Penelope
Coats Group, the team that brought you MAYA Rooftop and Il Molo Italian Kitchen & Bar, is set to open a brand-new venue before the end of the year. Penelope – an all-new dining, drinking and dancing den – is currently taking shape on James Street, with the Coats Group crew looking to lure in night owls and foodies fatigued with formal dining. Part classic bistro and part London-style supper club, Penelope will blur the lines between restaurant, lounge and bar in a sleek mid-century-inspired surrounds. The space, which is being built by Kyson Commercial, will be accessed only via a solid brass door. Once you are inside, you’ll be greeted by a rich aesthetic encompassing amber velvet banquettes with brass detailing, dark timber-panelled walls made of acoustically treated American walnut, vintage wall lighting, a striking back-lit bar and cloistered curved eight-seater booths.

On the food front, Penelope’s head chef Evan White will be delivering a menu described as retro-leaning bistro classics, with modern techniques used to execute a swathe of nostalgia-inducing delights at a high level. Designed to be enjoyed socially, Penelope’s menu will be big on snacks and small plates, including chicken-liver parfait with cultured butter croissant crisp and vermouth fig glaze, fish-finger sandwiches made with crumbed blue-eyed cod and yoghurt tartare, pig-cheek croquettes, and Cantabrian anchovies that will be served to the table flaming in the tin. Hungry patrons will be able to devour larger plates of steak au poivre, penne alla vodka and market fish with parsley butter, caper vinegar and confit lemon, while a late-night menu (inspired by room service feasts) will include a classic BLT with smoked bacon, lobster and pickled tomato, bang-on cheeseburgers and a super-decadent hot chocolate fudge sundae. Penelope’s bar will dispense a ten-strong list of smashable cocktails alongside signature classic martinis and negronis, while a wine list will feature broad selection of drops, from vintage champagnes and Australian pet nats to Euro bangers. Penelope is set to open before the end of November and will operate from 5:00 pm on weekdays and from 12:00 pm, Friday to Sunday.

Supabad Kitchen x Bar Rocco
Supabad Kitchen, the culinary pop-up known for embracing the untraditional and showcasing native Australian ingredients, has revealed details of its second event. Following on from the crew’s debut at Straits in mid September, Supabad’s chefs Chris Bateman and Zane Schnitzerling will be taking over the kitchen at Coorparoo osteria Bar Rocco from 3:00 pm on Sunday December 1.

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The team will be delivering a seven-course share-style menu featuring a mix of crowd-favourite dishes from its debut pop-up, as well as some enticing new options. The offering will start with watteseed focaccia damper with cultured butter and wagyu beef spring rolls with saltbush, kimchi and cheese, before progressing with pork katsu sandos with yumyum sauce and lemon myrtle slaw, raw kingfish with Davidsons Plum ponzuand pickled purslane, and wagyu MB7+ yakitori with pepperberry tare and egg yolk. Bookings will be available from tomorrow, Wednesday November 13, with seats going for $69 a head.

Cucina Regina
The Star Brisbane’s gastronomic offering is set to expand this week with the official opening of Cucina Regina on The Terrace. Opening its doors on Friday November 15, the chic eatery is looking to add a dash of elevated Italian to the hub’s dining options. Inspired by Italy’s trattorias and the country’s time-honoured recipes, Cucina Regina is a nod to passeggiata – a kind of leisurely walk or evening stroll, undertaken as a form of socialising. Cucina Regina is perfectly positioned to capture wandering guests, giving them a fetching space to enjoy authentic and seasonal fare.

Cucina Regina’s executive chef, Italian-born Davide Incardona, will be blending traditional flavours with modern techniques, crafting a menu that mixes antipasti, woodfired pizzas, handmade pastas and a selection of woodfire-grilled morsels from land and sea. Highlights include soft fried squid, slow-cooked lamb ragu, Moreton Bay Bugs served with garlic and herb butter, and a drool-worthy bistecca alla Fiorentina – a 1.1-kg Gold T-Bone steak from Stockyard. These dishes are backed by a beverage list featuring approachable Italian wine varietals and classic Italian cocktails. As for the space itself, Australian-based Design Studio Tom Mark Henry has applied a neutral aesthetic that matches Brisbane’s laidback lifestyle, with room for 160 guests spread across indoor and al fresco dining spaces. Cucina Regina will join the likes of Black Hide Steak & Seafood by Gambaro, Azteca and Lúc Lắc as The Terrace’s first batch of restaurants.

BY.ARTISANS
In case you missed the news that dropped last week, there’s a new distillery opening soon in West End that is looking to celebrate creativity and collaboration across more than just spirits. BY.ARTISANS is taking over part of the Jane Street space previously home to Brisbane Distillery, with work already underway transforming the space into a spa-like refuge, complete with greenery, natural materials and chic furnishings from a raft of cutting-edge designers. BY.ARTISANS will be divided into zones, including a distillery space, cafe and bar, a retail portion, an events space, and a blending table.

Chief distiller Alex Bell has constructed a one-of-a-kind still for BY.ARTISANS’ spirit-making endeavours. The venue will launch with its signature gin at the fore – an elixir boasting a smooth complexity and a bouquet of botanical notes. The bar will serve coffee by Industry Beans, before transitioning in the evenings to dispense a six-strong list of signature cocktails designed specifically to highlight BY.ARTISANS spirits. On the food side of things, expect elegant grazing platters that complement the cocktails to be on offer.

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