Kitchen Confidential: Brisbane’s biggest ice cream party

Brisbane’s Ice Cream Festival returns next month bigger and better with even more dates to appease even the sweetest tooth.

Here’s the scoop: Brisbane’s Ice Cream Festival will be back again this year across more days with more events. Next month’s celebration, at West End’s West Village, has expanded to two days, with three sessions on both Saturday March 23 and Sunday March 24.

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Additionally, there’ll be a two-hour “up late” event on Friday March 22, and a Saturday night Chef’s Playground, which will bring together four well-known local chefs and challenges them to each create both a savoury and sweet ice-cream dish. Philip Johnson (e’cco bistro), Dominique Rizzo (Putia Pure Food Kitchen), (both pictured) Ben Williamson (formerly of Gerard’s Bistro) and Paul McGivern (La Lune Wine Co) will be unleashing their creativity in West Village’s Bromley Room #2. Tickets to sample the eight dishes and accompanying wines are $99.

QUEENSLAND TASTE KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL. Chefs Dominique Rizzo and Philip Johnson with ice-cream cart at West Village in West End. Pic Mark Cranitch.

The up-late event will dish up sweet and savoury ice cream canapes, as well as dessert cocktails (including espresso martinis with ice cream and sorbet mojitos) with guests able to try two cocktails and six substantial canapes for $49, with a cash bar after that.

This is the third Ice Cream Festival and at the main event there’ll be 17 vendors offering everything from a guacamole and corn chip iceblock (from Frozen Sunshine), a pavlova special from Ice Cream Curls and gelato-filled cannoli from La Macellaria.

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Entry to the festival is free, with ticketed two-hour sessions, 11am-1pm, 1-3pm and 3-5pm. Tickets are available from 9am on Friday (March 1) at brisbaneicecreamfestival.com.au, where tickets to the Chef’s Playground and Up Late will also be available at the same time.

FISH LANE FUN

The Fish Lane Festival is also planning an expansion when it returns on Saturday May 11. The laneway, a burgeoning South Brisbane food precinct, is geeing up for its annual street party with more restaurants than ever participating and live music. This year the festival will reach back up to Hope Street, with food pop-ups lining the thoroughfare and another stage added. Stay tuned for more details.

Fish Lane Festival 2018. Maris Cook of Ol' School fish and chips. Picture: AAP.

STARTING ON A HIGH NOTA

Nota, the new Paddington restaurant on the original Montrachet site, will open its doors next week, on Friday March 8. Kevin Docherty (ex Moda) and Sebastiaan de Kort from city venture The Cheese Pleaser, have teamed up to open a modern European eatery on Given Terrace.

The decor has been freshened up with a white, black and tan palette, and the menu will be divided into snacks, fish, meat, veg and dessert sections, with a focus on share plates. Docherty says the pair plan to market shop at least twice a week and the menu will change regularly to reflect what’s in season. There’ll be a focus on quality produce such as Brisbane Valley quail. “We worked with them at Moda and they were fantastic,” he says. In the first instance the birds will be teamed with sweet corn polenta and crushed hazelnuts.

Kevin Docherty and Sebastaiaan de Kort from Nota posing at 224 Given Terrace, Paddington. Picture: AAP

Nota will open with a clipped list of 15 wines, including two of the collaboration wines developed by Fortitude Valley’s Happy Boy, and all will be available by the glass. Brisbane brewing expert is collaborating on the beer and the initial offering will be Stone & Wood Pacific Ale on tap along with another yet-to-be-decided lager and there’ll be another six choices in cans or bottles. The Cocktail list will be divided into two sections “yours”, featuring classics and “ours”, with a twist. The restaurant will be open Wed-Thur from 5pm to late, Friday and Saturday for lunch and dinner and Sunday from 11am-6pm, with a smaller selection of dishes and with a set menu option.

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VERY VEGAN
The vegan revolution continues to gather pace with Ribs & Burgers, which has outlets in Fortitude Valley’s James Street and Woolloongabba, partnering with Beyond Meat (a company with high-profile investors including Bill Gates and Leonardo DiCaprio) to put the plant-based Beyond Burger patty on their menus. The patty will be available in the Beyond Old School Cheese and Beyond Original burgers from March 11.

PRESTIGE: Five of the Best: Burgers feature. Ribs and Burgers Hawthorn. Picture: Josie Hayden

ISLAND EATS

After $100 million in renovations, Daydream Island will welcome guests from April 15. At the helm of the 277-room resort’s three new restaurants will be executive chef Keith Le Fevre, who has resort experience.

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Infinity will be Daydream’s premium dining offering with an Asian fusion menu, expansive views over the Whitsundays and a private teppanyaki room. Graze Interactive Dining will be marketplace in style, with cooking stations and diverse dining options. Inkstone Kitchen and Bar will focus on modern Australian cuisine.