Lark Creek Inn   

234 Magnolia Ave
Larkspur, CA 94939
415-924-7766
www.larkcreek.com

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The pretty yellow cottage among a stand of redwoods is the first, and still nicest, of a mini-chain of Lark Creeks peppering the Bay Area. Everything from the building (which dates from 1888) to the garden (which is heated) to the menu (big on phrases like "farm fresh" and ingredients like buttermilk and huckleberry) is meant to evoke American over Californian, classic over chic. The menu is comprised of perennial favorites that recall the restaurant's 1989 inception -- griddle cakes, light fried chicken and grilled salmon -- along with hits from the '90s like arctic char and tuna tartare and oddballs like delicious pan-fried sweetbreads. Not to say that this place has lost its edge; more accurately, the menu has been polished to super-smoothness. Ambience and can't-fail food make Lark Creek a popular spot for dates and wedding parties. Fantastic acoustics mean your sweet whispers will be heard, and a solid, all-American wine list spurs romantic or celebratory toasts. The biggest treat, though is brunch -- whether in the garden or the sun-dappled dining room. The brunch offerings are nigh limitless. From a gorgonzola souffle to steamed oatmeal, from buttermilk hot cakes to steak frites, from huevos rancheros to butternut squash soup: Whatever your midday yen, you're likely to find it brunching here. The "eye-opener" cocktails are also a treat, especially the gin fizz (on warm days) and the spiced rum (for the more blustery brunch). All menus change due to seasonality and availability, but whatever's on, it feels reassuringly familiar.