Inside the Parish, EaT's New Pearl District Oyster Palace

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[Avila, 5/18/12]

And now, a look inside the Pearl District's soon-to-open spot the Parish, the Cajun/Creole concept from EaT: Oyster Bar's Southern-styled team of Tobias Hogan and Ethan Powell. The restaurant, which took over the 4,000-square-foot In Good Taste cooking school and retail outfit on NW 11th, now features 90 seats among its bar, banquettes, communal table, and "standing islands" for oyster slurpers. But the central design focuses around the curved bar — made of Oregon white oak — where guests seated in antique captain's chairs can grab an up-close look at the oyster shuckers at work.

As promised, Hogan and Powell imported an antique church pulpit (from a Mississippi church dating to the 1920s) to serve as the host's stand: In a press release, noted restaurant designer Mark Annen described his design as "a blend of juxtapositions, a mix of the sacred and profane, just like the French Quarter of New Orleans."

The menu similarly plays with juxtapositions of upscale and casual, supplying diners with every meal but breakfast, seven days a week. In addition to the raw bar (which yes, will offer a daily selection of oysters to-go), expect dinnertime dishes like turtle soup, braised frog legs with fava beans, and whole blackened halibut. (A Cajun "cochonnailles" — a traditional French and New Orleans style of whole-hog eating is dubbed a "house speciality"). During a daily 4-6pm happy hour, items like fried oysters, red beans and rice, and yes, a cheeseburger can be paired with classic New Orleans cocktails; late-night happy hour (after 10pm) offers cheap oysters. Weekend brunch offers options like fried green tomatoes served with Dungeness crab; and rabbit hash with roasted root veggies.

After a weekend of preview events, the Parish opens to the public on Tuesday, May 22. Hours of operation: Monday-Thursday, 11am-11pm; Friday, 11am-midnight; Saturday, 9am-midnight; Sunday 9am-11pm.
· The Parish [Official site]
· All Previous Parish Coverage [Eater PDX]
· All Previous EaT: Oyster Bar Coverage [Eater PDX]