Just after my deadline last week, I received a call from Sarah Kirnon (previously at Hibiscus) with the good news that she finally found a home for MISS OLLIE’S: in Swan’s Market in Old Oakland. She’ll be in good company, with Cosecha Cafe and the upcoming Rosamunde.
Naming the project after her grandmother, Kirnon explained the concept will be a lot like the “one-stop shops” of her native Barbados. Menu items will include a spin on “shark and bake,” a popular street food dish: swordfish tucked into a savory doughnut, filled with pickled pineapple, mango chutney, and tamarind sauce. She also mentioned salt cod salad (bol jol) with pickled peppers, scorched cherry tomatoes, parsley, garlic, and green banana chips; and roti with goat and potato filling, a kind of Caribbean burrito. Other dishes like her famed fried chicken, plus oxtail, black-eyed peas, and more will be making appearances. She said lunchtime will have counter service, plus a takeout window for those who need to grab and go. Dinner will be a simplified menu, with a few key dishes and sides and an array of beverages, plus special nights with whole-animal dinners, guest chefs, and more.
The space was previously Jesso’s Seafood, and after some cosmetic changes, Kirnon thinks Miss Ollie’s should be able to open mid-September. It will be closed Sunday evenings and all day Monday. 901 Washington St. at 9th St., Oakland.
Kirnon’s famed fried chicken while at Hibiscus. Photo: © tablehopper.com.
