Located on the street level of the Mantra on Queen Hotel, Cook & Co. has officially opened for business offering rustic home-style fare and an extensive wine list.
The kitchen is being headed up by executive chef Andrew McCabe whose resume includes stints at a number of five star European hotel restaurants along with head chef positions at Brisbane’s The Hideout, Tipplers Tap and Brewhouse.
At Cook & Co., McCabe has developed a menu that employs an array of cooking techniques with a spotlight on the char grill. Menus items include the likes of slow braised spiced beef brisket with coriander and cumin yoghurt from the 'Starters' menu; the Spanish seafood broth with chorizo and citrus served in a hearty saucepan from the 'Pots & Pans' list; and the Corned & Char Grilled 7+ mbs Wagyu silverside and the Southern style beef short ribs off the 'From the Grill' selection.
In addition to lunch and dinner service, Cook & Co. is also open for breakfast serving up classics such as bubble & squeak, eggs served any way, smashed avocado on sourdough and bruschetta with cherry tomatoes and anchovies. Tasting boards, pizzas and after work drinks can also be ordered from the bar menu.
Dallas Bickle (ex food and beverage manager at Brisbane's New Inchcolm Hotel & Suites and The Langham Melbourne) has assumed the position of restaurant manager with the aim of taking hotel restaurant dining “to a new level”.
“There is a real market for traditional grill style food done well and the key is sourcing the best produce available and treating it with respect in deserves in the kitchen. Add a great wine list and craft beers, service that glides through a sequence and you have the recipe for Cook & Co,” says Bickle.
“The dining experience here can range from a simple meal over lunch, three course dinner through to our “Planked Banquets” for groups of 10 or more. The flexibility caters perfectly to the local clientele as much as it does our hotel guests.”
Design wise, the restaurant has adopted a modern bistro-style interior incorporating communal tables and private booths. Exposed wooden beams and brick work give the space an urban industrial character.
