James & Antler
It’s hard to fathom that it’s been eight months since Southern California-inspired cafe Mitch & Antler burst on the Brisbane brekkie scene, wowing Mitchelton locals with a killer menu filled with creative riffs on brunch staples. Of the menu’s stand-out dishes, Mitch & Antler’s croque madame – a gooey masterpiece boasting smoked ham, fried free-range egg, manchego and egmont cheese, and mustard and leek cream – has been a top seller since the start, with hundreds of these ‘toasties on steroids’ sold each week. Amazed by the popularity of the croque madame, Mitch & Antler’s owners, Tze-Huei ‘TH’ Choo and Chewie Choo, have decided to make it the spotlight item at their next cafe concept – a coffee-and-croque-slinging kiosk called James & Antler. Nestled in the 40-sqm site previously home to Jamie’s Espresso and Pineapple Express on James Street, TH and Chewie will be serving a small-yet-salivation-worthy menu of croque-style sandwiches, including a number of savoury, vegetarian and sweet options. Specialty coffee will also be a focus, with Providore & Co’s Kasa Coffee supplying the good stuff. Expect to see Kasa’s Imperial Blend running through the machine for milk-based brews, with batch- and cold-brew coffee also on offer. James & Antler will be equipped with a bench-top canning machine, which will be tinning cold-brew coffees for those that are eager to sip on the go. The kiosk will also boast a retro hand-cranked flywheel slicer, with European-style baguette sandwiches filled with a simple combo of butter and slivers of sliced meat. There’ll also be a sundae machine, which is great news as we head into the warmer months. James & Antler is targeting the first weekend of October for its opening date, with the team keen to give away 150 croque madames on the day to celebrate. Keep your eyes peeled for more!

Dark Red 2.0
It’s taken less than a year for Bakery Lane haunt Dark Red to cement itself as one of Brisbane’s most beloved wine bars, but that’s what happens when a vino joint hits the perfect balance of vibe, offering and service. On Saturday September 16, Dark Red will unveil its anticipated expansion – a brand-new cocktail bar. Owner Hannah Wagner seized the opportunity to take over the site next door to Dark Red earlier this year when she found herself having to turn away event and function requests due to lack of space. Not only does the fresh addition (linked to Dark Red’s original wine bar via a new internal archway) give Hannah more room to accommodate more patrons, but it’s allowing her to dip back into her extensive cocktail expertise. Dark Red’s cocktail bar will specialise in fruit-forward cocktails infused with winemaker-adjacent, small-batch spirits. The team will be making its cocktail syrups in house from the best seasonal produce available, with a selection of the wine bar’s biggest sellers and favourite small-batch drops also available (the full wine selection will still be available next door). To celebrate the start of Dark Red’s exciting new chapter, the team will be throwing a launch party this Saturday from 4:00 pm – Oliver Chia from Joy Restaurant will be cooking backyard barbecue-style carnitas, while the Dark Red crew will be pouring a pre-release taste of its first collaborative wine, made in conjunction with Adlib. We’ll be popping in to take a look at Dark Red 2.0 in the coming weeks – check in for an up-close look soon.

Bar Gusto
Now that summer is winding down over in Europe, maybe our Instagram will finally stop filling our entire feed with posts of pals gallivanting around Spain, France and Italy. A new restaurant opening this week will be transporting a slice of the Italian Riviera to Bowen Hills, with Bar Gusto opening its doors on Friday September 15. The 190-seat restaurant has taken over a sprawling site on the corner of King Street and Gregory Terrace, with an interior palette of walnut paneling and antique brass detailing pairing with a open-air breeziness of an outdoor deck, which wraps around a century-old fig tree. Executive chef Francesco Trucco will be overseeing a menu headlined by traditional Italian pizzas, whipped into shape by talented pizzaiolos and cooked to perfection in a Valoriani Vesuvio Igloo oven. Bar Gusto will also serve pasta dishes, an array of antipasti bites, locally sourced seafood and seasonal salads. An extensive wine list will feature both locally-grown and imported Italian blends, backed by a cocktail menu featuring the likes of the Gusto Aperitivo (Campari, Regal Rogue wild rose, lime juice and grapefruit soda) and the Razzmatazz (vodka and Chambord with citrus, vanilla and egg white) – both examples of Bar Gusto’s Italian summer inspirations. Stay tuned for a closer look inside Bar Gusto soon.

Fishbowl
Fishbowl’s takeover of Brisbane’s fast-casual dining scene continues unabated. On Monday September 18, the Fishbowl crew will be lifting the cover of a brand-new location (its eighth in Queensland) at Koala House in The City – a brightly coloured corner site located at the junction of Adelaide Street and Creek Street. Inner-city lunch hunters can add Fishbowl’s menu of nutrient-loaded Japanese-inspired salad bowls – as well as a selection of cost-effective eats from Fishbowl’s new deflation creation, Street Food by Fishbowl – to their weekday hit list. Fishbowl Adelaide Street will be running a big opening offer, with $10 boxes and $12 bowls available all week long between 11:00 am and 9:00 pm. What a way to make a great first impression!

Ach Wine Bar
In case you missed last week’s news, four hospo up-and-comers are looking to add a jolt of energy to Hamilton’s dining scene, with plans underway to open Middle Eastern-inspired wine bar and bistro Ach in October. The brainchild of Marty Coard, Noam Lissner, Mia Nguyen and Mat Drummond, the 50-seat newcomer will showcase the diverse cuisine of the Middle East – from Morocco, Libya and Egypt to Israel, Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon, and out to Afghanistan and Iran – as well as wine sourced from the region’s fertile growing areas. Delivering traditional flavours with modern techniques, the Ach kitchen team will be cooking majority of the menu over fire in a custom-built hearth, with small plates and large share-style mains featuring alongside house-made laffa and challah breads, and baked desserts. As for the beverage program, Ach will launch with a wine list approaching 50 bottles, comprised of a mix of interesting vino from Lebanon, Turkey, Israel and Australia, as well as plenty of arak and even Israeli whisky. The crew is building a 3.5-m kitchen pass and a number of bench seats from camphor laurel, which will be juxtaposed against textured sandstone walls, olive greens and a black ceiling. Read more about Ach here.

Night Feast
October is set to be a massive month for street-food seekers. Following the success of its inaugural autumn event, Night Feast will once again transform Brisbane Powerhouse into an immersive art and feasting experience from October 4–29. A cadre of Brisbane’s top chefs will be helming an assortment of stalls, slinging top-notch fare alongside an electrifying line-up of live music, interactive roaming performers and an enchanting program of free events and awe-inspiring art. Favourites from Night Feast’s autumn edition – we’re talking e’cco bistro, Donna Chang, Gerard’s Bistro, Dalton Catering, Saison Salumi, Lek’s Thai and Hoy Pinoy, among many others – will be joined by the likes of ESSA, NOTA, Southside, Taro’s Ramen, The Green, MAYA and Nosferatu Distillery, creating one of the best assemblages of culinary talent seen in Brisbane. Night Feast will also once again boast a curated art and music offering, headlined by interdisciplinary artist Bridie Hooper, who will present the bewitching work, For Whom the Bell Tolls, which blends mind-bending circus with the bell’s sonic wonder. Multitudes – a series of ten illuminated, multi-limbed giants from Australian artists Tin and Ed – will also draw attention, while The Huxleys’ will seduce feasters with a wandering serenade, inviting audiences into a vibrant world of colour, sparkle and androgynous freedom.

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