Author Joanne Weir Comes to Baker & Spice | Grand Central Bakery Opens in Cedar Mill

SOUTHWEST—James Beard award-winning author Joanne Weir is coming to Baker & Spice this Friday, December 11, to demo recipes and read from her new book, Kitchen Gypsy: Recipes and Stories from a Lifelong Romance with Food. Weir worked the line at Chez Panisse before becoming a culinary author and instructor, and the event kicks off at 6 p.m. and costs $35 (price includes a signed copy of the cookbook). You can make reservations here. [EaterWire]

CEDAR MILL—At 8 a.m. this Wednesday, Cedar Mill will welcome Grand Central Bakery's seventh Portland-area location, selling freshly baked pastries and breads and sandwiches. Located at 12595 N.W. Cornell Road, the new Grand Central will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. [Portland Tribune]

SOUTHWEST—The annual tradition of serving Gregory Gourdet's Peking Duck is back again this December at Departure. One of Gourdet's best-known dishes, the duck is rubbed with 7 spice, salt, and sugar and hung for 24 hours before being roasted and flash-fried, and it's designed to be consumed family-style. The dish is serves "two to four" and costs $92, and it is only served in December. [EaterWire]