Kitchen Confidential: Caxton Seafood Festival returns

After a three-year hiatus, the Caxton Seafood Festival is making a comeback — with a few changes. Here’s what to expect:

Caxton Street Seafood Festival in 2014. Picture: Tara Croser

AFTER a three-year hiatus, the Caxton Seafood Festival is making a comeback.

On May 5, the iconic Brisbane event, which started in 1994, will kick off, this time solely at The Caxton Hotel.

The Brisbane pub will put on five live music acts across two stages, and bring back their famous carpark beer garden, alongside ping pong, mega Connect 4, and more.

On the F&B front expect two pop-up bars – one dedicated to Pimms, as well as the Catch and Kiss Seafood truck, a Brathaus hotdogs pop-up, and seafood and steak specials in the main restaurant, including seafood platters for up to four people for $89.

There’ll also be an oyster-eating competition for those with a mouth for molluscs.

All activities will kick off at 10am and entry is free.

Hot team nab ‘best site’ for new eatery

The team behind some of the Sunshine Coast’s most successful restaurants has a new project in the pipeline.

Tony Kelly and Mitch Smith, of Rice Boi and Saltwater Fish & Chippery at Mooloolaba Wharf, are taking their uber popular fast-casual approach to dining and giving it a cool Greek twist.

Owner Tony Kelly with head chefs Mitch Smith and Jenny Cann at their new restaurant venture Spero on the waterfront at Mooloolaba Wharf. Photo Lachie Millard

Spero, which according to Urban Dictionary is a “sexy Greek with large biceps”, will be a 200-seat relaxed eatery in the old Chances bar site at Mooloolaba Wharf, serving up fast and fresh Greek fare.

“I think it’s the best site at the wharf,” says Kelly.

“It’s got heaps of charm, heaps of character, so to have the opportunity to do a restaurant there was something we jumped at.”

Work started last week on the new fit-out, which will boast a Greek-­inspired mural down one wall, with a Hampton’s-meets-Greek Village style to the decor. They’ll also be adding plenty of outside seating, with lots of greenery and herb gardens to try to activate the walkway down to their other two ventures.

“Our designer described it the other day as like Rice Boi’s prettier ­sister,” Kelly says.

They’ll also build a new bar at the front of the restaurant called the Tinnie Bar, where diners can wait for a table or just enjoy a frothie, with local beers from Sunshine Coast breweries on tap.

The trio say the new eatery is located on the “best site” at Mooloolaba Wharf. Picture: Lachie Millard

And speaking of beer, Kelly says he’s working with a local brewery to create a signature Greek-style lager that will be exclusive to the restaurant.

“We actually want to collaborate with as many of the local breweries as we can,” he says.

As for the food, like Rice Boi, it will be the star attraction, with service ­reduced to ordering at the counter, so the effort can be put into creating great dishes at affordable prices.

Think slow-cooked lamb shoulder with a pomegranate molasses glaze, Mooloolaba prawns wrapped in kataifi pastry and fried, whole-baked squire, Fremantle octopus cooked over coal, and baby snapper with fennel, olives, lemon and potatoes.

“We’ll have quite a few share plates, lots of small plates,” Kelly says. “It’s all designed for people to have something delicious but fast – nothing pretentious, just great flavours.”

In the kitchen will be Smith and head chef Jenny Cann.

Spero is set to open April 11.

Popular venue is changing lanes

It’s one of the most popular bars and eateries on the Gold Coast, now Justin Lane could be moving north and south.

Owners of the acclaimed Burleigh Heads Italian restaurant and rooftop bar are on the hunt for sites to replicate their successful format both on the Sunshine Coast and just over the NSW border, around Brunswick and Kingscliffe.

Justin Lane's rooftop bar Burleigh Heads. Picture: Glenn Hampson

“We’re actively pursuing sites,” says owner Brodie Millwood. “We want to emulate it as much as we can.”

While no leases have yet been signed, the plan is to find locations that allow them to have a casual restaurant and bar downstairs serving their beloved wood-fired pizzas, as well as a chilled rooftop bar. Stay tuned.

Pilpel Reborn at Tuesday launch

Well-known businessman and chef Adiel Ben-Karmona will on Tuesday officially launch the latest incarnation of his popular Middle Eastern restaurant Pilpel.

The restaurateur has spent close to $1 million renovating the former Coles store at Redcliffe to create his fourth version of Pilpel, after having eateries of the same name at Kippa-Ring, Margate and Redcliffe.

Owner of Pilpel restaurant Adiel Ben-Karmona in the former Coles building. Picture: AAP/Richard Walker

The new venue, on the corner of Sutton St and Creek St, seats 300 in the restaurant, with a separate function space of roughly the same size.

At lunch, a dedicated menu offering the likes of shish kebabs, pots of seafood and chorizo, and falafel salad are in play. While for dinner, a set menu of 15 ever-changing hot and cold Middle Eastern dishes are served, including anything from carrot salad and roasted eggplant to chargrilled meats and dips. It’s all followed by a share platter of Middle Eastern desserts, with Israeli tea and coffee.