Broken Hearts Burger Club
For burger purists, it’s hard to go past a classic American-style smashed-patty burger. Sadly, this is not something that is easily found here in Australia. For Jay Gordon, it was the thing he missed most when moving home from LA, so he decided to take it upon himself to start making hand-smashed burgers from scratch. He started up an Instagram account to document his journey – Peer Reviewed Burgers – and promised to make and deliver his 30-odd followers free burgers as he mastered his new craft. Before long, Jay’s American-style burgers (and quest for simplistic perfection) started to gain a loyal following (ourselves included), all keen to get a taste of these juicy buns. Unanimously his taste testers agreed – Jay needed to open a burger joint. He called upon his long-time friend Ché Quaedvlieg who immediately jumped on board and, after much experimentation, they announced their first pop-up, which sold out in advance online in mere hours. Jay and Ché were overwhelmed by the response and set about not only planning the next pop-up, but scouting a bricks-and-mortar venue. By the time their latest pop-up (a take over of food truck New York Waffles) was announced, the burgers had started to amass a cult following – so much so that they sold out in advance in less than ten minutes. Yesterday, Jay and Ché revealed the switch to their official burger-slinging name – Broken Hearts Burger Club – and The Weekend Edition is excited to announce that they will be opening a permanent burger joint in October, taking over the old Wing Fix space in Morningside (which is closing at the end of August). Broken Hearts Burger Club’s signature hand-smashed cheeseburger will be the star – think a soft custom-made milk bun, a generous dollop of house sauce, pickles (that Jay claims are essential and will be loved even by pickle haters), and American cheese melted upon the pièce de résistance, a smashed patty blend of chuck steak, premium steak and a little bacon to really get that coveted Maillard reaction. The menu will also include the likes of a classic chicken fillet and rotating specials, plus a handful of sides. If you can’t wait until October, be sure to follow Broken Hearts Burger Club on Instagram with eagle eyes – another pop-up will be announced in the coming week, but you better be quick!

Lobby Bar’s new head chef
The Calile Hotel has just announced a new head chef for the Lobby Bar – Andrew Gunn. The highly acclaimed chef, who originally hails from Brisbane, began his career at long-missed Isis Brasserie, followed by a stint at Sydney’s Bécasse before spending six years in Paris in a number of Michelin-starred restaurants. Most recently, Andrew assumed the role of executive chef at The Euro and Urbane. With Andrew’s Lobby Bar appointment comes a new seasonal menu, which includes hearty breakfasts, fresh light lunches and an evening tapas menu, paired with an updated cocktail and wine list. Everything on the new menu is made in house from local premium-quality ingredients, including the likes of breakfast shakshuka (featuring Andrew’s mum’s kasundi), cotoletta with brown butter and capers, and spicy chorizo-stuffed baby squid with pil-pil sauce. In addition to local suppliers, the Lobby Bar team is also planning to utilise The Calile’s rooftop to build a culinary garden and beehive to service the kitchen. Special events, chef collaboration dinners and more are expected to be announced for later in the year – keep an eye on The Weekend Edition for updates.

ZA ZA TA Bar & Kitchen
If these past few months have been good for anything, it’s culinary experimentation. During their downtime, the kitchen crew at Fortitude Valley’s ZA ZA TA have implemented a tasty new direction for its Middle Eastern and Mediterranean-inspired menu, highlighting ethical and conscious eating by creating a fully vegetarian menu. Executive chef Roy Ner is taking cues from the plant-based dining explosion sweeping the globe, spotlighting locally sourced produce and enhancing them with ZA ZA TA’s signature smoky charcoal flavour. The bold menu features a curated range of meze plates, more substantial dishes and desserts, all of which are best shared. From the old-school hummus with 63-degree egg and the silverbeet and feta börek fingers to the robata-grill-cooked oyster mushroom shish and slow-cooked eggplant H’raime, even die-hard carnivores will be satiated. ZA ZA TA is open for dinner from 5:30 pm, Thursday to Saturday.

Wandering Cooks Urban Produce Market
South Brisbane institution Wandering Cooks is known to many as the birthplace of some of Brisbane’s most beloved foodie concepts, having been the incubator for the likes of El Planta, Pie Town, Alphabet Cafe and many more successful businesses (in addition to being a top spot to dine in its own right). On Saturday August 22 (and running from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm every Saturday thereafter), Wandering Cooks will host its inaugural Urban Produce Market, where some of the region’s best produce and bites from small growers and producers will be on offer. The market’s Farm Gate section is where you’ll find produce from the likes of Thai Hoa Grocer, Neighbourhood Farm, The Falls Farm, Little Acre Mushrooms and Spring Lakes Farm, while a selection of zero-waste preserves and ferments (made on site using market produce leftovers) will also be available. If your morning market trip doubles as an excuse to grab a tasty breakfast, be sure to nab a pastry from The Bread Social, or savour a potato hash with slow-roasted hogget, mint jelly, carrot relish and dressed greens (and a coffee or seasonal juice) from Small Batch Roasting. Head to the Event Guide for more details!

Scenic Rim ‘Thinking About You’ Farm Box
Got friends stuck in Victorian lockdown in desperate need for a little ray of Queensland sunshine? While you may not be able to bottle up the sun, you can still brighten their day with a little box of joy, straight from the Sunshine State. The brains behind the Scenic Rim Farm Box have just announced their new ‘Thinking About You’ boxes, jam-packed full of Queensland goodness that can be posted anywhere in Australia. The boxes particularly have our Melbourne pals in mind, filled with the likes of Summer Land Camels deep-cleansing hand wash, finger-lime marmalade from Canungra Creek Finger Limes, Witches Falls wines, Greenlee Farm & Cottages macadamias, beeswax candles from Dewar’s Honey, and cookies from Lovett at Kalbar. Boxes are $120 including postage and handling, and can be ordered through the Scenic Rim Farm Box website.

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