This man is crazy enough to believe he can launch a national chain of boutique five-star hotels from scratch – the Art Series Hotel Group. Just who does Will Deague think he is? Photo: Corey Sleap Property developers? Pah! If they’re not tearing down community centres to build condos they’re buying off whole councils and,
The chef behind Australia’s best French restaurant, Vue de monde, has always done things his way. But with new cafés, and a move upstairs to the top of the Rialto tower, is he riding himself into the ground? Photo: Corey Sleap How does a Westie kid go from chip shops and milkbars to become one
Mumford & Sons is a band. Which might sound bleeding obvious, but surely they could just as easily be a goldfield-era ironmongery firm? If I saw the words embossed into the cast iron frame of a pedalboard sewing machine I wouldn’t bat an eyelid. But riding high atop the Triple J Hot 100? Well, that’s
Sensory Lab: David Jones, 297 Lt Collins St, Melbourne, VIC (03) 9643 2222 or www.sensorylab.com.au St Ali owner and coffee evangelist, Salvatore Malatesta, wants to ‘own’ the coffee learn space, just as, he says, Apple ‘owns’ the touch space. Malatesta has got one up on Apple though; because with the opening of Sensory Lab, which
QPAC: Cnr Grey and Melbourne Sts, South Bank QLD (07) 3840 7444 or www.qpac.com.au QPAC Director John Kotzas knows this performing arts centre like the back of his hand. QPAC was coming up to 25 years of operation when he became very aware that things had to change. As a venue it needed to be
Norman Hotel: 120 Ipswich Rd, Woollongabba QLD (07) 3391 5022 or www.normanhotel.com.au ‘The worst vegetarian restaurant in Brisbane’, trumpets the proud calling card of the Norman Hotel. Those looking for rabbit food, can well, just sod off — the Norman is all about meat! When the Hotel caught fire recently — right in the middle of
Laruche: 680 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley QLD (07) 3666 0880 or www.laruche.com.au It’s not often we get to use the word ‘phantasmagorical’ in venue but it could almost have been invented to describe this new venue in Fortitude Valley. Laruche is owned by Elie Moubarak (he of Lychee Bar fame) and he’s once again joined
Victorians can be sneaky — recently a bunch of them were found crossing state lines into the heart of the NSW big smoke, finding an abandoned warehouse no one would ordinarily look twice at, then smuggling in and plying innocent Sydneysiders with their bootleg alcohol. All because of that old ‘pro’ word… ‘pro’motion. Tourism Victoria
Club Blakehurst: 12 Merriman Street, Blakehurst NSW (02) 9546 4731 or www.clubblakehurst.com.au Club Blakehurst in New South Wales succumbed to fire in 2007, but its spirit did not. While the club was being rebuilt by Tony Owen Partners, the bowlers kept bowling and the club adjusted its focus towards families. venue talked to Greg Payne,
Adelaide Casino North Terrace, Adelaide SA (08) 8212 2811 or www.adelaidecasino.com.au The Adelaide Casino was wasting good gaming space on an entrance corridor when it could have been packed full of punters trying their luck at roulette and blackjack. This epiphany set off a $5m revamp of said entrance, Marble Hall, and the addition of