Kite Terrace’s pop-up restaurant
Last year the Thomas Dixon Centre unveiled a multi-million-dollar facelift that saw the home of Queensland Ballet add a suite of new additions. In addition to revamped dance studios and amenities, the Conrad Gargett-designed makeover is also helping transform the cultural hub into a culinary precinct. Hospitality guru Simon Barakat is overseeing the Thomas Dixon Centre’s culinary arm, with his in-house food and beverage specialist OnPointQB tabbed to operate the venue’s two soon-to-open dining concepts – subterranean fine diner Bunker Barre and cafe bistro The Dixon – as well as oversee the catering of its two function spaces, the Kite Terrace and the Champagne Terrace. Until Bunker Barre and The Dixon open to the public, Simon and his team will be operating a pop-up restaurant on the Kite Terrace, launching on Wednesday February 8. Taking inspiration from his previous restaurant concept, Lebanese-inspired Ehden Bar & Kitchen, Simon will be serving an array of Mediterranean flavours from Wednesday to Saturday between 12:00–9:00 pm. Guests can ascend to the breezy rooftop terrace (which is covered for weatherproof dining) for plates of hand-stretched burrata with confit cherry tomatoes and broccolini pesto, Freemantle octopus with kipfler potatoes and kalamata olives, Lebanese spiced chicken with Israeli couscous and preserved-lemon yoghurt, and 300-g wagyu rib eye with hand-cut fries. That’s not all – the pop-up will also be serving $2 oysters between 3:00–5:00 pm with any drink purchase. On the libation front, expect a solid wine list showcasing drops from France, Spain and Italy, as well as drops from Greece and Lebanon. The pop-up restaurant will operate until the end of April, with plans in the works to host special rosé lunches, gin dinners and champagne evenings to show off sips from OnPointQB’s suppliers. Lovebirds can also book in for a special Valentine’s Day dinner, where a five-course menu featuring coral trout with lemon beurre blanc, gratin scallops with chilli, garlic, lemon and pangrattato, and dark-chocolate manger with chilli, smoked salt and Atherton raspberry. Bookings for the Thomas Dixon Centre’s pop-up and the Valentine’s Dinner can be made via the OnPointQB website.

Fresco: French Touch
Back in November, the crew behind Half Moon Wine Store linked up with sensational Fish Lane residents Southside and Kiki to host Fresco, an afternoon wine festival showcasing Australia’s best new-wave winemakers. It was a major success, with a horde of oenophiles descending on Fish Lane’s Town Square to sip samples from some of the finest sustainable producers in the biz. In good news for those that missed out on a ticket to Fresco’s spring debut, Half Moon, Southside and Kiki will be teaming up again to host Fresco: French Touch on Sunday March 5. As the event’s name suggests, this iteration will hero French wines from some of the team’s favourite importers and distributors. Bottomless tastings of 60 wines will be available to guests (as long as stocks last), with the selection turning the spotlight on regions and grapes that have long been overlooked in favour of bigger names – think Beaujolais, the Loire Valley and Languedoc. Like last time, the Half Moon team will be on hand to facilitate orders of any of the vino you deem worthy of adding to your home collection. Southside’s kitchen will be turning out a selection of snacks, while Kiki will be slinging cocktails to those ready to move onto a different kind of libation. Fresco: French Touch will run between 12:00–3:00 pm, with tickets on sale now for $65 per person. Get yours before they’re all snatched up.

The Doonan
The Comiskey Group might be one of the busiest publican groups in all of Australia. The brains behind Queensland-based hospitality and entertainment venues such as the Sandstone Point Hotel, Eatons Hill Hotel and Samford Hotel will be adding another feather in its cap soon with the addition of The Doonan to its portfolio. The group is partnering with Josh Jones and Neville ‘Nifty’ Allen on the $6-million project, which will see a 2-ha site nestled in the scenic Noosa Valley become home to a sprawling locale that will look more like a nursery than a pub. A pre-existing building, formerly a German restaurant, has been retained as the epicentre of the venue, with works currently underway to maintain its unique exterior (especially its red roof), while a landscape design will look to conjure a modern garden-inspired setting. Once it’s up and running, The Doonan will serve paddock-to-plate fare crafted from locally sourced produce, as well as craft beer made from local Sunshine Coast breweries. It will also boast an on-site cellar door stocking beers, wines and spirits with a focus on locally produced libations. The Comiskey Group is eager to make The Doonan a road trip-worthy spot for families, with the large outdoor dining space also featuring a playground for little ones to play. “We believe it’s going to be an exciting new addition to the area, a local hub for the community to gather,” says Comiskey Group director Rob Comiskey on The Doonan’s progress. “Structurally, the venue has well and truly taken shape! Right now, we are currently executing our designer landscaping, planting thousands of plants and trees to bring plenty of life and character to the build.” A recruitment drive has recently launched, with positions available for all kinds of roles at The Doonan. Interested locals are encouraged to send employment enquiries to [email protected]. The Doonan will open in March – keep your eyes peeled for more updates soon!

Ardo’s
In case you missed last week’s news blast, here’s something that’ll be sure to excite wine lovers living in and around Newstead. Ardo’s, a brand-new 40-seat wine bar and bottle shop concept from the City Winery team, will open later this month on Wyandra Street in the space formerly home to Carl’s. Taking cues from the snack-centric bar culture of northern Spain (particularly San Sebastian’s wine-bar scene), Ardo’s will serve a sensational array of pinxtos-style bites backed by a solid list of vino. The wine offering is expected to total 80–100 bottles encompassing European benchmarks and options from independent Australian winemakers. Ardo’s will continue to double as a micro cellar door for City Winery wines, with guests able to book in for a wine tasting or one of the signature City Winery experiences. As for the space itself, the City Winery team is currently undertaking a swift fit-out process to add high-end touches like marble stone bar tops and rendered-concrete finishes. Stay tuned for a detailed look at Ardo’s when it opens at the end of February.

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