Grown
A new eatery is sprouting up in West End and it goes by the name of Grown. The brainchild of Sacha Muchall (former owner of U&I Espresso), Grown will focus on plant-based dining from breakfast through to dinner, accompanied by specialty coffee, craft beer and vegan wine. But this isn’t just raw veggies on a plate – the menu will be inventive and interesting, with Sacha looking to prove that vegan and vegetarian food doesn’t need to be lacklustre. The aim is for the eatery to be as sustainable as possible, working with local suppliers and producers such as FoodConnect, Dramanti Artisan Roaster and Green Beacon Brewing to craft the offering. There are also plans in the works to team up with local community gardens to help reduce waste by turning it into compost. Grown is due to open in August – we’ll keep you posted with more details soon.

Light + Co
That’s not all that’s happening in West End. Montague Road’s Light + Co has just announced the first of its retail offering, all due to opening in the coming months. The precinct will be anchored by David and Peter Carter’s (of Boucher French Bistro) Monty’s Bakehouse Cafe and Bar, which will include an artisan bakery offering European-style delights for breakfast and lunch, and dinner and drinks on Friday and Saturday nights. Alongside Monty’s will be Lupa Pizza Bar, dishing up Roman-inspired pizzas from lunch until late in the evening, matched with Italian wines. The authentic pizzas will use dough rested for up to 72 hours, topped with fresh organic locally sourced ingredients. The third and final foodie announcement is the much-anticipated second store for La Macelleria. Much like Teneriffe, La Macelleria West End will serve traditional gelato made on site daily, as well as Italian coffee, cakes, gelato sticks and gelato sandwiches.

Bar Otto
Almost one year since opening, OTTO Brisbane has announced the arrival of Bar OTTO, due to open in late July. Sitting opposite its restaurant sibling on Level 4 at 480 Queen Street, the aperitivo-style bar will serve up a selection of delectable bite-sized morsels with carefully crafted cocktails and an impressive wine list. Much like the restaurant, Bar OTTO will take a modern approach to Italian dishes using Australian ingredients. An exact opening date is yet to be confirmed – keep an eye on The Weekend Edition for more soon.

KaiKai Chicken
Remember last week when we said the fried chicken craze wasn’t dying down any time soon? We were right. But KaiKai Chicken is bringing us something a little different – a Korean. Fried. Chicken. Buffet. Yep, you heard us. Due to open in St Lucia in late July, KaiKai Chicken is making all of your all-you-can-eat dreams a reality. For a set price you can loosen your pants for a buffet of unlimited fried chicken (in Korean, American and Southeast Asian-inspired flavours), unlimited pizza, unlimited sides (think mac and cheese, lasagne, salads and more) and unlimited desserts. For an extra few bucks you can wash it all down with unlimited soft drinks too. An a la carte Japanese-style menu will also be available in the coming months. Owners brothers Phillip and Michael Tan have spent much of the last year travelling through Southeast Asia getting inspiration, so you can expect some pretty authentic flavours coming your way soon.

Sense of Taste
These days, a trip to the bottle shop is usually a strictly grab-and-go type of visit. You know – get in, get your drink of choice, get out. Sense of Taste is a new boutique bottle shop arriving at Portside Wharf later this month that is looking to change how we interact with our local bottle-o by offering a range of new features that will educate and tantalise. A brewing station will be on site complete with tap beer to try, where local brewers will drop by to host demonstrations and monthly brewing nights. A mini fromagerie will also be on hand, filled with local and international cheeses and meat platters perfect for pairing with your drop of choice. Speaking of drops, Sense of Taste will also host tasting nights for wine, whisky, cider and more. Sounds like heaven, right? Sense of Taste is only a few short weeks from opening, so be sure to check back for more information.

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