparrow, who will be designing our menu and place cards for our upcoming lark at 503found. We only see good things coming from this talented artist and are honored to work with her. xo~l