August, a new restaurant from a pair of young guns, will soon open in a West End church
When it comes to working in a kitchen, Brad Cooper has ticked just about every box you possibly can.
āIāve been the apprentice, commis, demi, CDP, senior CDP, junior sous, sous chef and head chef,ā says Brad. āIāve done them all.ā
So, having climbed all of the rungs, it seems like the final thing on Bradās career checklist is to open a restaurant of his own. Back in March, Brad finished up his tenure as head chef atĀ Bar FrancineĀ (where his quirky, nostalgia-tingedĀ menu became the talk of the town) with plans underway to open a new restaurant alongside partner Matilda Riek (a front-of-house star who also worked at Bar Francine). Together, they searched high and low for a space that spoke to them.
āWe wanted somewhere small-ish,ā says Matilda. āSomewhere a little bit unique ā somewhere thatās not super loud, super dark or super busy.ā
Their dream space was found on Dornoch Terrace in West End ā the heritage-listed Hill End Methodist Church that, over the years, has housed everything from a music school to a bookstore.
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Within the buildingās weatherboard-clad exterior is a high-ceilinged space with exposed rafters, polished timber floorboards and leadlight lancet windows interspersed along each wall. Vacant heritage-listed spots are rare in Brisbane and even amongst that tiny number, this space was one of a kind.
āI could picture it straight away as a restaurant,ā Matilda tells us. āThe high ceilings, the windows and the layout just kindāve works ā we got pretty interested straight away.ā
And then came months of negotiations, hoop jumping, hurdle leaping, tape cutting and meticulous planning to get the green light to proceed with the fit-out for their 60-seat restaurant August, which the tandem hopes to open in early-to-mid November. Work is currently underway setting up the essentials for a fully functional kitchen, including installing a grease trap and appropriate plumbing.
A small timber bar is beingĀ constructedĀ in one corner, while the cooking space itself is taking shape at the rear of the building, underneath a circular window. Aesthetically, Matilda and Brad are eager toĀ lean into the buildingās existing charm, letting the ecclesiastical character of the Federation-era building do most of the heavy lifting, aesthetics wise.
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āThatās really the point of using the building,ā says Matilda. Ā āWeāre leaving all the windows and keeping everything quite light and open. When all the windows and doors open the space gets some really nice lighting and a nice breeze.ā
On the food front, expect August to serve a menu boasting broad French and Italian characteristics, shaped, tweaked and delivered through Bradās unique culinary lens. The setting will also impart influences on Augustās style of dining, which Brad and Matilda describe as classic, but still casually approachable.
āWeāre going to do wide plates, tablecloths and work with the building,ā says Brad. āThe food wonāt be too wacky ā weāll be making it classic and then maybe mix it up a little bit.ā
Augustās draft menu currently features the likes of oysters alla Marco with scallop mousseline and champagne, ox tongue and green tomato fritters with sauce bois boudran, double lamb saddle chop with bagnetta sauce, and a semi-savoury blue-cheese cheesecake with Pedro Ximenez jelly and black sesame, which will be served as an alternative to the cheese course.
Even on paper, the menu seems to ooze a sense of creativity that can only be chalked up to Bradās famously idiosyncratic approach. According to the chef himself, it all stems from his own desire to put something on the plate that he hasnāt seen himself.
āI might see something and think, āIāve never seen that beforeā ā and Iāll just search into it,ā says Brad. āI want to find things that you maybe havenāt heard of or things nonnas used to make.ā
Matilda is overseeing Augustās beverage program, which will build off a foundation of familiarity, but will retain scope for the unconventional on the margins.
āItās going to be similar to the food ā very simple, very classic,ā says Matilda. āSo Campari spritzes, pastis, and a mix of European, Italian, French and Australian wines ā a mix of like familiar things that people know and they know they want.ā
Once open, Brad and Matilda are excited to extend Augustās offering to functions and events ā even gatherings as large as weddings.
August is set to open in November ā weāll have a detailed look at theĀ offering for you closer to launch.Ā
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