SPE

August 15, 2013

LARK CREEK NEWPORT BEACH PARTNERS WITH SPE CERTIFIED TO OFFER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ONE-OF-A-KIND…

LARK CREEK NEWPORT BEACH PARTNERS WITH SPE CERTIFIED TO OFFER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ONE-OF-A-KIND HEALTHY DINING

Opened August 5, 2013, the restaurant is the first on the West Coast to feature the unique, nutrition-focused certification program

(NEWPORT BEACH, CA; August 15, 2013) – Lark Creek Newport Beach, the new Orange County restaurant from the award-winning San Francisco-based Lark Creek Restaurant Group, and SPE Certified, a unique restaurant certification and consulting program designed to enhance the nutritional quality of meals without sacrificing taste, announce their partnership to provide diners with healthful, flavorful dishes. Recently opened at Orange County’s venerable Fashion Island shopping center, Lark Creek Newport Beach is the first restaurant in California to be certified by SPE.

Nationally recognized by The New York Times, Restaurant Hospitality, and TIME magazine, SPE, which stands for Sanitas Per Escam (Latin for “Health Through Food”), aims to provide a universal, trusted standard for healthy and delicious dining outside of the home. Already featured at acclaimed fine-dining establishments around the world, including Rouge Tomate, a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City, the SPE seal of approval takes into account sustainability, the use of seasonal and locally-sourced produce, ideal portion size, and the reduction of salt, saturated fats, and processed ingredients. SPE’s team of experts includes chefs and culinary nutritionists who take an innovative, scientific approach to certifying dishes based on a specific set of rigorous criteria, focusing not solely on health, but also on the sourcing, preparing, and enhancing of food. And above all, taste matters.

“SPE Certified shares with us at Lark Creek Newport Beach a commitment to seasonality, farm-fresh, and sustainable fare,” says Michael Dellar, co-founder of Lark Creek Restaurant Group. “We are honored to have the opportunity to bring SPE to Southern California, and introduce diners to a new standard of healthy fine-dining that provides innovative gourmet dishes that are not only nutritious, but also taste incredible.”

Working in collaboration with Lark Creek Newport Beach’s Chef/Partner John Ledbetter, SPE Certified’s culinary nutritionists and chefs helped to refine a selection of seasonal, nutrient-dense dishes and prix-fixe menu options following the program’s nutritional and culinary philosophy. “At Lark Creek, we always use local, seasonal ingredients, and cook everything from scratch, so adjusting our recipes to fit SPE’s requirements was mostly a matter of managing fat, salt and portion sizes,” says Ledbetter. The program’s high health and quality standards will be applied to items available on the restaurant’s lunch, dinner, and brunch menus, including Watermelon “Carpaccio” with Valbreso feta, radish, mint, and champagne vinaigrette; Head-On Gulf Prawn Skewers with roasted corn, poblano chiles, basil, and roast tomato vinaigrette; and a Strawberry Shortcake served with Greek yogurt and honey cream, all of which will be designated on Lark Creek Newport Beach’s menus by SPE’s memorable squiggly red, insignia.

“Fine dining doesn’t have to be unhealthy, nor does healthy and nutritious food need to be boring. Michael and John clearly understand this, and we are therefore thrilled to be launching in California with Lark Creek Newport Beach,” said SPE Certified Founder and CEO Emmanuel Verstraeten.

About Lark Creek Newport Beach

The award-winning Lark Creek Restaurant Group’s premiere Orange County restaurant, Lark Creek Newport Beach is located at Fashion Island shopping center. Helmed by Chef/Partner John Ledbetter, the restaurant offers diners seasonal, sustainable, farm-fresh cuisine, perfect for the coastal lifestyle, and features a sophisticated beverage program offering artisanal cocktails, craft beer, and an exceptional wine list. Lark Creek Newport Beach at Fashion Island is at 957 Newport Center Drive in Newport Beach, below Island Cinema, and is open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. For more information, visit the restaurant at www.larkcreeknb.com, or on Facebook and on Twitter.

About SPE® Certified:

SPE® Certified is a unique certification and consulting program designed to enhance the nutritional quality of meals, without sacrificing taste. SPE stands for Sanitas Per Escam (Latin for “Health Through Food”), and its mission is to provide a universal, trusted standard for healthy and delicious dining outside of the home. SPE Certified’s guidelines combine cutting-edge research with international health standards, validated and updated continuously by world-renowned nutrition experts. SPE Certified works with chefs to develop seasonal, great-tasting dishes that focus on sourcing, thoughtful preparation and an artful approach to combining nutrient-dense ingredients. Buildings have LEED; household products have the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval; food now has SPE Certified. www.SPEcertified.com