Sal’s Authentic New York Pizza has found a new home at The Carlton Club kitchen in Melbourne’s CBD. The Bourke Street venue will launch the residency on Tuesday, September 8, with $1 slices for one day only before adding Sal’s foldable New York-style slices and pies to its regular food offering. The Carlton Club will also run a $12 pot of Birra Moretti and slice deal from 3 pm to 11 pm daily after the launch. The move gives the multi-level venue another reason for people to stay beyond the first drink. The Carlton Club is already known for its rooftop, level 1 balcony, pool room, drinks and DJs, with Sal’s now joining the mix from the kitchen. Chief Publican Liam Ganley said, “Historically, The Carlton Club has been a place you go for one drink and end up staying for the whole night, so for us, having food from ‘the city that never sleeps’ just makes sense. “We want people to come have fun, enjoy some great pizza and stay for the night. Sal’s is the perfect fit for The Carlton Club.” Sal’s traces its roots back to Queens, where Italian-born New Yorker Salvatore Leo opened Sal’s Pizza of Little Neck in 1975. The brand later came to this side of the world in 2008, after friends Nick from Auckland and Ciaran from Queens worked to bring New York-style pizza to the Southern Hemisphere. After rounds of blind testing, they found Sal’s pizzas could be made with water from down under. Sal’s Authentic New York Pizza opened in Auckland later that year, with Sal’s son Brian joining the team before the brand expanded through New Zealand and launched in Australia in 2019. At The Carlton Club, diners can expect Sal’s signature slow-risen dough, made with New York-milled hard spring wheat flour for a foldable base. The tomato sauce is made fresh daily with vine-ripened California tomatoes, with menu highlights such as Pepperoni and the original Home-Style Italian Meatball. The residency also marks a new chapter for The Carlton Club, with Ganley Group rescuing the venue from administration in March 2025, keeping the heritage hospitality landmark trading and retaining staff. Ganley Group, known for restoring heritage buildings, has major renovations planned for The Carlton Club in 2027. Until then, Sal’s will be serving from the kitchen at 193 Bourke Street. Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.

Hungry Jack’s has teamed up with Pistachio Papi to give the world two limited-edition menu items starring the cult pistachio spread. The chain is now serving two limited-edition pistachio packed menu items nationally: a Pistachio Papi Storm and Pistachio Papi Shake. Both use Pistachio Papi drizzle and crunchy cookie crumb, paired with either Hungry Jack’s vanilla soft serve or a creamy vanilla shake. The collaboration puts Pistachio Papi inside an Aussie quick service restaurant for the very first time. It also gives Hungry Jack’s a neatly timed dessert play as pistachio continues to dominate café cabinets, chocolate bars and social feeds. Hungry Jack’s Marketing Director Luke Pavan said, “Pistachio has absolutely exploded in popularity, and we’ve seen how Pistachio Papi has been at the heart of the trend. “Teaming up with Pistachio Papi gave us the opportunity to continue our iconic and exclusive brand collaborations, which has become a hallmark of our dessert menu. An all-Australian collab with Pistachio Papi was the natural next step.” Pistachio Papi has become one of the more recognisable local names in that space, built around the glossy, rich pistachio spread that has helped turn the flavour into a full-blown dessert fixation. Pistachio Papi founder Mark Abdelmalik said, “Pistachio Papi has always been known for creating memorable and iconic collaborations, so when discussions began with Hungry Jack’s, another Australian icon, we knew we had the opportunity to give fans something really special. “Seeing Pistachio Papi drizzled through the iconic Hungry Jack’s Storm and Shake is honestly a match made in heaven. The products have exceeded even our expectations, and we know fans are going to go crazy for them. “This collaboration is another huge moment for Papi and a perfect example of what makes the brand so special – we continue to push boundaries and, most importantly, give pistachio lovers products they genuinely get excited about.” The limited-edition range includes: Pistachio Papi Storm – Hungry Jack’s vanilla soft serve swirled with Pistachio Papi drizzle and crunchy cookie crumb. Pistachio Papi Shake – A creamy vanilla shake mixed with Pistachio Papi drizzle and crunchy cookie crumb. The Pistachio Papi Storm and Pistachio Papi Shake are available now at participating Hungry Jack’s restaurants nationwide, in-store, via drive-thru and delivery. Source: Wrights Communication Find more food and drink news on Crumb Wire.

KFC has launched a limited-time Picklecore menu across Australia featuring so many pickles it could pass for a character on Rugrats. Available nationally from September 1 to September 30, the range puts pickle ranch, pickle dill seasoning, bread and butter pickles, pickle chips, fried pickles and pickle brine across burgers, loaded chips, dipping sauce and even Pepsi Max. KFC is arriving after months of pickle-heavy fast food launches, snack flavours and social feed experiments, but its version pushes the trend further with what one could confidently refer to as a menu takeover. Vanessa Rowed, KFC SOPAC Chief Marketing Officer, said, “Pickles are no longer just a garnish; they are a lifestyle! We know our fans are craving more pickle than ever, so we are delighted to bring a full Picklecore menu to our stores for the month of September to satisfy all their pickle obsessions.” The Picklecore menu features: The Pickle Burger – KFC’s Original Recipe fillet with pickle ranch sauce, pickle dill seasoning, bread and butter pickles and pickle chips. Pickle Loaded Chips – Loaded chips topped with fried pickles, Popcorn Chicken and pickle ranch sauce. Pickle Pepsi – Pepsi Max poured over ice with real pickle brine and fresh pickles, with customers able to add as much or as little brine as they like. Frickles – Crispy fried pickles. Pickle Ranch Sauce – A creamy, tangy pickle-flavoured sauce designed for dipping chips, Frickles or anything else that needs more pickle involved. The range is available as individual menu items, or as part of a Picklecore Meal, Pickle Shared Meal or Pickle Box Meal. KFC’s Picklecore menu is available nationwide now for four weeks only, in store and for delivery via the KFC App. Source: Special Find more food and drink news on Crumb Wire.

Caffie Energy Water launches nationally today, giving hospitality venues a caffeinated alternative to the usual still or sparkling water order. The new Australian-made drink is a sparkling spring water with caffeine, packaged in 350ml glass bottles and aimed at restaurants, bars, cafés, pubs and hotels. It has been created by hospitality veteran Hugh Brown, who developed the product after decades owning restaurants, bars, festivals and entertainment venues. “Guests could order still water, sparkling water, soft drinks, coffee or an energy drink, but there wasn’t a premium option that combined clean refreshment with functional energy,” Brown said. “We weren’t trying to reinvent water or replace coffee. We wanted to create a completely new category that naturally belongs on a table alongside great food or as a premium mixer, while giving consumers another choice.” The product gives venues a premium water-style drink with a caffeine hit, without pushing the order into soft drink, coffee or traditional energy drink territory. Each bottle contains 112mg of caffeine, which the brand says is equivalent to one cup of strong coffee. The drink is zero sugar, with 2.5 calories in the Natural variety and 4 calories in Lime. Caffie is launching in two full-strength flavours, Natural and Lime, both made using sparkling Australian spring water. The brand is pitching Energy Water as its own category rather than a replacement for coffee or bottled water. In venue terms, that means something that can sit on the table with food, work as a mixer, or serve as a lighter alternative for people looking for caffeine without the syrupy sweetness of a standard energy drink. “We’ve seen premium bottled water, specialty coffee and craft beer all evolve into categories in their own right,” Brown said. “We know Energy Water is the next category to emerge.” Caffie Energy Water is available through hospitality venues nationally as of today, September 1. Source: Thrive Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.