August has arrived with plenty of reasons to get out for dinner. From burger omakase and duck-and-Pinot pairings to a one-night truffle feast, a huge showcase of Western Australian wine and a new Maxibon that takes its cues from the bakery counter, Brisbane’s food scene has plenty happening this month. Whether you’re looking for your next date-night booking or an excuse to get everyone around the table, here’s what’s happening around town.
Burger Omakase has landed
Midtown in Fish Lane is spending August turning the humble burger into a five-course tasting menu, which is either a very clever idea or a dangerous development for anyone who has ever said they could easily eat another burger.
Burger Omakase runs Wednesday to Saturday, with just 10 seats available each night. Chef Dan has come up with five very different takes, including a Moreton Bay Bug Burger, a Mumbai-inspired Vada Pav, an open-faced chicken nugget number with waffle, maple butter, hot honey and Siberian caviar, followed by a beef and chorizo burger and a chocolate ice cream burger for dessert. It’s $79 a head and available throughout August.
WHAT: Burger Omakase
WHEN: Wednesday to Saturday throughout August
WHERE: Midtown, Fish Lane
TICKETS: $79 per person
Truffle gets the full Italian treatment
If you’re the sort of person who sees the word truffle and immediately starts making dinner plans, ATTIMI’s annual Serata Al Tartufo is coming up on Tuesday 11 August. Chef Dario Manca has built a four-course dinner around fresh Australian truffle from Verduno Australia, with the evening starting with a welcome broth and truffle-topped snacks before moving into homemade Tajarin pasta, duck roulade and a very intriguing Italian Cornetto with truffle, Jerusalem artichoke and caramel.
The dinner is $228 per person, with an optional $108 wine pairing. It’s a one-night-only affair, so this is one for the truffle devotees.
WHAT: Serata Al Tartufo
WHEN: Tuesday 11 August, from 5.30pm
WHERE: ATTIMI, 224 Given Terrace, Paddington
TICKETS: $228 per person, wine pairing $108
WA wine comes to Brisbane
More than 30 Western Australian wineries are packing up their bottles and heading east for EXHILARATING Wines from Western Australia at Howard Smith Wharves on 18 August. More than 150 wines will be available to taste, covering Margaret River, Great Southern, Pemberton, Swan Valley and beyond, with winemakers and winery owners coming along too.
The Golden Hour Showcase runs from 5.30pm to 8.30pm and includes grazing food plus a take-home RIEDEL wine glass. There’s also a VIP session with Robert Parker Wine Advocate reviewer Erin Larkin, starting at 5pm. Tickets are $75 for the showcase or $180 for VIP.
WHAT: EXHILARATING Wines from Western Australia
WHEN: Tuesday 18 August, 5pm or 5.30pm
WHERE: Howard Smith Wharves
TICKETS: From $75
Duck, snack, Pinot
Maeve Wine Bar has found a very persuasive reason to drink Pinot Noir this month. Its Duck • Snack • Pinot pairing runs throughout August, matching three duck snacks with three Pinot Noirs from Australia and New Zealand for $70.
You’ll get duck parfait with Davidson plum alongside a Michael Hall Pinot, pizza fritta topped with duck ham with Craggy Range Pinot Noir, then crumbed duck terrine with maple mustard and a Yarra Valley Pinot from Trapeze. It’s available throughout August at Maeve in Fish Lane, with bookings essential.
WHAT: Duck • Snack • Pinot
WHEN: Throughout August
WHERE: Maeve Wine Bar, 39 Melbourne Street, South Brisbane
TICKETS: $70 per person
Goldie’s brings the sports bar back to South Brisbane
Goldie’s Tavern has opened on the corner of Melbourne and Merivale Streets, turning the former West End pub site into a sports-focused neighbourhood local. There are big screens showing live sport, pool tables, a beer garden and a pub menu covering everything from loaded nachos and Philly cheesesteak wontons to chicken parmys, steaks and fish and chips.
The entertainment calendar is also leaning heavily into game-day territory, with sports trivia, parmy and steak nights, acoustic music and DJs. It’s opposite the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, so it should come in handy before or after an event too.
WHAT: Goldie’s Tavern
WHERE: Corner of Melbourne and Merivale Streets, South Brisbane
Cinnamon scroll, but make it Maxibon
The cinnamon scroll has officially escaped the bakery counter and ended up inside a Maxibon. The new Cinnamon Scroll flavour has a dough-flavoured slab swirled with sticky cinnamon syrup, sandwiched between golden biscuits and dipped in cream cheese icing with vanilla crumb pieces.
It’s available exclusively at Woolworths in four-packs for $11.50, or as a single serve at Ampol for $5.60. The sensible way to approach this is probably to accept that the middle is going to be involved.
In her spare time, she likes long walks down the makeup aisle and performing in Brisbane theatre. You can follow her adventures on Instagram and TikTok @thebeautypalate.
