Just Open: The Wolfe, East Brisbane

They say hospitality gets under your skin and makes its way into your blood, which is certainly the case with the former owner/chef of Rapide in Camp Hill and Manx in Portside.

After a 4½-year absence spent managing others' restaurants, Paul McGivern has returned to the kitchen.

"No one could pay me enough to do this for them – cooking absolutely consumes me and I'd give far too much," McGivern says. "I wanted to do my food on my own terms."

With a lick of paint, Egg Bistro in East Brisbane has been reborn as The Wolfe, which opened on Tuesday. The name was partly inspired by McGivern's time making vintage in Burgundy with winemaker Nick Farr. He spent time in Morey-Saint-Denis, a village whose coat of arms features a wolf. It also references one of his favourite books, Herman Hesse's Steppenwolf.

The Wolfe seats 50, including a courtyard. And the food? Don't expect any modernist "foams" or "dirts", McGivern warns.

"I do classic food, based on good produce – something I was very influenced by in my early years working at E'cco.

"And no matter how much I've travelled, I am a Queenslander, based in Queensland and I want my food to reflect that; fresh clean flavours, well balanced, nothing overwrought or fussy. Food for our climate."

Entrees are light, such as asparagus with an egg, comte and olive, while main dishes include char-grilled ocean trout, summer greens and citrus, or lamb rump with olive, parsley and goat's feta.

The wine list, unsurprisingly features a lot of chardonnay and pinot noir, both local and from Burgundy. There's also a neighbourly BYO wine option on Tuesday and Wednesday nights ($10 per bottle, limit of one bottle per person).

"It's good to be back, I've missed it," McGivern says.

Open Thu-Sat noon-3.30pm; Tue-Sat 5.30pm-10pm.

989 Stanley Street East, 07 3891 7772, thewolfeeastbrisbane.com.au

Correction: Phone number has been updated.