For Jared Thibault and Vincent Lombino, every hospitality concept they’ve opened so far at Pellicano’s South City Square has been inspired by a personal connection or experience of some kind. Sasso Italiano’s retro form pays homage to the American-Italian restaurants the two grew up around, while the idea for Sasso’s up-tempo sibling Casa Chow and its menu of chifa cuisine was shaped by familial connections and time spent working amongst Miami’s heaving nightlife. The duo’s newest venues, South City Wine and Purple Palm, are no exception. South City Wine is a Parisian-style wine bar – the kind Vince and Jared regularly sought out during their respective travels through Europe – while Purple Palm draws upon the sunny sociability of Palm Springs in California, where to two first became friends. These four venues fall under the banner of the Talisman Group, Jared and Vince’s burgeoning hospitality outfit that seeks to build a diverse village in the foundations of the Woolloongabba hub’s residential buildings. Talismans are rarely the same. Each object is different, with every unique token holding some form of meaning or power. In that sense, all the venues under the group’s umbrella can be viewed as meaningful talismans, of sorts – shaped by memories and imbued with the same indelible energies that proved formative in Jared and Vince’s lives. “All of these venues, it’s been great to have them be inspired from a personal connection,” says Jared. “It makes it that much more enjoyable.” “They’re little talismans in their own right,” adds Vince. “They can evoke feeling, give action, get response and foster connection.”
South City Wine is an evocation of the cosy caves à manger of France – tiny neighbourhood outlets that typically pull double duty as wine shops and eateries. The Talisman team have linked up with People of Design to throw it back stylistically, celebrating the classically elegant aesthetic one imagines when they think of Parisian vino parlours. Here, old-world touches like vintage cutlery, mahogany panelling, oil paintings, mirrors, marble tabletops, candelabras and brass lamps add elegant accents to South City Wine’s emerald-green colour scheme. A small internal space features a communal table and a small corner nook for intimate couplings, while the bulk of the seating sprawls out into the laneway. Small goods and meats sit in the window, luring in snack seekers with the promise of sublime nibbles but the main piece of decor, however, is wine – shelves are loaded with bottles sourced from around the globe, leaving no doubt as to what the star attraction is.
When it came to building the wine list, Jared and sommelier Michael Phipps have relished the opportunity to broaden their curatorial scope, not only plumbing the depths of Australian viticulture but also casting an eye towards vineyards outside of the traditional European milieu and varieties that might have dropped out of the current zeitgeist. “It’s not just what we love, it’s stuff that people haven’t been exposed to,” says Jared of South City Wine’s collection. “We’re trying to bring it back to old school. We’re having that presence of cabernet and chardonnay, which are the wines that were big when I was a child.” The venue’s launch list boasts a sturdy 190 bottles, with 23 available by the glass plus a four-strong clutch of Coravin sips, which will rotate. Australian, French and Italian wines are heavily represented, but look close and you’ll spy intriguing options like South African chenin blanc, German rieslings, buttery Californian chardonnays, skin-contact wines from Chile, Argentinian malbec, Grecian rosé and syrah from Lebanon. As for cocktails, expect a big focus on French classics made using Australian ingredients available au comptoir, like Vieux Carré made using mountain pepper-infused rye whiskey and a twist on the French 75 boasting Louis Roderer champagne and a sprig of rosemary from South City Square’s own herb gardens. In the kitchen, culinary wunderkind and group head chef Gabriele Di Landri has applied his talents to a sensational menu of French-inspired eats. “We didn’t want to do anything funky,” says Vince. “Our business plan was to have a phenomenal wine list and go classic to the nth degree with great produce.” They’ve nailed the brief. The menu kicks off with slivers of shaved charcuterie, delicate portions of artisanal cheese and tins of anchovies and sardines, before moving on to shareable bites like oysters, scallops crudo, pork croquettes with smoked-tomato relish, escargot à la Bourguignonne with garlic butter, and venison tartare with quail egg and parmesan. Those seeking a more substantial meal should look to mains like fish du jour a la meunier with Aleppo pepper or the 300-g sirloin on the bone with frites and estragon butter, before finishing with Luxardo maraschino cherry reverse creme brulee.
South City Wine is now open to the public. Operating hours, menu info and contact details can be found in the Stumble Guide.
