With many of our top chefs moving around due to COVID we reveal where they are now

Restrictions, restaurant closures and lack of tourists have led to many of our best chefs moving about and popping up in some new and exciting places. 14 TASSIE CHEFS TO WATCH >>

Former head chef at Franklin, Analiese Gregory, now has a regular Friday lunch gig at Lucinda Wine Bar, where she is cooking up $16 lunches. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

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THE combination of changes to venue opening hours, restaurant closures and the cancellation of interstate and overseas events due to COVID-19 has led to a shake-up of who is where in Hobart’s restaurant community.

While in the past these sorts of scenarios would have resulted in some choosing to leave the island in search of work elsewhere, the coronavirus crisis has effectively taken this option off the table.

As a result, some of Tasmania’s best chefs and hospitality professionals are popping up in new and exciting places both in the form of one-off events and newly appointed positions at cafes and restaurants around town.

Adam James (of Rough Rice) has teamed up with Oliver Wong (formerly of Franklin) to create O’s & A’s, a pop-up event concept with the tagline “bringing the food we want to eat to you”.

Their first foray, Babs of Glory held at Pigeon Whole Bakers saw Hobartians lining up down Argyle St (social distanced of course) to secure one of the pair’s freshly made kebabs ($15 each) or a serve of their Mercimek Corbasi (red lentil soup, $5).

More recently they held a banquet style affair, Lucky Dragon, at Criterion Street Cafe where they served up a $65 set menu of some of their favourite Sichuanese and Cantonese dishes. James says there are additional events planned in the coming months so keep an eye out for updates on Instagram.

Analiese Gregory, formerly of Franklin, now has a regular Friday lunch spot at Lucinda Wine Bar. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

Analiese Gregory has a regular Friday lunch spot at Lucinda Wine Bar where each week she cooks one feature dish priced at just $16 per serve.

To date, this has included handmade Chinese egg noodles with XO sauce, pork and abalone, Kimchi Pancake with red vinegar and chargrilled Tasmanian octopus, and Duck Pastilla with prune, almond and shaved cabbage.

Available for dine-in or takeaway, I have marked her weekly lunches as a recurring event in my calendar.

Chef Kobi Ruzicka is hosting a series of decadent truffle dinners at Lucinda. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

Another thing to watch out for at Lucinda is the truffle dinners hosted by owner and chef, Kobi Ruzicka together with Analiese and Sue Dyson and Roger McShane, of Living Wines.

A decadent affair using truffle in every course, the first iteration sold out in an instant. “We intend on hosting more in the coming months,” says Kobi.

Fans of Lucinda will also be pleased to note that following a few months of renovations, Dier Makr will likely reopen at the end of August.

Franca Zingler is selling classic northern European pastries at her regular Saturday morning bake sale, at Port Cygnet Cannery.

Port Cygnet Cannery is no longer functioning as a full-time restaurant but co-owner Franca Zingler has been operating her hole-in-the-wall bake sale every Saturday morning for the past few months.

Her traditional Nordic style buns are well worth the drive from Hobart (choose from flavours like cinnamon and cardamom) and her brightly coloured finger-shaped eclairs are other worldly.

The bake sale is on hold for August while the venue undergoes some renovations but it will be back up and running in September along with a program of pop-up events that will showcase chefs and producers.

Analiese Gregory's Duck Pastilla.

Peter Cooksley (also formerly of Franklin) is now heading up the kitchen at Pigeon Hole Cafe, in Goulburn St, and his new menu is the talk of the town.

There are the usual Pigeon Hole staples like baked eggs with seasonal additions courtesy of Cooksley along with new options like his vegan spinach and chickpea pancake ($18), Oat porridge with poached fruit and salted caramel ($15) or sardines on sourdough with farm pickles and curry mayo ($17).

Jamie Yates has departed Sonny and joined Tom Westcott and Bianca Johnston at Tom McHugo’s. Word on the street is that her famous focaccia will be making an appearance on the menu any day now. Run don’t walk, people!

Vladimir Panevin’s stripy trumpeter sashimi, kohlrabi, smoked creme fraiche, with horseradish.

Much-loved Tasmanian chef Vladimir Panevin (formerly of Stefano Lubiana) is gearing up for his new position as head chef at Institut Polaire, kicking off from September 3.

Owner, Louise Radman says she’s looking forward to offering the hearty, locally focused food that Vlad is so well-known for, including handmade pasta that will change daily and his house-made charcuterie.

On August 29, Willie Smith’s will celebrate the launch of their new Cider Club with a special event being held at The Apple Shed.

Great grandson of Willie Smith himself, Andrew Smith and chief cider maker, Thomas New will be there to introduce new releases such as their whisky aged cider (produced in collaboration with Sullivan’s Cove and their much anticipated Ice Cider.

Analiese Gregory will also be joining the party, cooking up a whole pig from Our Mate’s Farm (who feed their pigs the same heirloom apples that they also supply to Willie Smith’s for cider).

Finally, Mona’s recently announced weekend lunch and dinner services, The Faro Experiments at Faro Restaurant, begin on August 15, and are officially the hottest tickets in town.