City Winery comes to Eagle Street
Wandoo Street micro-winery and restaurant City Winery caused quite a stir when it opened in 2019, since becoming a fixture of Fortitude Valley’s food and drink trail. Inner-city sippers were treated to a sample of the winery’s style of hospitality when it launched a pop-up cellar door on Edward Street back in July, but come March they’ll have a permanent location to frequent when City Winery opens on Eagle Street. The team has taken over the former Nagomi tenancy for the concept, which will bring a tasteful cellar-door experience to the thriving riverside strip. Designed as a satellite venue of City Winery’s original space, the venue will be imbued with materials and design cues from rural winery cellar doors, eclipsing the manic bustle of The City in favour of a warm and inviting atmosphere. The layout will include a cosy interior portion that flows out onto the sidewalk, perfect for people watching with a glass of vino in hand. City Winery’s chefs will be crafting an ever-evolving menu of delights and we’ve been told we can likely expect a seafood-based offering. City Winery Eagle Street is aiming for a late-March opening – stay tuned for more details!

The Coffee Commune
When Phillip Di Bella exited his role as managing director of Di Bella Coffee in 2017, he decided his next move would involve a return to his roots. Having built Di Bella Coffee from the ground up after founding the company in 2002, Phil knows the extreme difficulty small-scale operators experience when trying to break into the coffee industry. Phil’s new project, forthcoming Bowen Hills incubator The Coffee Commune, is described as a coffee-lover’s mecca – a place where hobbyists and professionals can gather to collaborate, connect and create, establishing a support network for big and small players within the coffee industry. When it officially opens on Abbotsford Road on Monday March 15, The Coffee Commune will show off its multifaceted offering, which encompasses bean supply, roasting, brewing and more. Housed within The Coffee Commune will be International Coffee Traders, which works to give roasters direct access to a network of green bean producers (available to sample in the on-site green bean room) from around the world. Additionally, The Coffee Commune boasts a state-of-the-art production and roasting facility, which will be accessible to both coffee enthusiasts and small-scale roasting outfits looking to create a blend that’s unique to them. The third aspect of the hub is its membership program, which is open to baristas, cafe owners, suppliers and roasters seeking access to resources and tools to improve their business – think access to the best price for direct-trade coffee, access to training rooms to hone skills, workshops on how to operate professional machines and opportunities to make contacts within the industry. Shared workspace and meeting facilities will be made available to all comers, including complimentary education resources through The Coffee Commune’s Thought Leadership series. Last (but certainly not least) is The Coffee Commune’s on-site cafe, which will serve hearty breakfast and lunch dishes (and top-notch coffee, naturally) to the public. We’ll have a more in-depth feature on The Coffee Commune’s various aspects next month.

Maple Lane Cafe
March is looking to be a big month for Brisbane foodies, with a new cafe targeting a mid-month launch at Taigum Square. Maple Lane Cafe is the latest venture from Fabio Strati, a seasoned hospitality veteran with more than 25 years of experience under his belt. For his latest venture, Fabio and his wife Marie will be setting up a community-focused eatery with a humble M.O. – to serve simple yet satisfying fare made almost exclusively in house from quality ingredients. The cafe’s menu will encompass all-day breakfast favourites (think decadent pancakes and eggs Benedict) and lunch bites, served alongside fresh scones and muffins baked by Maple Lane’s own full-time baker. Specialty coffee from Elixir will be available alongside the likes of Devonshire tea, with Maple Lane’s cosy and comfortable fit-out (undertaken by Innovare Builders) boasting a fresh garden-inspired green-and-white palette.

Dalgety 2.0 Public House launches breakfast
Last year popular Teneriffe watering hole Dalgety Public House scored a facelift thanks to the efforts of its new ownership team. Since relaunching in July the space has cultivated a new loyal following with its elevated pub-style fare, and now with lunch and dinner firmly in hand the crew is setting its sights on breakfast. Dalgety 2.0 Public House has launched a new morning menu, which is putting a tasty spin on some established favourites. Guests can now slink in early for some potato hash with pork crumb and poached eggs, mushrooms on toast with sunflower puree and fetta, and smashed avocado with goat chevre and dukkah – the perfect option for brunch this weekend (hint hint).

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