Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/253609
february 2014 / the tasting panel / 83 PHOTO: JEREMY BALL PHOTO: JEREMY BALL Cult Connection: Lark The concept was simple: sharing plates in a communal setting. But the execution was no lark. Owner Sherry Villanueva's family-style restaurant goes beyond meeting your tablemate. As the new Funk Zone favorite, neighbor to popular wine tasting rooms and retail shops, a reservation at Lark is a coveted treasure. "Russo has the creds," Villanueva tells THE TASTING PANEL, referring to her star, Dan Russo, the restaurant's GM. "I was brought up in the industry," Russo admits. He moved to Santa Barbara from San Francisco, where he was GM of RN74. Before that he lived in Chicago, where, among other feats, he opened Girl & The Goat with fourth season Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard. "Santa Barbara was stuck in a rut, trying to be everything to everybody. We came in at the right time with great food, an artisanal beverage program and the right location," he states. "With talent like Bar Manager Ryan Stowers, RN74 alum Eric Railsback's wine program and Executive Chef Jason Paluska, we have a winning combination." (Railsback is also Managing Partner, with Master Sommelier Brian McClintic, at Les Marchands, a boutique wine shop connected to Lark by a window.) But it's Russo's urban sophistication that owner Villanueva sees as the most valuable contribution to the restaurant's success, as he brought all the pieces together. "He's committed to quality, but also a level of training that properly prepares the staff to do their jobs." In the Zone. Lark GM Dan Russo heads up the food and beverage decisions at Santa Barbara's new cult eatery. Lark owner Sherry Villanueva with SWS's VP/District Manager Jerome Crannell and TASTING PANEL Publisher, Meridith May.