Darryl and Vanessa Zeitzen’s 2020 played out similarly to many others – the turbulent circumstances brought unforeseen changes, which forced the couple – particularly experienced chef Darryl – to think on the fly. The hospitality veteran (who boasts 15 years experience working in Tasmania, Melbourne and, most recently, Newstead’s Golden Pig) began to ply his trade in Brisbane’s private dining and catering sphere – a sector that continued to thrive as conventional dining slowly recovered from lockdowns. Eventually Darryl’s catering operations became so successful that a larger kitchen was needed, thus the couple sought out a suitable headquarters that could accomodate the expanding business. The opportunity presented itself in Kenmore, where a vacant site on Princeton Street (formerly home to The Rice Hut) provided the couple with an added boon – a cafe space they could operate in tandem alongside Darryl’s catering endeavours. Although a cafe wasn’t on the couple’s cards initially, Darryl and Vanessa were enticed by the idea of establishing an eatery that followed the same approach that made the private-dining concept such a success. That is, serving dishes with a strong sense of locality and history, where provenance of each meal could be traced to the farms from which individual ingredients were sourced.
Good Grace opened to the public on Thursday April 8, hitting the ground running with strong interest from locals and Darryl’s established clientele. Named in honour of the couple’s border-collie-Australian-shepherd-cross Grace, the cafe boasts a charming homespun appeal thanks to the hand-built furniture, pooch pics on the wall and jars of fermenting veggies above the service counter. The homely nature extends to the kitchen, where Darryl makes everything from the bagels to the pickles in house. As for the fare itself, Good Grace’s approach is uncomplicated but considered, with familiar faves elevated simply through the quality of its ingredients, a large portion of which are native. The breakfast salad is loaded with sweet potato, seasonal greens, hummus, house pickles and black garlic and lemon-myrtle powder, while the mushroom breakfast mixes Samford Valley Mushrooms with sauteed kale, tomatillo salsa verde, crunchy chickpeas and a slice of toasted rye. Heartier eats take shape in the form of pastrami-cured barramundi bagel with dill creme fraiche, fried egg and Blue Dog Farm salad, and quinoa, kale and corn fritters with fresh local herbs from Basilea Living Herbs, finger lime, tomato medley and kipfler crisps. Coffee has been sourced from Leaf & Berry – a 100-percent certified fair-trade and organic coffee brand from Seven Miles that boasts a lighter flavour profile perfect for espresso pours. To mitigate waste, Good Grace also serves house-made sodas, organic juices ordered in large glass bottles, plus smoothies, milkshakes and ethically traded teas. The space, which features a spacious front patio shaded by a central lilly pilly tree will be fleshed out over the coming months with a living green wall and hanging planters, with long-term plans including a rear courtyard area for evening-oriented trade.
Good Grace is open to the public – head to the Stumble Guide for menu, operating hours and contact details.
