Friday, September 13, 2019
We started our late summer adventures at our favorite designer playground known as Urban Americana in Long Beach. Having popped-up at this unique location before, we knew we were in for a special evening. You cannot take a step inside this gorgeous vintage warehouse without being inspired by the timeless style of the past, while simultaneously dreaming of the future. This gentle pull + push lands you in a rare space we like to call the present moment.
It is such an honor to have Chris Geer, owner + creator of our favorite designer playground Urban Americana, embrace lark and open the doors to our curious & adventurous guests — and even more so to have him an his wife join us at the communal table.
We spent the evening doing what we do best, creating good vibes, acquainting with friends old and new, delving into interesting conversations and sharing delicious food.
Our guests, ranging from designers to deep sea explorers to culinary lovers took to the lark with ease embracing the connections that come so naturally when immersed in such an inspirational setting.
Manuel, of Manuel The Band, kicked off the evening playing acoustic guitar and singing Casual Love while we mingled about sipping on local / vegan / sustainable 2017 Finke’s Sparkling White Blend hand selected by Billy O’Connell of @winc and poured with love by wine aficionado (+ yoga enthusiast) Tyler Rodriguez.
Chef Kyle Powers & Sous Chef Nelson Johnson created the most awesome looking makeshift kitchen from Urban Americana’s beautifully weathered industrial work bench sending the the first smells of crispy garlic + fried mushrooms into the air with innate and palpable enthusiasm.
As this was lark #50, we took a moment to share-and be thankful for-our collaborative approach where we work should-to-shoulder to create these larks and all of the fulfillment that has come from doing what we love, especially the idea of recognizing and appreciating each other, our supporters, and the moment.
How fortunate we feel to having our favorite foodie + conversationalist Mitch Maher capture the evening and to be accompanied by the endless talents of: Jack-of-all-Trades Daniel Perlof, Stylist Mayson Hauck, Ceramicist Andrea Luna Reece and Food Blogger Kailee in the Kitchen.
A surprise (thanks Kyle!) awaits on the tail end of our lark, when Rita Pham of mcakesweets showcased her amazing talents in creating the most beautiful & best tasting desserts including a gorgeous Earl Grey Cake making this occasion extra sweet.
Modern. Organic. Inspirational. Social Dining. Come on a lark with us!
……More?
As we are always on a lark…here’s a few {personal} moments to share:
Clam-less in Long Beach
Unfortunately the adventure was too much for one little clam (he didn’t make the lark). Soon I discovered that all the elements of this dish, clam excluded, were over-the-top satisfying.
Lark Therapy
I was well into a conversation, dabbling into bits of my history (military brat, late bloomer, endlessly curious), when I learned I was speaking with a professional therapist. I feel better already!
Why Do I Feel Happy
A gentleman on a lark leaned over and said, I feel happier than I have in a long time and I don’t know why. We all chimed in on the endless benefits of social dining.
Hot Yoga
As a universal rule, we only lark in extreme weather and this smoking hot evening was no exception. We laughed at how the high humidity made our “purposeful work” (set up + breakdown) feel more like hot yoga!
