Mississippi Oyster Bar Sets Opening Date; Kir Jensen in as Renata’s Pastry Chef

NORTHEAST—Last week, Olympia Oyster Bar’s Melissa Mayer and Maylin Chavez told us that come December 16, they’ll officially be shucking oysters for the public at their deliberately French-dive digs at 4214 N Mississippi Avenue. The long-awaited opening will give oyster lovers a chance to try mollusks in a variety of ways—raw, as chipachole, as ceviche, or as a pâté. Of course, you’ll be invited to pair them with champagne cocktails, just as Mayer and Chavez did during an oyster tasting tour of Paris, which they recently undertook as their biggest-ever homework assignment.

SOUTHEAST—Fans of baker Kir Jensen were more that a little bummed out when she closed her business, the Sugar Cube a year. But she hinted at the time that she was seeking ways to parlay her kitchen skills into a joint that would take advantage of Oregon’s new laws. Translation: Weed pastries. But that hasn’t panned out—yet. So while edible lovers may be understandably disappointed, her original fans have reason to rejoice, because Jensen is now managing the pastry department at the Italian restaurant, Renata, still one of Portland’s hottest tickets in town.

PEARL DISTRICT—A few years ago, Pearl District residents caught a lucky break when P.F. Chang decided to abandoned its cavernous space at 1139 NW Couch Street, thus saving the neighborhood from the sickly sweet scents that the giant Chinese chain had outgassed upon them for years. Now the space will have new owners: Las Vegas’ all-ages Holstein’s Shakes and Buns, known for its boozy milkshakes. Expect to have your first crack at it by early spring, 2016.