The Lark Santa Barbara

Most of the time that I am in downtown Santa Barbara, it is on a stop on the way up to wine country or on the way back home. I have spent afternoons wandering around the Funk Zone in downtown Santa Barbara. While tasting rooms are open during the day in that area, some of the restaurants only open at night. One of those is The Lark. And unfortunately, I have never been there late enough to stay for dinner. But on a recent overnight in Santa Barbara, it was finally my chance to eat at The Lark. The Lark opened in 2013 and has been a Santa Barbara favorite ever since. An urban eatery, it is warm and casual with the re-purposed dark wood materials. Serving locally sourced and responsibly grown seasonal ingredients culled from what is available on the Central Coast, the food is served family style - my favorite! As soon as we sat down, we were served the Lark Popcorn, made with red wine salt, duck fat, thyme, rosemary, black pepper and lemon zest. Savory with a hint of citrus, it is amazing how fast that basket gets emptied.