Brisbane Ice Cream Festival
Yeah, you read that correctly. Brisbane is getting its first ice-cream festival! Clear your calendars for Saturday March 11, as the Brisbane Ice Cream Festival will be taking over the historic Peters Ice Cream Factory on Boundary Street in West End. For the first time since its closure in 1996, the ice-cream factory will be filled with icy, creamy goodness, with the festival featuring ice-cream, gelato, popsicles and a whole range of cool treats. The full line-up is still under wraps, but we can confirm you’ll be able to taste ice-cream-filled doughnuts from Minus 32, coffee pops from Queen of Pops, fancy gelato from Gelato Messina, ice-cream sandwiches from Boss Bites and fruity icy poles from Frozen Sunshine, plus sweet treats for vegan and dairy-intolerant ice-cream lovers. The Brisbane Ice Cream Festival will be presented by upcoming lifestyle precinct West Village, which will soon be situated at the old Peters’ site.

The Manhattan Line
We love New York and the deliciousness it comes with but, let’s be honest, America isn’t really a desirable destination at the moment. Luckily for us, we don’t need to get Trumped to enjoy a New York-style hot dog. South Bank’s The Manhattan Line has been serving up fancied-up dogs since 2014 and has just announced a second venue is coming soon to Oxford Street. Offering a very similar menu to its South Bank sibling, The Manhattan Line Bulimba will serve up American street food, whisky and beer as of April. Hot dogs topped with caramelised onions, crispy bacon, cheese and fries? Don’t mind if we do!

51st Street 
Continuing the Big Apple theme, there’s a new burger joint coming to town from the brains behind Emjays Coffee and Master Toms. The New York-inspired 51st Street is set to open its doors in the coming weeks, overhauling the restaurant space beneath the George Williams Hotel in Brisbane City. The espresso-meets-burger bar will offer coffee and breakfast from early in the morning, with burgers and eight rotating craft beers on tap served from afternoon to evening. Keep an eye on The Weekend Edition for more details soon.

British Colonial Co. and The Residence
In unfortunate news, Hawthorne’s British Colonial Co. and The Residence have closed their doors. Owners Angela and Mark Kennedy announced the closure on January 30, with the restaurants hosting their final days of trade over the past weekend.

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