Neal Santos
Next door to their all-day cafe in Bala Cynwyd, Nick Elmi and Fia Berisha’s Lark will feature rooftop views of the Schuylkill and sustainably-sourced Mediterranean cuisine
Lark, the long-in-process second Main Line restaurant from Laurel’s Nick Elmi, will open on Saturday, October 23, in Bala Cynwyd. In the same building as his first suburban venture, The Landing Kitchen, Lark is a rooftop restaurant offering grilled octopus, roasted dorade, alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails, and a view of the Schuylkill River as it splits Manayunk from Bala Cynwyd.
While the Landing Kitchen is a daytime cafe serving breakfast and lunch with outdoor-indoor seating, Lark will be for the sit-down crowd. Elmi will get a chance to show off his handmade pastas, and sustainable seafood dishes, while cocktails with names like the Tea for the Tillerman and the Gotcha! have been developed by general manager Nicole Sullivan and Elmi’s business partner Fia Berisha.
Sea urchin deviled eggs.
Grilled octopus, Littleneck clams, chorizo, black olives, and chickpeas.
Grilled trout, cauliflower, toasted almond, green grape, and basmati rice.
For dinner, diners will get to try Elmi’s squid ink chitarra with lobster and calamari, glazed Rohan duck breast, and starters like sea urchin deviled eggs and smoked trout madeleines. The cocktail menu features four non-alcoholic drinks, like the Harvest Moon made with apple, fennel, lemon, and soda, as well as about a dozen wines by the glass.
Due to pandemic delays, the restaurant has been two years in the making — but with the success of the Landing Kitchen after opening in March, anticipation for Lark has only grown. “There is so much beauty surrounding us at the Ironworks, from the scenic Schuylkill River to the Manayunk treetops,” Elmi said in a release. The dining experience at Lark, he added, will try to capture all of it.
Lark is located at 611 Righters Ferry Road in Bala Cynwyd. To start, it will be open Wednesday through Saturday, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Reservations for October 27 and onward can be made here. Website.
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