Warehouse 25
This Saturday November 7 will see the official opening of Warehouse 25 – a new bar, eatery, distillery and live-music venue located on Finchley Street in the heart of Milton. The brainchild of Cameron Lee, who has utilised the warehouse space (owned by his father Michael) to host underground music events over the past five years, Warehouse 25 is designed to be a cultural and community sanctuary and entertainment option for folks looking to party outside of The City. Cameron and his team have overhauled the venue, installing a new kitchen, bathrooms, bar and interiors to create a rustic and charming aesthetic across a mezzanine, outdoor courtyard and distillery space. Under the Calm Spirits Co. banner, the venue will produce its own small-batch vodka and gin (the latter imbued with stress-reducing botanicals such as lavender, lemon myrtle and rose petals), which will be served over the bar in a selection of signature cocktails (think lavender martinis and spiced-honey iced tea). The bar will also pour Stone & Wood, Young Henrys and XXXX on tap alongside bottled beer varieties and a strong list of wines, while the kitchen will be pumping out Italian-inspired share plates (golden chips, arancini, caprese salad, warm olives and burnt broccoli with toasted almonds and lime) and red- and white-base pizzas (ricotta and meatball, prosciutto and pear, pistachio and pumpkin, four-cheese and more). As for the entertainment, Warehouse 25 will continue to host shows from bands and DJs, and will also showcase works from visual artists. We’ll have more for you next week!

Kid Curry
If there’s one thing to love about 2020, it’s the incredible (and delicious) ideas that have been born out of a very uncertain hospitality climate. One such success story is Kid Curry – a takeaway-concept-cum-restaurant from Cameron and Jordan Votan, which took over the brothers’ Snack Man bar when it was forced to pause operations due to COVID-19 restrictions. As of early next year Kid Curry will no longer operate as a pop-up – the restaurateur brothers (who also own neighbouring Happy Boy) are set to take over the entire East Street strip, securing the space formerly occupied by streetwear boutique Project. to give Kid Curry a permanent home. Much like its sibling venues, Kid Curry’s focus is on food that is traditionally simple, humble and ‘peasant-style’, but packed full of flavour. Where Happy Boy and Snack Man celebrate the regional and street cuisines of China, Kid Curry pays homage to the staple dishes of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Once open, chef Tom Swapp will expand the current offering and while curries will still feature on the menu, they will be joined by a broad selection of flavourful dishes – think Happy Boy, but Southeast Asian style. The dark, intimate space will be illuminated by a large open kitchen, so you can watch the magic happen as you salivate from your seat. Kid Curry will continue to operate within the Snack Man space (and alongside Snack Man’s incredible wine selection) until the end of the year, with both venues set to reopen in their own spaces concurrently in late January.

Ze Pickle Hawthorne
The patty-slinging crew behind Burleigh-born burger brand Ze Pickle is expanding! Hawthorne locals will soon score a Ze Pickle outlet to call their own when the new 100-sqm location opens at the rear of Hawthorne Road’s forthcoming Two Sixty Five micro-precinct in mid-December. The shop will boast an edgy vibe that differs from its sibling venues, with a slick interior boasting booth seating, an outdoor dining space and a bar featuring 12 taps. Ze Pickle fanatics will be stoked to hear the same incredible menu (featuring chips coated in IPA beer-cheese sauce, fried Jack cheese sticks, popcorn shrimp, chicken ‘waaangs’ and range of ludicrously large burgers) will be on offer as well as a few Hawthorne-exclusive items that will pop up from time to time. Stay tuned for an up-close look once it opens!

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit
If you’re a die-hard fan of Texas-style barbecue, then you might want to sit down for this. Dickey’s Barbecue Pit – one of America’s most-beloved barbecue brands – is expanding down Down Under, with intent to open a string of locations across Australia from next year onward. The 79-year-old franchise, which boasts locations in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Brazil, Georgia, Egypt and Pakistan (on top of its 500 USA outlets), has partnered with QSR Foods (the team responsible for operating Cinnabon’s Australian locations) to bring the brand to Australian soil. The company is eyeing Brisbane and Queensland for its first wave of Dickey’s openings in 2021, with a menu featuring the brand’s signature items such as hickory-smoked brisket served by the pound, fall-off-the-bone ribs, pit-smoked wings, saucy sandwiches and sides. Keep your eyes on the horizon for this one! We’ll have more news as it comes to light.

Fish Lane’s new venues
In case you missed it, last week we announced not one, but three new venues will be opening on Fish Lane before the end of the year. The precinct’s highly anticipated Town Square addition is nearing completion, adding public green space to the laneway, as well as three slick new culinary concepts. The first to open within the Richards and Spence-designed Town Square will be Bar Brutus, a 23-sqm sibling to fellow Fish Lane tenant Julius Pizzeria. Due to open in mid-November, Bar Brutus will specialise in three things – aperitivo, spuntini and digestivo – and be the perfect spot for a pre-theatre snack and sip, or to down a spritz or two while you wait for your table at Julius. Joining Brutus are Southside and Kiki – two new concepts from the hospitality group behind Rick Shores and Little Valley. Multi-level restaurant Southside will take cues from both of its Asian-inspired older siblings, servicing pre-show snackers and leisurely feasters alike with a menu of Chinese-centric delights accentuated by pan-Asian influences. Situated the heart of Town Square, Kiki will sling grab-and-go treats, banh mis and coffee by day, and tiki cocktails, margaritas, wine, Asian beers and Asian-inspired snacks by night. Kiki is on track for a mid-November opening, while Southside will arrive in December. Head to our Food & Drink article for the full rundown!

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

Image two credit: Callie Marshall for Kid Curry