Boystown restaurant Lark ( 3441 N. Halsted St.; LarkChicago.com ) basically has something for everyone.
As for the name, owner Mark Libersonwho seemingly owns half of the Boystown striptold Windy City Times, "Lark was inspired by the idea of bringing people together, like 'birds of a feather flocking together,' and having a lark, engaging in mischievous, light-hearted fun together. In this case, Lark is the neighborhood's go-to place to meet, relax and create new memories over cocktails, dining and retro board games every night of the week."
Yes, board games are part of the aim to make Lark a place to revisitand I'm always down for a good Connect Four match. In addition, Lark ( which is where Halsted's Bar + Grill used to be ) retains its predecessor's large, picturesque outdoor patio, providing yet another reason to attract patrons.
However, stays will be short if the food and libations aren't great. Fortunately, Lark has a lot of appealing options on the menuand I do mean of lot: There are sizeable bar snacks, salads, sandwiches, standard sandwiches, burgers, pasta dishes and pizzas.
Overall, the menu items warrant returning ( for dinner or brunch ). The tempura-fried green beans ( served with ranch dressing ) were tasty, and Lark's smoked bacon-and-mushroom arancini offers a solid twist on the traditional Italian risotto appetizer. ( Honestly, I'd pass on the somewhat watered-down grilled calamari, but that was the only dud that I had. )
The pizzas all look pretty enticing, with choices such as seaside ( shrimp, lobster, calamari and crab meat ), Peruvian potato and bacon and Bernardo's Favorite ( chorizo, basted egg, roasted tomatoes and serrano peppers ), but this carnivorous bunch went for the sausage combo item; the fennel sausage, wild mushrooms and caramelized onions made for a mesmerizing treat. Our meal concluded with the scrumptious churro ice-cream sandwiches, combining hot, soft churro "buns" with three different types of ice cream.
As for drinks, I absolutely loved the pineapple daquiri ( actually called the Improved Pineapple Daquiri ). Among a couple of the other options are Lark ( with Aylesbury Duck vodka, vermouth, passionfruit, Rhine Hall pear brandy, soda and fruit ) and Fresh Squeezed Bees Knees ( Ford's gin, honey, Deschutes fresh squeezed IPA and lemon ).
Lark officially opened June 16. I predict that the birds of a feather Liberson mentioned will be flocking here soon.