Willow Cafe
Balmoral’s brunch scene is set to expand next month with the late-September arrival of Willow Cafe on Riding Road. This coastal-inspired eatery is the brainchild of Adam Dartnall, who also owns popular Stones Corner locale Stones Throw Cafe. Looking to bring a dash of the salt-licked, sun-soaked and stress-free energy of Noosa to Brisbane, Adam’s new venture will draw influence from his beachside hometown, giving the 55-seater space a relaxed coastal retreat vibe coupled with a menu packed with flavour and colour. We’ve been told to expect dishes such as oxtail shakshuka, pan-seared salmon laksa with green-tea noodles, Shibuya-style French toast with Nutella and toasted marshmallows, Singapore-style mud-crab omelette (served with a crab claw), banoffee pancakes with blueberry maple and Chantilly cream, and Willow’s own dragon fruit and vanilla panna cotta with probiotic granola, figs and mascarpone. Coffee is being supplied by Seven Miles (more on them below), with its The Cat’s Pyjamas blend on deck alongside bottomless mimosas and other tasty tipples. We’ll have more info on this one closer to the opening date!

Verde and Sweet
Fans of the Colombian and Latin American-inspired fare at Hamilton’s Petrichor & Co. have reason to be extra excited this week – the team behind the beloved Racecourse Road cafe will be opening a new artisan kitchen and pantry concept called Verde and Sweet next door at the end of August. Geared towards making the lives of locals easier, Verde and Sweet will stock everything needed to make lunch or dinner a cinch. A range of ready-to-eat items like fresh salads, gourmet sandwiches, cakes, savoury treats and acai bowls will be available alongside pantry stuffers such as gourmet cookies, artisanal crackers, granolas, spice mixes, spreads, relishes, jams and dips. Verde and Sweet will also stock take-home dinners (imbued with Latin American flavours), prepare fruit, cheese, dip and sandwich platters for the entertainers among you, and will even offer corporate catering. Stay tuned for an up-close look at Verde and Sweet later this month.

Seven Miles
Those that have been keeping tabs on the progress of much-hyped Albion dining hub Craft’d Grounds might already be across the development’s latest announcement. If you happened to miss the news, fear not, because we have the goods. Sydney-born coffee crew Seven Miles was revealed to be the latest confirmed Craft’d Grounds tenant, joining previously announced craft-beer outfit Brewtide as core residents of the hub’s open-plan interior. The expansion will be Seven Miles’ flagship presence in Queensland and will boast plenty of high-tech roasting apparatus, a retail area, coffee bar and facilities for barista training, masterclasses, cupping sessions and barista-art competitions. Ben Graham, formerly of Brisbane-based micro roaster Parallel Roasters, will be overseeing operations and the offering, which will include coffee (naturally) made using The Cat’s Pyjamas, other widely lauded blends such as Wilde and Cultivar, plus a host of single-origin roasts. Guests can also expect a range of brew methods and a small selection of snacks (made by one of the roaster’s nosh-oriented neighbours) to go with their choice of sip. Craft’d Grounds is on track to open in October – we’ll have word of more additions soon!

New Ekka public holiday date
While we know it’s not technically food news, a long weekend is generally filled with joyous eating and drinking – so we figured you’d want to know that a new date has been announced for the postponed Ekka public holiday. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced this morning that the show holiday has been moved to Friday October 29 this year, which means October will be bookended by two long weekends, baby! The public holiday will apply to all residents in the Brisbane, Moreton Bay and Scenic Rim regions, and the Premier is urging us to make the most of the long weekend and inject some much-needed tourism dollars into regional Queensland. The weather should be nice and warm by that time of year, so we suggest you start planning a little getaway, stat. Of course, if you’re planning on staying in town, we’ll have a list of all of the cafes, restaurants and bars staying open to keep you fed and watered all weekend closer to the date.