Shift Drinks Bar Opens Downtown; Justin Wills Opens Sorella on the Coast

DOWNTOWN — Shift Drinks bar opened its doors on Monday, transforming the corner spot in the Terminal Sales Building from a fusty old office to a sleek new bar. Sommelier Anthony Garcia and bartender Alise Moffatt, who met while working at Multnomah Whiskey Library, bring nerdy wines, expert craft cocktails, and top-tier service to this hip industry hangout. And Garcia's wife, chef Anne Garcia, stocks the food menu with "no frills Italian-inspired dishes that make ideal accompaniments to the casual cocktail or glass of wine." Shift Drinks even has an off-premise liquor license, which means you can take those geeky bottles of wine to go until late in the night.

CENTRAL EASTSIDE — The husband and wife team of Sandra and Nick Arnerich, who worked at French Laundry, recently opened their Italian, live-fire-fueled Renata. The kitchen is helmed by Matt Sigler, an alum of San Francisco's Flour and Water, Salumeria, and Quince. The restaurant takes up about 3,000 square feet of the newly renovated 10,000-square-foot building, which is also home to Ancient Heritage dairy and a soon-to-open second outpost of Alma Chocolate.

NEWPORT — Chef Justin Wills, known for creating exquisitely composed plates at  Restaurant Beck, his fine dining restaurant in Depot Bay on the Oregon Coast, is opening a second restaurant. Sorella at Nye Beach is a more casual Italian restaurant a few miles up the coast in Newport. It opens this weekend, with an emphasis on fresh handmade pastas and pizzas.