Deer Duck
Brisbane loves eccentricity, and there are few crazier fit-outs than the "down-the-rabbit-hole" decor at Milton's Deer Duck Bistro. Expect similar style at its new, as-yet un-named, sibling six doors down on Milton Road.
Deer Duck is set to open in Milton.
"We're opening [this] Friday," says owner Nicholas Cooper. "The idea is a friendly tapas bar that you want to come back to – somewhere people can sit comfortable and enjoy table service.
"We're going to do five courses of tapas with a flight of wines, which will change frequently." Martin Ridings, who has been cheffing at Deer Duck will oversee the menu at the new venue.
Deer Duck, meanwhile, has also applied for its liquor licence, but Cooper says BYO will still be on offer.
Shopping centre dining
Is this a sign of things to come? Will we finally embrace shopping centre dining, Sydney-style? Ex Pescatore, Belle Èpoque and 1889 Enoteca chef Trent Robson has been busy prepping for the opening of Galley One in Carindale Shopping Centre last weekend.
The no-expense-spared fit-out includes lots of black marble, leather and polished stainless steel as well as massive glass chandeliers.
Robson's well-priced menu has Italian accents and focuses on quality produce. All the pasta is handmade and traditionally-topped pizza is cooked on the stone. There are small plates, such as salumi boards, croquettes or terrine, if you just want to pop in for a glass of wine and a bite, and more substantial offerings, such as pappardelle with corn-fed chicken, truffle, tarragon, walnut and mascarpone, or a simple saffron linguine with clams and calamari.
Initially, Gallery One will be open during shopping hours, including for breakfast daily and an all-day breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. Further along, they hope to open on Friday and Saturday evenings, too.
Gallery One, Ground Floor, Shop 1228, Westfield Carindale Shopping Centre, 1151 Creek Road, Carindale.
One for the road
It's certainly my favourite time of year – not only do we have our men looking like extras from a bad '70s movie for Movember, but Rosé Revolution kicks off too. It began with a question – how to get Australians to drink more rosé? The answer was to create a revolution and show drinkers that rosé is not insipid and sweet, and neither is it just for girls.
Certainly, at the recent Revolution kick-off at Paddington's Kettle & Tin, there was a surfeit of pink-shirted (and mustachioed) men happily sipping their way through a flight of rosé. Check out the website (rosewinerevolution.com) for events over the coming month. Vive la revolution, and let's have more of those mo's too, I reckon.
At Sixes and Sevens
The crew from Cru Bar in James Street are taking their successful formula and replicating it down the road. Sixes and Sevens, housed in an original 1920s cottage is due to open in early December.
Recycled timber and greenery are the go at what sounds like a fairly laid back bar and eatery. Based on the Cru Bar offerings, we expect a high standard of vittles from chef Paul Hoffman and, with the famous Cru Bar cellar, some good drops too.
Sixes and Sevens, 67 James Street, Fortitude Valley
Well crafted
Wine writer Tony Harper has quit Fortitude Valley's Wine Emporium to take over the former Festival Cellars site on Musgrave Road in Red Hill. He says to expect his new venture, Craft, to soon. "I've been busy sourcing wine, both from small Australian wineries I can buy direct from and from overseas. It's been exciting finding alternatives at the cheaper end of the market."
Wine will cover all budgets, Harper says, starting at just $9, but with plenty to lighten the wine enthusiast's wallet too. He says there will be lots from small producers, including "heaps of Queensland wines, natural, organic and biodynamic". There will also be a good selection of craft beers, wine tasting on Thursday evenings, beer tasting on Friday evening and, Harper says, beer and wine-making classes further down the track.
Craft, 196 Musgrave Road, Red Hill. craftwinestore.com
Woolloongabba Wine
Lucky Gabba locals have yet another food and drink venture in their hood, with the opening of O'Lea Wine Bar in Stanley Street East. Owners are Oliver Dietel, formerly chef of the Lark in Paddington, and his ex-sous chef Bryan Wong Lea Kitt. Rather than having an Irish bent as you might expect (or fear?), the name comes from an amalgamation of their names. As well as wine, most available by the glass, there's craft beer, including two on tap; currently an American IPA called Road Trip and Franziskaner, a German wheat beer. Food is cross between European and Asian.
There will also be $10 takeaway lunch boxes such as sausage rolls with kimchi, beef burgers with mushroom jam and gruyere and vegetarian rice paper rolls. They'll also be open for breakfast Saturday and Sunday.
O'Lea, Shop 2, 888 Stanley St East.
InCider Trading
There's a definite liquid theme around Brisbane at the moment, with yet another wine venue about to throw open its doors. Fed up with the Coles/Woolies wine duopoly, Tim Fanning, director of Queensland Cellars, has taken over an old newsagents in Fortitude Valley to create a craft and retail wine shop that offers wine and cider by the glass or bottle, wine flights and a succinct tapas menu.
Fanning says the refit has turned up a few surprises, including a fake ceiling hiding beautiful pressed tin supported by ironbark posts, which he has re-used elsewhere. The building itself has a bit of history – it once house an illegal gambling den and was used as a safe house to count money during Queensland's pre-Fitzgerald Inquiry days. Fanning says that there'll be about 50 wines and 60 ciders on the list, many available by the glass, sourced both locally and further afield.
"My focus is to put a little fun back into the wine game – to introduce people to smaller producers and showcase all the fantastic varietals. There's some amazing cider out there too, and we hope to grow the list." In addition to an in-shop seating and a courtyard, there's a wine library for those who want to know more about what they're drinking.
InCider Trading, 153 Wickham St, Fortitude Valley, opens Friday November 23.