Is it just us, or is this year flashing by before our very eyes? Pretty sure a second ago we were celebrating Easter with one too many chocolate bunnies and gelato-stuffed hot cross buns...
But don’t despair, spring is almost here to remind us to pump the breaks and indulge with friends over many delicious meals on the Gold Coast. If you’re looking to mix things up, we’ve tracked down four fun foodie events happening within the next few weeks.
Pizzini Wines Winter Feast | Justin Lane
Burleigh Heads
Winemaker dinners are seriously in vogue right now, and one of the Coast’s OG hip hangouts, Justin Lane, invites you to ‘eat, drink and be messy’ at their next exclusive event. Frock up and let your locks down as you dine on an authentic banquet of Justin’s finest, all paired with fanciful Italian wine varieties including Pinot Grigio, Prosecco, Arneis, Nebbiolo and Sangiovese by family-owned King Valley winery, Pizzini. Few tickets remain so, don’t dilly dally!
Where: Justin Lane, 1708-1710 Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads
When: Thursday 24 August; 6:30pm
Cost: $65 + BF (banquet + wine pairings)
Inside Out | Brickworks
Southport
Searching for a fun foodie event that won’t require prearrangement of a babysitter? While Brickworks’ Inside Out festival is so much more than just food and drinks, you’ll know where to find us… Swanning from gourmet food stall to food stall, devouring poke bowls to artisan cheese and baked goods, or perhaps loitering around the Veuve Bar. Fellas, you’ve even got your own man den, in the form of a ‘beers, beards and beats’ Stone & Wood beer garden at Salt Cafe Bar with brewskies, beard trims by Lost Boys Barber Cuts, DJs and percussionists. Amidst the merriment will be all-day entertainment, spring fashion parades by St Barts, cooking demos in the Miele Experience Centre, dog yoga sessions and The Crafts Laneway with plenty of activities to keep the little ones occupied.
Where: Brickworks Centre, 107 Ferry Street, Southport
When: Sunday 10 September; 10am to 6pm
Cost: Free (plus spending money for #allofthefood)
Better With Balter | The Collective
Palm Beach
This September, two of our favourite locals are teaming up to host a one-of-a-kind Sunday session—a food and beer pairing dego! With dishes served from each of The Collective’s five kitchens, Balter’s head brewer Scott Hargrave will have his work cut out pairing ample brews, including a special limited release, with international cuisines from Mexico, Italy, America, SE Asia and modern Australia. We have full faith he’ll nail it though, and that Better with Balter will be one of the coolest beer-loving events to attend this spring. Oh, and one lucky punter will walk away with beer for a year! #partyatyourplace
Where: The Collective, 1128 Gold Coast Highway, Palm Beach
When: Sunday 10 September; 4pm to 7pm
Cost: $89 + BF available via the website (banquet dinner with beer pairings)
Meets & Eats | Launching Soon In Nobby Beach & Palm Beach
Nobby Beach & Palm Beach
ICYMI, the Coast is about to gain an intriguing new progressive dining experience with one key purpose—to connect new friends. And while Meets & Eats has the potential to bring Gold Coasters looking for love together in a fun and relaxed setting, it’s not just designed for those who are single and ready to mingle. To sign up, your primary task is to gather a small collection of your own friends first, two guys and two girls (singles, couples, wingmen, whatevs). Your night with Meets & Eats includes three courses at three different restaurants within walking distance, where you’ll be paired up with a new group of four—alternating your dining partners with each course/location. You’ve got the opportunity to make 12-plus new-to-you friends over dinner and, at the end of the evening, you’ll all rendezvous together at a fourth destination for a night cap or three. Whatever happens from there is up to you. With plans to launch in September with tours in both Nobby Beach and Palm Beach, they’ve already got a few hundred interested locals standing by to fill the first few progressive dinners. We can’t wait to watch this one evolve!
Where: Nobby Beach + Palm Beach restaurants
When: Launching September
Cost: Register your interest via the website for details
Can't get enough of the best restaurants on the Gold Coast? Have you dined at all of Burleigh's finest?
Image credit: Hayley Williamson for The Urban List