Tobias Hogan and Ethan Powell are putting the finishing touches on their new 90-seat Pearl District restaurant The Parish, polishing up the custom tables and freshly-pinned banquet seats for a marathon of pre-opening events before the doors officially open to the general public on Tuesday, May 22nd.

Check out my slideshow of the bright space (in the former In Good Taste Cooking School) by clicking on the link under the gorgeous grilled shrimp at left, then RSVP for one of these great events to get a taste for yourself:

On Friday, May 18 at 6 pm, The Parish will open its doors for a preview party and private concert featuring Portland Blues duo Curtis Salgado and Alan Hager. Guests at this intimate event will be among the first to sample the new restaurant’s Cajun and Creole dishes, including house-smoked Southern-style ham, flavorful jambalaya, and a fresh oyster bar. Tickets to the kick-off concert are just $25 per person, and a prix fixe dinner menu and cocktails will be available.

The restaurant will also host a $55 three-course seated preview dinner on Saturday, May 19th (with reservations available from 5:30 to 9 pm) including chicken-fired quail, Creole gumbo, freshly-shucked oysters, and a cocktail or glass of wine.

If brunch is more your style, head to The Parish on May 20th for the $25 Sunday Jazz Brunch with Pete Krebs. Reservations are available from 10 am to 2 pm, and brunch will include two courses (think fried green tomatoes with Dungeness crab and creole hollandaise, fresh beignets, pain perdue with whiskey sauce, rabbit hash with roasted root vegetables and crispy livers, and plenty of grits), coffee, and a signature Bloody Mary.

For reservations to any of these pre-opening events, call The Parish at 503-227-2421 or visit www.theparishpdx.com.

The Parish
231 NW 11th Ave; 503-227-2421

Lunch & Dinner: Monday through Thursday, 11 am to 11 pm; Friday 11 am to midnight
Weekend Brunch & Dinner: Saturday 9 am to midnight; Sunday 9 am to 11 pm
Happy Hour: Daily from 4 to 6 pm; Friday and Saturday late-night “Oyster Happy Hour” from 10 pm to midnight