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Non-traditional Italian Dining Experience Coming to Fortitude Valley

Opening soon in Fortitude Valley! From the team behind Karen’s Diner comes a new authentic Italian restaurant promising a decidedly unique dining experience that may keep you coming back for more.

Berluca’s will open doors in Fortitude Valley early next year. The new concept restaurant promises to offer a unique dining experience with an electric atmosphere with plenty of laughs, giant yard pizzas, and great cocktails. Delivering the fun and entertainment are singing waiters plus meatball competitions, and food fights galore to keep the madness going.

Berluca’s will also offer lucky customers a chance to experience it before the venue opens in the new year by grabbing tickets to one of two exclusive opening sittings in early November. Tickets cost just $55pp and include an entree, pizza and dessert!

The Menu for these events includes an Entree Board for two to four people consisting of marinated olives, confit garlic focaccia, burrata Caprese & arancini of the day. Whilst the Main will be any choice of Pizzas and a choice of Cannoli Siciliano, Tiramisu or Chocolate Tart for dessert.

“So get up, shake your napkin, sing along and dance on your chair as you take a non-traditional journey through Italian cuisine.” – Barluca’s

Berluca’s follows the highly successful Karen’s Diner, an interactive diner waited by rude staff and offers burgers, chicken wings, and hotdogs that can be paired with a shake, beer, wine or a cocktail. They currently have locations across Australia, New Zealand, the UK and USA.

Berluca’s will be located at 209 Brunswick St in Fortitude Valley. No word is out yet as to the new venue’s complete line-up of offerings and operating hours, so stay tuned for updates.

Berluca’s | 209 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 4006

Top Dogs Recognised at Vision Australia’s Seeing Eye Dogs Graduation

Photo Credit: Seeing Eye Dogs/Facebook

Vision Australia has added eight new Seeing Eye Dogs to its team at a special graduation ceremony for the VIPs (very important pups!) in Brisbane City.

The graduation, held at the Queensland Parliament on Wednesday, 12 October 2022, was hosted by Disability Services Minister Craig Crawford, who remarked that he had a “re-barkable time” with the new Seeing Eye Dogs. The ceremony coincided with World Sight Day.

“Many people have supported these Seeing Eye Dog teams along the way to where they are today,” Mr Crawford said.

“From the volunteer puppy carers who foster potential guide dogs, to the skilled trainers who get them ready to work with their new handlers, and the many other staff and volunteers that keep organisations like Vision Australia running.

“These dogs have learned tasks that are far more complex and nuanced than most other dogs ever have to perform to keep their handlers safe, but they do something even more important than perform on command.

“They support some of the more than 1700 people in Queensland who are blind or have low vision to live independently and participate fully in the community.”

“Training can take up to two years and $50,000, but it’s worthwhile when you see the impact it has,” said Seeing Eye Dogs client services manager Lester Chraim.

“It’s amazing how a Seeing Eye Dog can help handlers reclaim their independence and be so much more active and confident in the community,” Mr Chraim said.

To learn more about the work of Seeing Eye Dogs, visit the official site.

You Can Get These Brookies From This Marshall St Bakery

Torn between a cookie or a brownie? Get them both! In Fortitude Valley, new bakery Brooki Bake House combines these two classic desserts into one delectable creation, also known as brookies.

Read: New And Upcoming Restaurants In Fortitude Valley

The brookies here use cookie dough base with Oreo layer and rich brownie topped with cookies. It also comes in red velvet flavour, which comes served with a cream cheese swirl.

Housed in the Stewart & Hemmant building on Marshall St, Fortitude Valley, this recently launched bakery is owned by travel blogger Brooke Saward, who’s also behind Charlie’s Dessert House in Launceston.

Aside from their brookies, they have an array of sweets to choose from, starting from cakes and cupcakes down to macarons and cheesecakes.

Some of the best sellers on their rotating monthly flavour include Caramilk Cookie, Toblerone cookie, cookie dough cupcake, and the salted caramel macaron.

They also have some of the most unique flavours you can ever find, like the Nutella Bueno cookies, Coke macarons, and earl grey cupcakes.

Coffee on pour comes courtesy of Archer beans coffee, though there’s also the traditional Belgian hot chocolate or match latte to choose from.

As for cakes, you can have them customised and choose from a variety of flavours, such as Red Velvet, Brooklyn Blackout, Vanilla Matcha, Biscoff, and Cotton Candy.

Photo credit: Brooki Bake House/Instagram

Just recently, Brooki Bake House launched their ‘After dark’ offering, exclusively on offer via UberEats. Those who crave their favourite cookies, cupcakes, brownies, macarons can have them delivered at home from 6:00 pm. to 10:00 p.m. It also includes made to order waffles, warm cookie sundaes, and Belgian hot chocolate.

Read: Cooking School, Art Gallery Planned for Wandoo St Industrial Building in Fortitude Valley

For more information, visit Brooki Bakehouse’s website or follow them on Instagram @brookibakehouse.

‘Look Mum, No Pilot!’ Self-flying Air Taxis Being Developed In Time For 2032 Brisbane Olympics

Imagine shuttling back and forth between various venues at the Brisbane 2032 Olympics aboard self-flying air taxis. Based on the 5th-generation aircraft that were on public display at King George Square in the City, riding an air taxi without a pilot isn’t as farfetched as it seems.

Read: Queens Wharf Development to Include Velo Cafe, a Hub for Cyclists

Leading urban air mobility company Wisk Aero has signed a deal with the Council of Mayors for the provision of self-flying air taxis in 10 years’ time, to transport people quickly from hubs near the City to Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast, and Toowoomba.

The public display of self-flying air taxis at King George Square comes on the heels of the announcement of Wisk’s expansion into Australia and marks the first in a series of planned displays in the region.

On display recently in Brisbane was their 5th generation aircraft, a two-passenger autonomous aircraft with 12 independent, electric-powered lifting propellers.

Wisk Cora — Autonomous aircraft are controled by sophisticated technology and proprietary software.
Photo credit: Wisk

Wisk’s next-gen aircrafts are designed to deliver a self-flying first approach. By leveraging existing, proven technology, their proprietary software, and technical oversight by their experts, the planes would fly under the control of automatic systems, without intervention from a human pilot.

Also known as Cora, the 5th-gen wonder on display in Brisbane took almost eight years to develop. It is an electric, fixed wing, lift+cruise aircraft that is Wisk’s first-ever autonomous, off-runway flight.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, who chairs the Council of Mayors (SEQ) said attracting global businesses and innovative industries like Wisk to the region, was a big part of the reason why the Council of Mayors first kickstarted the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games journey.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Wisk to look at how South East Queensland can capitalise off the new jobs and economic opportunities associated with this Australian-first industry,” Cr Schrinner said.

“While there’s still plenty of work to do around regulation and safety, the prospect of having autonomous air taxis operating throughout our region and between venues during the Brisbane2032 Games is really exciting.”

Read: Leading Brisbane Organisations Fund New Research On E-scooter Injuries

Gary Gysin, Chief Executive Officer of Wisk, said Wisk was proud to engage with forward-thinking local leaders, like the Council of Mayors (SEQ), to advance the introduction of AAM and benefit not only Wisk, but local communities and the industry as a whole.

“This is an exciting time for us, as we continue our momentum and expand our global presence. We look forward to building on the strong relationships we have in Australia to make safe, all-electric, autonomous flight a reality,” said Mr Gysin.

New And Upcoming Restaurants In Fortitude Valley

The latter half of 2022 is an exciting time for Fortitude Valley, with new restaurant openings, well-known chefs, and revamped hospitality venues. Here’s some of the latest foodie news dropping in the Valley.

Read: Jubilee Place to Welcome New Rooftop Dining Venue

Supernormal to Land on Queen Street

Supernormal Fortitude Valley — Photo credit: Supernormal/Facebook

Melbourne-based chef and restaurateur Andrew McConnell will bring his Asian-inspired cuisine to Brisbane next year, delighting fans of his signature lobster roll, chicken dumplings, and slow-cooked lamb.

The restaurant, which will be able to accommodate up to 120 guests, will feature an alfresco and private dining, designed by Vince Alafaci and Caroline Choker of Sydney’s ACME.

Supernormal will open at Cbu Property’s residential tower at 443 Queen St in Fortitude Valley in the summer of 2023. It will operate seven days a week for all-day dining, lunch and dinner.

Alfred & Constance New Mexican Bar And Eatery

Alfred & Constance Fortitude Valley — Photo credit: alfredandconstance.com.au

Alfred & Constance is now under new management and undergoing minor renovations. Diners can look forward to the addition of Lime Mexican, a casual dining spot for all classic Mexican snacks, such as tacos, quesadillas, and nachos.

Aside from ordering a snack, you can pop in for a drink or settle in with their menu, designed for sharing among friends. They have delicious Mexican cervezas, aside from spicy margaritas, red, white, and sparkling wines, and a selection of tequilas.

Komeyui — A Taste of Japan in Fortitude Valley

Komeyui Fortitude Valley — Photo credit: Komeyui Restaurant/Facebook

Melbourne’s Japanese restaurant Komeyui, best known for its sushi, is coming to Spring Hill before Christmas.

Owned by Chef Motomu Kumano, the restaurant will use rice imported from Japan and fish sourced from Victoria and Tasmania for their high-grade sushi.

Other menu items to look forward to include white-fish-stuffed zucchini flower with tapioca pearl and ankake and for dessert, red bean sticky rice with matcha jelly and azuki cream.

Works are already underway at the site, located on the ground floor of the former Federal Police building on Wharf St, with interiors to be designed by Sue Coles of Melbourne design firm Baenziger Coles.

The GPO Hotel Returns to Fortitude Valley

After closing in 2020 because of the pandemic, popular nightlife spot GPO Hotel is getting a new lease on life, with a $7-million renovation currently underway.

Works for GPO Hotel, located at 740 Ann St, include high-end bars, kitchens, toilets, and dining areas.

Gold Coast hospitality group Artesian Hospitality, the team behind the Cali Beach Club in Surfers Paradise, signed a 25-year lease on the historic building and the two adjoining buildings on site.

Read: Queens Wharf Development to Include Velo Cafe, a Hub for Cyclists

Artesian Hospitality announced plans to put multiple venues within the building to establish it as a precinct. The group, however, has remained tight-lipped when asked if it would reopen as a late-night club.

The hospitality group is aiming for a late 2022 or early 2023 reopening.

Published 30-Sept-2024

Concerns Raised Over Possible Tree Removals to Make Way for New Turbot St Office Tower

Residents and heritage supporters have raised concerns over plans for a new office tower development on Turbot St which may impact as many as 25 trees along two of Brisbane’s oldest parks.

The tower is a $670-million project that secured approval for DA A005799854 in March 2022, allowing the developer, Mirvac, to build a world-class workplace precinct that will transform the former site of the University of Queensland dental school.

The heritage-listed site was recently used as a famous TV set for the crime drama “Harrow.”

The Spring Hill Community Group said that the developer lodged another application, DA A006046802, for a minor change of use on the Turbot St development in June 2022, citing a possible filling and excavation that could impact 25 trees on Wickham Park and King Edward Park which are within the development parameters.

Turbot St Office Tower — Photo Credit: DA A005799854

Concerns have also been raised that the planned work might also affect a heritage stone wall if a path through the parks is permitted.

Council has asked the developer to submit a Vegetation Management Plan in early September to clarify its intention for the path, which will be for car park access.

Turbot St Mirvac Tower — *Photo Credit: DA A005799854*

The Turbot St office tower will integrate the old dental school building into 66,000 square metres of office space. The site includes a 6.000-square metre open space, 169 car parks, and 745 bicycle parking bays.

“We expect a building of this quality, in this unique CBD location, together with the opportunity for large floor plates, to attract a high calibre of tenants,” Brett Draffen, Mirvac’s Chief Investment Officer, said.

“The building will also benefit from significant government investment in local infrastructure including Cross River Rail, Brisbane Metro and Brisbane Live.”

Jubilee Place to Welcome New Rooftop Dining Venue

Photo Credit: Jubilee Place / jubileeplace.com.au

Ready for a new dining experience against a backdrop of city views? This rooftop venue is ready to set foot at the new Jubilee Place in Fortitude Valley later in the year.

The team behind Evita Restaurant & Bar and Mina Italian is showing no signs of stopping. Fresh from the opening of Lina Rooftop, they are yet again opening another dining venue. This time, atop Fortitude Valley’s luxurious Jubilee Place on St Paul’s Terrace.

Soko will be set on a lush, greenery-filled rooftop venue and will serve a mouth-watering combination of Peruvian and Japanese-inspired dishes guaranteed to satisfy the palate of 500 diners.

Jubilee Place rooftop — Photo Credit: Jubilee Place / jubileeplace.com.au

Whilst the full menu is yet to be revealed, expect ceviche, traditional lomito al jugo, yakitori and sashimi, plus grade nine wagyu with yuzu kosho to be part of what’s on offer. These delectable dishes will be prepared by Soko Rooftop’s specialist chefs.

Drinks that will be on offer include specially curated wine and sake with 40 flavours of pisco sours filling up the cocktail menu.

And as if the amazing views from the top are not enough, the venue will also be treating its patrons with some Latin music, dancers and bongo players to complement the food and drinks.

Soko Rooftop will be taking residence on the 14th floor of Jubilee Place at 470 St Paul’s Terrace, Fortitude Valley beginning early November 2022. Hours of operation will be from 11 am to 3 pm, Monday to Friday (Lunch); 5 pm to late, Wednesday to Friday (Dinner) and from noon to late on weekends.

Jubilee Place at 470 St Paul’s Terrace, Fortitude Valley

QUT Scientist to Lead New Research Against Viruses Like COVID-19 and Monkeypox

Photo Credit: Queensland University of Technology (QUT) / qut.edu.au

A QUT scientist will lead a team of researchers that will investigate a new method to prevent the spread of emerging viruses such as COVID-19 and Monkeypox.

QUT’s Dr Nathan Boase, a polymer chemist who researches nanomedicines, is the chief investigator of the two-year project whose specific aim is to develop a “stop-gap” therapeutic that will buy scientists some time to develop a vaccine.

The team will attempt to target the membrane that envelopes the virus and disrupt it so that the virus won’t be able to merge with the human cells.

“This project is the first step towards the development of broad-spectrum antiviral therapeutics that can be stockpiled, at low cost, and rapidly deployed to fill the gap between the emergence of a new viral disease and the development of an effective vaccine,” Dr Boase said.

“These new therapies are needed to protect civilian populations and to maintain operational preparedness of military forces.”

Discovery Award Grant

The project will initially focus on providing proof of concept. It will be funded by a $US200,000 Discovery Award grant from the U.S. Department of Defense under its Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs.

Dr Boase will be working with QUT’s Centre for Materials Science and School of Chemistry and Physics, Professor Kathryn Fairfull-Smith, Professor Leonie Barner, and Dr Kirsty Short from the University of Queensland.

Dr Boase said he learned about the U.S. Department of Defense funding program – which is granted each year to research projects such as those in areas of combating emerging viral diseases – during the 2020 lockdown. It was then that he thought of pivoting his efforts and helping in the fight against these diseases.

"The current emergence of Monkeypox highlights the need for these rapid therapeutics.” — “The current emergence of Monkeypox highlights the need for these rapid therapeutics.” | Photo Credit: Fusion Medical Animation / Unsplash

“When a new virus emerges like COVID did, we are woefully underprepared to protect ourselves from it. Even with rapid development it still took 11 months to develop a vaccine for COVID,” furthers Dr Boase..

“With thousands of mammalian viruses not yet discovered and a continued push to globalisation, the unfortunate reality is that future viral pandemics are inevitable. The current emergence of Monkeypox, as we are only just recovering from the COVID pandemic, highlights the need for these rapid therapeutics.

“We need to have broad-spectrum therapeutics on hand that can reduce disease severity, irrelevant of viral strain, in the interim until a vaccine can be produced.

He explained that whilst the vaccine targets the virus, its aim is to target the casing that surrounds all these types of viruses. They hope to achieve this by synthesising new polymers to bind to virus casings and then investigating which of these polymers are the “most effective at weakening those casings.”

With the two-year research, the team hopes to produce preliminary findings that will attract more funding from medical grants.

“We want this initial project to produce the fundamental new scientific knowledge that will allow for the eventual development of a clinical therapeutic that can aid in the defence against emerging viral diseases,” Professor Leonie Barner explained.

Leading Brisbane Organisations Fund New Research On E-scooter Injuries

Two leading organisations in Brisbane have teamed up to fund new trauma research that aims to curb e-scooter related injuries, benefiting riders in the Safe Nights Precincts that include Fortitude Valley and South Brisbane, where there have been several incidents of e-scooter mishaps.

Read: Police Launches Crackdown On E-scooter Riders In CBD, Fortitude Valley

The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) Foundation and RACQ will donate a combined $200,000 to support the two-year study, led by researchers from Jamieson Trauma Institute (JTI) in collaboration with major Hospital Emergency Departments, including RBWH.

RBWH Foundation CEO Simone Garske said this valuable and timely research offers significant potential to improve the safety of e-mobility both in Queensland and around the world, as the number of e-mobility injuries increases.

Jamieson Trauma Institute is one of the top institutes in injury surveillance research and they have already been advising government-level strategies on electronic personal mobility devices or e-PMD injuries.

JTI found in their latest analysis that males accounted for 63 percent of all e-scooter injuries with those aged 25-34 years the most common age group followed by 18–24-year-olds at 28 percent.

Dr Gary Mitchell, Emergency Department Staff Specialist at RBWH, added that the majority of ED presentations occur on weekends, with Friday the most common weekday.

David Carter, CEO at RACQ said the findings would be used to shape policy and regulatory responses and better educate Queenslanders on how to be safe on e-mobility devices.

e-scooters user — Photo credit: Norma Mortenson/Pexels

“This research will give us a thorough understanding on how many people are ending up in hospital emergency departments with e-mobility related injuries and will allow us to better understand injury patterns, severity, circumstances, and treatment outcomes,” Mr Carter said.

Earlier this year, police launched a blitz on e-scooter riders in the CBD and Fortitude Valley, targeting those who ride in a dangerous manner, such as those who are overspeeding, using a mobile phone, carrying passengers or not wearing a helmet.

The State Government has also rolled out an education campaign which focuses on the safety of riders, such as the proper use of helmets, how to overtake pedestrians, and how to park e-scooters.

Whodunnit? Play Detective and Solve a Murder at this Fortitude Valley Church

Almost everybody loves a good murder-mystery game. Put your detective hat on and try Fever’s murder-mystery experience at the heritage-listed High Church in Fortitude Valley.

Read: QUT Scientist to Lead Research Against Viruses Like COVID-19 and Monkeypox

Murder Mystery: Wedding Murder is an interactive murder mystery game, where players solve clues and use their detective skills to get to the bottom of the case and unmask the true murderer.

For this Fever original, the story revolves around Jasmine Portia, the sole heir of the Lancasters, Brisbane’s most influential family. After postponements, her wedding is about to take place. Aside from the most intimate family members and friends, Brisbane’s elite and the Lancaster’s business partners are in attendance.

Whilst the guests are waiting for Jasmine Portia to walk down the aisle, a corpse has been found. This is when your job as the detective starts–inspect the venue, interrogate suspects, and find clues to crack the murder mystery.

It can be experienced individually, but also with friends and family, with group admission good for a minimum of 10 people.

If you wouldn’t want to miss this event, get your tickets before the event ends on 27 October 2022. It takes place every Thursday and Friday at 5:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., with each session lasting an hour and a half.

Please note that guests must be 10 years old or older and anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Go to Feverup’s website to get your ticket or to learn more about Murder Mystery: Wedding Murder in Brisbane.