Pavement Whispers: Volume 499 March 18
From news of a new pop-up kitchen in The Valley to a female-founded distillery’s plans for expansion, The Weekend Edition is always on the search for the latest food news in Brisbane, dedicated to ensuring its readers are in the know. When we put our ears to the pavement this week, this is what we found out …
Just For Now Pop-up Kitchen
Though the impact of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred was less than predicted, Brisbane didn’t emerge entirely unscathed. Numerous businesses were hampered by power outages caused by high-speed winds, rain and flash flooding, including those yet to officially open to the public. TABOO, the Thai-inspired rooftop bar and restaurant from the Mr. Vain team, sustained significant wind and water damage to its still in-progress fit-out, which means the venue’s opening date has been set back by approximately four-to-eight weeks. In order to keep its kitchen and floor teams employed during the delay, the TABOO crew is launching a brand-new pop-up cafe in Bey Lane at the base of The Constance Hotel called Just for Now. The pop-up’s kitchen will be slinging a mixture of classic breakfast and lunch items, starting with brekkie rolls, haloumi wraps, avocado smash, hotcakes, sriracha pork eggs benny and shakshuka until 1:00 pm. From 11:00 am, guests can devour chunky double-patty cheeseburgers, Southern fried-chicken burgers, deep-dish pizzas, spicy massaman curry, creamy carbonara and seared-tuna salad. Just For Now will also be pouring some of the cheapest coffee in The Valley alongside matcha, bubble tea and a short menu of beer and wine. Once open, Just For Now will operate seven days a week from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm. Be sure to give the pop-up’s Instagram account a follow for more details. TABOO’s new official launch date will be announced soon — you can stay up to date by joining the waitlist via TABOO’s website.
ZA ZA TA
In news that will be a blow to fans of its bold flavours and electric atmosphere, ZA ZA TA at Ovolo The Valley has closed after six years of trade. The brightly coloured restaurant, famed for its menu of mouthwatering Middle Eastern and Mediterranean-inspired eats, quietly shuttered on Friday March 14, with the Ovolo team revealing in a statement that the decision was made as part of an ongoing strategy to evolve and enhance the overall guest experience at the hotel. Elements of ZA ZA TA will endure through its neighbouring all-day dining and bar venue Kazba, which will be serving a number of ZA ZA TA signatures including its haloumi doughnuts, pistachio ice-cream sandwiches and Harem High Teas. The final iteration of ZA ZA TA’s ever-popular Drag Brunch will still take place on Saturday March 29 before the venue transforms into a private-event space, catering to weddings, social gatherings, business meetings and private dinners. Though ZA ZA TA’s closure is a blow to Fortitude Valley’s restaurant scene, the Ovolo team has revealed that guests can look forward to a new bar concept that will be unveiled soon. While details are being kept hush hush for now, we can reveal that the new venue will be a new rooftop bar on Ovolo The Valley’s pool deck, which will offer a fresh and innovative approach to drinking and dining when it opens later this year. Stay tuned for more!
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Birds of Isle Distillery
Bundjalung Country-Northern Rivers-born premium rum maker Birds of Isle could soon be making a move on Brisbane’s spirits scene, with the female-founded craft distillery launching a crowdfunding campaign that hopes to expand its footprint to Australia’s capital cities. The community-driven campaign looks to raise $450,000, which will be used to build and scale Birds of Isle’s direct-to-consumer sales, and place its boutique bunya nut rum on the shelves at the best bars, restaurants and liquor stores across Queensland and New South Wales. A portion of the investment will also go towards engaging directly with consumers, empowering them to master pro-quality cocktails at home via expert-led, interactive content series and bartender-crafted recipes. “Birds of Isle was founded to celebrate the bounty of Australia’s landscapes and reimagine what rum could be,” explains Birds of Isle co-founder Chanel Melani. “This crowdfunding campaign is more than just an investment opportunity – it’s a chance for our community to help shape the future of Australian spirits. We’re proud to drive change in a male-dominated industry and hope to inspire others to dream big and push boundaries.” The Australian public will have the chance to support this inclusive and uniquely Australian distillery when the official funding round launches on Tuesday April 8. Expressions of interest for the crowdfunding campaign open today via Birchal.
Last Man Standing Brewing
Newstead Brewing Co.’s Milton headquarters had been vacant for barely a week before a new brew crew jumped at the opportunity to take it on. Last Man Standing Brewing obtained the keys to the Castlemaine Street site last week, reopening the spacious venue for trade on Friday March 14. Co-founded and operated by Winter Olympic gold medalist Steven Bradbury and Stephen and Damian Prosser (sons of Rugby Union legend, the late Roy Prosser), Last Man Standing Brewing is an emerging beer maker renowned for its signature mid- and full-strength lagers. That’s exactly what is flowing from the taps as LMS Brewing kicks off trade, with the team hoping to implement a more comprehensive brewery experience before the end of the month – think a high-energy sports bar atmosphere, big screens, pub-style fare and a bolstered libation range that showcases independent, Australian-owned drinks. Looking into the future, the LMS Brewing brains trust is keen to utilise the bigger brewing space to experiment with more beer lines. Click here for more information.
If you’ve heard something that’s worth mentioning in The Weekend Edition’s Pavement Whispers, email [email protected].