The Weekend Edition - Sleep In. Slow Down. Enjoy.

The year in review: what you loved in 2016 The year in review: what you loved in 2016 The year in review: what you loved in 2016 The year in review: what you loved in 2016 The year in review: what you loved in 2016

The year in review: what you loved in 2016

Look, the year 2016 hasn't necessarily been the best. But one shining beacon of hope has been the incredible growth that Brisbane has continued to see over the year. We welcomed a delicious selection of new restaurants, cafes and bars, made our way to some pretty rad events, and basically spent our time soaking up everything that is great about our fine city. We're not ones to dwell on the past, but before we ring in the new year, we thought it only fitting to reflect on the things our readers loved the most in 2016 on The Weekend Edition. Here are our top-ranking stories of the year!


Food & drink
You love the food. You love the drink. So it came as no surprise that Food & Drink was the category you loved the most on The Weekend Edition in 2016. From new openings to mouth-watering round-ups, here were our top-ranking Food & Drink stories of the year …

The Apo
We know the beginning of the year seems like a lifetime ago, but way back in January The Moubment Group graced the people of Brisbane with a new venue, The Apo. As lovers of its sibling venues Gerard’s Bistro and Gerard’s Bar & Charcuterie, you were pretty excited about the announcement of this bar and eatery. The food offering evolved over the year to its current delicious menu – overseen by group executive chef Ben Williamson – which is served alongside some amazing cocktail concoctions.

Aether Brewing
Milton has long been synonymous with beer and the opening of craft brewery, bar and kitchen Aether Brewing was wholeheartedly welcomed by locals. Dave Ward and Jimmy Young – the brains behind the beer – created Aether Brewing as a way to indulge their love of craft beer on a greater scale. The brewpub pours nine of its own beers on tap alongside three guest brews, and also serves up wine, spirits and a selection of hearty eats.

Hello Please
In August we said greetings to shipping-container eatery Hello Please in Fish Lane. Hello Please comes from Daniel Ward (co-owner of The Stables Craft Bar and Kitchen) and seasoned hospitality professional Maris Cook, and serves up vibrant Vietnamese eats in an open-air setting. We’re looking forward to summer afternoons in the balmy breeze chowing down on spiced chicken ribs, pork-belly baos and ice-cold tinnies.

Holey Moley Golf Club
Novelty mini golf with a cocktail in hand? Apparently that’s your jam, because you went crazy over the announcement of Holey Moley Golf Club. The bar and putt-putt course opened in September, offering two nine-hole courses of crazy obstacles, including the Game of Thrones-themed Iron Throne, made entirely of clubs, that you have to chip into, and the risque Glory Hole, which takes you inside the bathroom cubicles to putt between unsuspecting legs.

Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers
Are you even surprised this was one of our top stories of the year? It’s Australia’s first dedicated gnoccheria, son! After pleasing market-goers for 18 months, Ben Cleary-Corradini and Theo Rudener opened their bricks-and-mortar Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers in Paddington. Six kinds of gnocchi flavours are available, alongside sides such as deep-fried mince-stuffed olives to thick-cut potato chips with truffle salt and aioli. YUM.

Gauge and Maker
It seems your love for Jerome Batten’s inventive eatery and bar has not subsided – both venues were also in our top stories of 2015. Gauge’s chefs Cormac Bradfield and Phil Marchant have continued to wow palates with their culinary creations (if you haven’t tried the black garlic bread yet you haven’t really lived), while over at Maker Edward Quatermass expertly crafts liquid sensations.

Ramen
You made it clear, dear readers – 2016 was the year of the ramen. The announcements of Hai-Hai Ramen, MisoHapi, Genkotsu Ramen Toowong and Taro’s Ramen at 480 Queen got you all hot under the collar, but it was our round-up of the best places to get your slurpy fix that you loved the most.

Cheap eats
Don’t be ashamed to admit it – even lovers of the finest food enjoy the guilty pleasure of tasty cheap eats. We found the best spots in town to indulge in a cheeky feast on the cheap, and you really loved it. From Ben’s Burgers to Red Hill institution NoNo’s, our round-up is sure to help you make it through to pay day.

Milk brands to support Australian dairy farmers
In May this year Australian dairy farmers were faced with deep financial crisis due to a slash in farmgate milk prices from Australia’s two biggest dairy companies – and you wanted to know how to help. Without of all the noise that often comes with everyday news, we put it very simply and told you what milk brands you should buy to support Australian dairy farmers. Oh, and to eat more Aussie cheese.

Late-night dining
You like to stay out late, don’t you? We do too, which is why we wrote a round-up dedicated to Brisbane’s best late-night dining spots. When you’ve got a hankering for a feast in the wee hours, there are plenty of places around town to get some late-night chow.

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Netflix Original shows
No need to deny it – we all know you spent a significant portion of your year binging on Netflix series. We helped you decide what to watch with a quick round-up of Netflix Originals shows to look forward to in 2016, including gems such as Baz Luhrmann’s The Get Down and season four of Orange is the New Black. We can’t wait to see (and binge watch) what 2017 brings.

Sephora
We found out earlier this year that make-up giant Sephora was coming to Brisbane – and unfortunately we are still waiting! Don’t furrow your perfectly filled brows ladies, it’s still on its way to Brisbane City … you’re just going to have to wait a little longer. Or head down to Pacific Fair to get your beauty fix!

Brisbane’s best barbers
You gents out there clearly love to look sharp – our round-up of Brisbane’s best barbers was one of the top searched stories of the year. Whether you love a short-back-and-sides or need help maintaining your luscious lumberjack beard, we’ve found all the places in Brisbane to keep you well groomed.

Cheap and free things to do in Brisbane
Money too tight to mention? Don’t stress guys, we got you. We’re all about making the most of your weekends, but sometimes your wallet has other, less fun, ideas. From Friday night through to Sunday evening, we put together a list of cheap and free things to do in Brisbane so you can still be a baller on a budget.

Noosa Longboards
Iconic local surf apparel label Noosa Longboards opened in Woolloongabba in June, injecting a dose of summer into the chilly winter months. The store stocks dozens of boards and racks of boardies, shirts and accessories, plus you can also grab a cheeky coffee and pastry, giving you a great excuse to hang loose and linger amongst the racks of wares for a while longer.

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The Johnson
This year saw Brisbane welcome Queensland’s first Arts Series Hotel in Spring Hill, The Johnson. The hotel draws inspiration (for more than just its name) from master colourist and artist Michael Johnson, whose work you can spy adorning the walls throughout the space. 

Eat Street expansion
Earlier this year, Economic Development Queensland submitted a proposal to relocate Eat Street Markets to a more expansive site in the same Northshore Hamilton precinct. Part of the proposal included the introduction of a ‘container adventure park’ featuring 50 to 60 shipping containers, each housing a range of activities, from climbing walls, bungee tramps and zorb balls, to laser tag, paintball, and an inflatable obstacle course. We’ll keep you posted if we hear more news of this development!

DIY furniture hacks
Can’t afford that marble bedside table for your apartment? We got you, fam! You went bananas for our list of DIY furniture hacks to help you jazz up your abode without breaking the bank. Warning: you may need to assemble IKEA furniture for some of these.

Zahra New Farm
We don’t blame you for loving this story – Zahra is the apartment development of our dreams. It’s the latest project from Spyre Group, which has linked up with architects Cottee Parker and Dunn + Moran for the stellar development, situated a stone’s throw away from New Farm’s central hub.

Big World Homes
Tiny. Flat-packed. Houses. Need we say more? Big World Homes is tackling the housing affordability crisis by creating the first flat-packed home that can be deployed just about anywhere for a fraction of the cost of a brick-and-mortar abode.

twe-stjamescrabhouse-21-1100x550-c-defaultNotable Mentions

What a year it was, and 2017 is shaping up to be even bigger! Thank you, dear readers, for a wonderful year – we hope you enjoyed reading The Weekend Edition as much as we enjoyed creating it for you! 

The Stumble Guide is our comprehensive Brisbane dining guide with more than 2400 places to eat, drink, shop and play.



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