Pavement Whispers: Vol 34 August 4
From whispers of specialty coffee shops to pop-up bars, The Weekend Edition is always on the search for the latest news in Brisbane, dedicated to ensuring its readers are in the know. When we put our ears to the pavement this week, this is what we found out …
Wooden Horse Restaurant & Bar
Yet another new venue is opening in Clayfield, with Wooden Horse Restaurant & Bar set to open its doors on the evening of Friday August 14. The restaurant is taking over the space previously occupied by Campo dei Fiori on Junction Road, and its new chefs/owners, brothers Dane and Morgan Hoey, are currently giving it a fresh new look. Wooden Horse’s modern Australian menu will have a strong Italian influence, serving tapas and mains alongside house-made pasta and brick-oven pizzas. Keep an eye out on The Weekend Edition for full details soon.
Gauge dinner
South Brisbane eatery Gauge is now plating up its inventive dishes for dinner from 5:30 pm Thursday to Saturday evenings. The menu will focus on local, seasonal produce and have a similar feel to Gauge’s lunchtime offerings, but with a few new items available. Although it will change regularly, the current menu features the likes of red claw yabbies with olive oil and shellfish emulsion, sweet potato with black garlic caramel, and rye fettuccine with smoked celeriac and apple.
Tree Cycle Coffee Shop
If you take your caffeine source seriously, you’d best wrap wintery paws around a fresh, hot cup of Colombian coffee from Portside Wharf’s new Tree Cycle Coffee Shop. Cafe co-owner and Crop Del Monte founder Andres Rodriguez travels to Colombia twice a year to source the highest quality coffee beans directly from local farmers. The beans are then cupped by industry professionals and roasted locally to create Tree Cycle’s specialty roasts. The new cafe is offering a broad selection of drinks, from single origins with varying roasting profiles to AeroPress, Chemex and filter coffee, as well as fresh juices and smoothies. Head chef Richard Tran (previously of Cove Bar and Dining in South Bank) is cooking up a delicious menu based on local produce, including standouts like the crushed pistachio on avocado with crispy pancetta and the prawn salad with soba noodles.
Saint Baxter
New Farm eatery Dell’Ugo has changed hands after many years serving authentic Italian cuisine. The venue has changed its name to Saint Baxter and is operated by Ricardo Cruz, former manager of Dell’Ugo and Baguette in Ascot. Ricardo has enlisted the help of co-owners Sarah and Graham Waddell to create a menu of American-style food with a distinct Latin American influence. From the sunny shores of California to the vibrant culture of America’s south, Saint Baxter will offer a menu consisting of delicious meals such as roasts, briskets, tacos and Latin street food. The bar will be mixing a range of tequila-based cocktails and American-style pale ales. Saint Baxter is set to open after the Ekka holiday in mid-August and will be operating from Wednesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner, as well as breakfast on weekends.
Stephens Lane Tanqueray Bar
Last week the Treasury Casino activated some prime space in Stephens Lane for a relaxed cocktail bar. The Stephens Lane Tanqueray Bar is a chic spot that opens from 4:00 pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings. As the name suggests, the bar serves a range of Tanqueray-infused drinks, craft beer, wine and live music. The bar food menu includes a range of sliders, diamond cut rosemary fries sweet potato fries and oysters. The bar will be open indefinitely and could become a permanent fixture in the inner-city bar scene.
Fortitude Valley Markets
As one of Brisbane’s oldest market institutions, the Fortitude Valley Markets has helped launched the careers of many local emerging designers and musicians. After undergoing a significant revamp late last year, the new-look community event is continuing to unveil new ideas and initiatives. Just last weekend, The Valley Rack-It launched with the promise of unique creations from emerging designers and vintage vendors on the first Saturday of every month, while the week before a new live entertainment POD opened in the Brunswick Street Mall. In mid-July, The Retro Markets kicked off with rockabilly fashion, gypsy-themed milk bars and 1950s/60s-style entertainment. Night markets will also be launching soon – keep an eye on The Weekend Edition for further announcements.
If you’ve heard something that’s worth mentioning in The Weekend Edition’s Pavement Whispers, email [email protected]
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