Some restaurants seem designed for the restaurant critic in mind: trendy location, inventive chefs, craft cocktails and an extensive beer list, all served up in a very cool space. Lark on the Park between uptown and downtown Dallas takes that formula and turns it on its head in a very artful way. The latest offering of Dallas restaurateur Shannon Wynne is at the edge of the urban oasis that is Klyde Warren Park, offering a comfortable setting to enjoy a finely crafted meal with a fabulous view of the park and downtown skyscrapers just beyond.

Huge glass doors and windows flood the space with light, creating the perfect canvas for the graphic art that adorns the walls. Huge blackboards are scattered throughout the dining room and above the bar, showcasing the stunning work of local illustrators.

The intricacy of the artwork is amazing. The boards are wiped clean every three months and a new series of hand-drawn illustrations are featured.

Fortunately, the fare on the plate is just as compelling as the art adorning the walls. The talented chef team of Melody Bishop and Dennis Kelley collaborate on a fresh menu every season.

They’re also collaborating on a family and the night of our Sunday evening visit, Dennis was home with their two toddlers while Melody held down the fort in the kitchen.

We chose a variety of items from the eclectic, globally influenced menu. For starters we sipped on an herb-infused cocktail, and sampled the antipasto board and curry pillows.

The curry pillows were enveloped in a light pastry and were bursting with bright, fresh flavors. The antipasto featured soft burrata cheese, prosciutto di parma, and a mixture of eggplant, onion and peppers, served with perfectly grilled bread.

We then shared a Tako Poke salad of baby octopus, tossed with avocado, mango and a wasabi soy vinaigrette followed by Moo Krab. The salad was fresh and delicious and the succulent, yet crispy Thai pork entrée was balanced with sticky rice, green papaya slaw and a chili garlic sauce. The mixed berry shortcake dessert was the perfect ending to the meal.

Besides the seasonal lunch and dinner menus, Lark on the Park offers a Sunday brunch and a late night menu to accommodate theatre goers from the arts district. The gleaming bar invites conversation anytime.

The next installation of new work will begin on Sunday, October 11th. Chosen artists have 36 hours to complete their projects and will work as the business of the restaurant carries on. Lucky brunch diners that Sunday will be able to enjoy the artistry of a fine meal, along with the work in progress on the boards above them. We plan to be among them!

For more information on the artwork, check out the Lark Blackboard HERE
By Lydia Saldaña