Mr Wabi
Bustling inner-city nightlife strip Burnett Lane will score a new resident next month when Asian-inspired street-food haunt Mr Wabi opens its doors to the public at the end of September. Slotting into the site formerly home to Spanish tapas bar El Matador, Mr Wabi will be reshaping the space with a structural and cosmetic shake-up. Works will soon commence on creating room for a larger capacity, with the existing bar being removed and relocated to open up floor space and room for more seating. In addition to boasting a punchy pink colour scheme, the venue itself will be adorned in street art, with local artists creating portrait murals and calligraffiti across existing wall space. Mr Wabi’s menu will offer a range of shareable street eats designed to cater for all hunger levels, with a culinary fusion of Asian cuisines resulting in the likes of stuffed bao buns, wagyu tacos and teriyaki tomahawk steaks. Cocktails will also form a big piece of Mr Wabi’s drinks offering, with signature cocktails (like an old fashioned frozen in ice) and riffs on old-school favourites adding plenty of theatre to the tipple experience. We’ll have more on this exciting arrival closer to its opening date. Stay tuned!

Locale’s pop-up cannoli bar
Beloved Newstead-based home-style cafe Locale is known for lots of things – its menu of Italian-inspired brunch, pantry staples and sublime coffee – but many of you probably know it for its cannoli. Locale’s annual pop-up cannoli bar is back again for 2021, taking place this Saturday August 14, but this year the team is doing things a little bit differently to ensure a completely COVID-safe operation. Cannoli lovers are encouraged to go to Locale’s website and place an order, with online purchases given a predetermined collection time between 8:00 am and 1:00 pm on the day. Seven different flavours of cannoli are up for grabs, including traditional Italian chocolate, Sicilian sweet ricotta, strawberry chantilly cream (an ode to the Ekka), espresso martini, pistachio and chocolate chip, lavender and frangipane crumble, and vanilla creme patissiere. Click here to browse the selection and to place an order.

After Dark Wine
In case you missed yesterday’s announcement, next month a dynamic duo consisting of a top-notch a sommelier and a die-hard foodie will launch After Dark Wine – a pop-up wine bar concept taking over Masters St Coffee in early September. The brainchild of Mark Whitaker and Kirstie Petrie, After Dark will see the duo transform the Newstead coffee spot at night, turning it into a cosy wine bar offering a curated selection of sips and snacks. Guests will be able to enjoy a balanced range of vino (plus minimalist beers and stir-down cocktails), with roughly 20 drops encompassing exciting new-wave wines, classic expressions and high-end sips – all available by the glass. A small menu of snacks – think charcuterie, cheeses, crudites and pate – will be sourced from a rotating range of artisanal Southeast Queensland producers. Keep your eyes peeled for more on After Dark Wine, which will look to takeover more existing sites in Brisbane’s unheralded pockets.

Help Our Hospo
Last week was tough for our hospitality scene. Though many locations rapidly switched to takeaway offerings to recoup costs, some venues – like our bars and nightlife staples – were forced to wait until restrictions lifted to operate. The crew behind Fortitude Valley bars Queens and Kings, as well as the team at Winn Lane-based DJ broadcast crew QUIVR, will be hosting Help Our Hospo on Wednesday August 11 – a ten-hour online streaming event that is looking to raise funds for hospitality staff doing it tough with the industry shutdowns. From 12:00–10:00 pm, a host of Brisbane’s best DJs will be performing from QUIVR’s broadcast space, injecting a bit of danceable energy into your day in return for a donation. The line-up includes Sampology, Jimmy Ellis, Sweaty Baby, Rousey, Greaves, Aidan Beiers, KWeir, Whiskey & Disco, Mosaic, Baby Paws and Luke Brazier back-to-back with Mumgenes, with a donation goal of $10,000 to be divided equally between hospitality staff from participating venues such as Black Bear Lodge, Saville Row and Warehouse 25. So far more than $1000 has been raised – you can donate via Help Our Hospo’s Fundly page and tune in on Wednesday via QUIVR’s website.

If you’ve heard something that’s worth mentioning in The Weekend Edition’s Pavement Whispers, email [email protected].