John Sundstrom relocated his fanatically beloved Lark to the warehousey flank of Pike/Pine off Madison, spinning out a starlit space—indigo banquettes, white linens, a welkin of pendants overhead—as elegant as any in town. Out of the rafters he carved a casual bar, Bitter/Raw, offering charcuterie and crudo, along with plenty of bitter cocktails. But Lark, once the upstart that pioneered small-plate dining, has become the noble elder; grown-ups come here for that disappearing species—relaxing high-end dinners—assembled either from small plates or a combination of mains and Sundstrom’s famous grains. The menu is long and speckled with old favorites (the eel with saba, the skillet of mascarpone-creamy farro) and executed, as in the crisped pork belly with cauliflower puree and a rye whiskey glaze, with Lark’s reliably able hand. Less sure is service: throwing into bold relief the poise of this food even as it reminds that this is, after all, still Pike/Pine.
Updated 04/08/2015
