Gelato Messina
Take a deep breath. Brace yourself. Are you ready? Good. Gelato Messina is coming to Brisbane at last! Since the dessert bar opened in Coolangatta last year (and was voted Best Place for Dessert in our Gold Coast EAT/drink Awards), we have been eagerly waiting for it to bring its creative gelato flavours a little further north. It will be well worth the wait – the Brisbane store is set to be the largest Gelato Messina in the country, opening in October at Aria Property Group’s upcoming The Melbourne Residences in South Brisbane. Delectable gelato and mesmerising cakes aren’t the only fun treats happening in-store – Gelato Messina will also be bringing its hands-on and gelato appreciation classes to its new home. Learning has never been so delicious.

Primal Pantry Paddington
Paleo enthusiasts mourning the loss of Paleo Cafe in Paddington – wipe those tears! Paleo-style clean eating is coming back to Given Terrace, with Primal Pantry set to open in the space in late February. Similar to its Nundah Village location, Primal Pantry will be serving up 100-percent gluten- and dairy-free breakfasts, lunches, coffees, smoothies and snacks in the Paddington cafe. Expect to find caveman-worthy eats such as maple-smoked bacon, lamb, poached eggs, mushrooms, fresh spinach and raw tomatoes on the menu, or maybe something a little more cavelady, like avocado, cress and pink grapefruit salad with toasted sunflower seeds and special goddess dressing.

Che Asado
We are saddened to hear that South Bank’s Che Asado has been forced to close, due to issues arising from its custom-made charcoal asado. Unfortunately, without the charcoal cooker the restaurant is unable to plate up its tasty Argentinian barbecue dishes, which were the main focus of the Che Asado menu. The Olé Restaurant Group, who are also behind Olé, The Sangria Bar, Olé Fuego and Mister Paganini, have not yet announced what might be next for the space – keep and eye on The Weekend Edition for updates.

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