We like to celebrate the beginning of summer with a nice dinner out, and this year we decided to finally try out Lark for the occasion. We’ve been to Licorous before, but never Lark – I was expecting the two places to have much more similar vibes, but Lark was much more rustic and comfortable than I would have thought. It’s a small plates/local/seasonal kind of place, and we were very happy with what we got. We ordered all of our plates in advance, and the waitstaff brought them in whatever order they saw fit, one at a time. With most of the meal we drank a McCrea Sirocco Blanc, a beautiful white Rhone blend that made us really happy.

First we got a plate of Yakima Valley asparagus, thin and perfectly cooked, with a little mizuna salad and drizzles of cheese sauce and tomato vinaigrette. The flavors were straightforward, but very pleasing and fresh.

Next came the yellowtail carpaccio, looking exactly like a plate of grapefruit segments. The tuna was delicious, and the topping of preserved lemon, shaved fennel and green olives was surprisingly delicate, not overwhelming the raw fish at all.

We only ordered one item off the specials menu: grilled sardines with a side of sea beans. This was probably my least favorite dish. The fish were pleasant, but the tiny drizzle of paprika oil on the plate wasn’t enough to give them any flavor – it was a little bland. The sea beans were fun – we’d never had them before (oddly enough, we found some at the farmer’s market the next day).

Our last two plates arrived together: steak served with asparagus, morels and a garlic scape puree, and a cute cast iron dish of farro with morels and pea shoots. Both dishes were lovely and they went beautifully together.

Because the portions were fairly light, we were able to consider dessert. J ordered the malt ice cream, which came in a cute but odd cast iron bowl, and I got a piece of cheese with a little dish of honey. It was just about perfect.

Afterwards, we wandered next door to Licorous for a glass of bourbon and some coffee, then eventually took ourselves home.