Fun in Pizzopoli
Natural wines and pizza-inspired pastries will star at Fun in Pizzopoli – an upcoming collaborative event between Lune Croissanterie, Butler Wine Bar and Giorgio De Maria of Fun Wines. On Sunday December 11, Butler will welcome the esteemed wine wholesaler and beloved Sydney hospitality figure (who also co-owns Paski Vineria Popolare in Darlinghurst) for an afternoon and evening of summery sips and tasty snacks. The event will see Giorgio splashing a range of natural (and delicious) European wines, while Lune’s pastry kitchen will pump out two kinds of pizza escargots (a margherita pizza and the pizza alla Giorgio, topped with anchovies, capers and oregano) as well as its famed cacio e pepe escargot. A small selection of classic Italian antipasti will also be on offer to help fill any gaps. Fun in Pizzopoli will boast two sessions – an afternoon sitting between 2:00–5:00 pm and a night session from 5:30–8:30 pm – with tickets including two Lune pizzas and access to Giorgio’s treasure trove of vino. Tickets are limited, so be sure to snag some as soon as possible.

A special degustation at Besitos
Bellissimo Bulimba’s short-lived but deeply cherished nighttime pop-up Besitos was one of the highlights of Brisbane’s dining scene this year. If you didn’t make it to Besitos to dine before it finished its run, you’re in luck – the chefs behind Besitos’ Mediterranean-inspired eats are helming the kitchen once more for a one-off eight-course degustation dinner this Friday December 9. This share-style dining experience will see chefs Marco Torrisi and Salvatore Munzone deliver a sumptuous feast featuring some stand-out dishes from Besitos’ original menu (including the chargrilled Mooloolaba king prawns), as well as new items like lobster cappellacci, tuna carpaccio, braised rabbit and whipped burrata polenta, spinach tagliatelle, and tiramisu prepared with fresh Bellissimo espresso. The $120 offering will also include a refreshing Aperol spritz on arrival. The evening is expected to book out fast, so act quick and secure your spot here.

Rothwell’s Wine Room
We don’t want to alarm you, but it’s officially the festive season. If you haven’t arranged your work Christmas celebrations, you’ve only got a little bit of time to do so. Thankfully, inner-city bistro Rothwell’s Bar & Grill has lifted the cloche on its new 12-guest dining room, Rothwell’s Wine Room, which is the perfect space for an intimate gathering. Located down in Rothwell’s atmospheric basement level, the cosy space features dark wood fixtures, a wood-edged marble dining table, original artwork from George Johnson, vintage table lamps and shelves filled to tipping point with owner Dan Clark’s extensive wine collection (some of which date back to the 1920s). Groups dining downstairs will be treated to a succession of morsels from the Experience Menu, which features highlights from chef Ben Russell’s outstanding a la carte menu that can also be matched with select wines. The offering includes the likes of poached oysters with scrambled egg, chive and caviar, baked half-shell scallops with cafe de Paris butter matched with Perrier-Jouët and Barrat-Masson champagne, king salmon Wellington with foie gras butter matched with a Joëlle Vrignaud chablis, and a six-week dry-aged grass-fed rib matched with a 2015 Paveil du Luze from Bordeaux. You can take a peek at the private dining packages via the Rothwell’s website.

Ippin Japanese Dining
In case you missed the big news we shared last week, here’s a little refresher. The crew behind Sydney’s fantastic Kuon Omakase will expand its hospitality portfolio to Brisbane next year with Ippin Japanese Dining, a 140-seat restaurant taking shape at West End lifestyle hub West Village. Opening on the second floor of the precinct’s Garden Pavilion building in April 2023, Ippin will pair a contemporary Japanese-inspired aesthetic (crafted by Sydney interior-design firm Vie Studio) with a menu of eats fashioned by talented chef Tatsuya Miwa. We’ve heard talk that Ippin’s a la carte menu will feature locally sourced produce as well as imported Japanese ingredients, starting with seafood and salivation-worthy yakitori skewers, before moving on to tempura-fried items such as cuttlefish and lobster popcorn and larger portions of toothfish and top-grade wagyu beef. We can also confirm that Ippin’s drinks list will feature Australian, French and Italian wines, a list of Japanese sake, and a clutch of signature cocktails.

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