Across four nights in November and December top chef Josue Lopez will be curating a series of exclusive seven course dinners with wine pairings inside an art gallery which happens to be in the historic Peter’s ice-cream factory in Brisbane’s West End. Bringing all these things together into one cohesive and innovative experience might only be done by a chef with such experience and passion for art.
The Bromley Room #2 is an art gallery run by David and Yuge Bromley and predominately exhibits their work, however also other artists who share their dedication to their craft also feature. Lopez is perhaps best know in Brisbane for his role as Executive Chef of the Gallery of Modern Art and Queensland Art Gallery (GOMA). In his time there the GOMA restaurant achieved two-hat status and Lopez’ dishes often referenced artwork as well as on occasion working on collaborative dinners with artists such as Elizabeth Willing.
Elizabeth Willing is a Brisbane artist whose art practise explores food and dining. Lopez will be using some of Willing’s performance pieces in these dinners including a bee wax bowl with candle wicks. Lopez will also be responding to the art in the gallery and predominantly some of David Bromley’s iconic artworks. Lopez explained “For me food is about stories, the story of the producers, the environment which the ingredients were grown or sourced and the context of the environment in which they are shared. I think we live in a time where we are more mindful of where our food comes from and the many hands that brought it to us on the plate. I have always loved art and am married to an artist, I value the creative process. This creativity in my cuisine creates a tangible emotion which elevates the ingredients on the plate.”
The dinners will include a dish called Chroma showcasing painted crayfish from tropical North Queensland sitting playfully among a colourful explosion on the plate. David Bromley’s artworks are often so vibrant and memorable. The space is an eclectic mix of interesting vignettes of art, sculpture, flora, furniture pieces juxtaposed in a very industrial, Art Deco ice-cream factory.
In referencing the ice-cream factory, several servings of ice-cream both savoury and sweet will feature throughout the meal. Lopez added, “I hope to engage the sense of nostalgia, but also surprise and delight with flavours of Hervey Bay scallop and avocado ice cream taco. I am not just about the idea or the way something appears it has to be delicious!”
The first dinner will be held on Friday 16 November supported by San Pellegrino, Torbreck Wines and Perrier-Jouët. Tickets are available through Eventbrite.
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