Friday Fun Food Facts – October 23, 2015

Triangle Restaurant News

Triangle restaurant news…that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler.

Featured Restaurant News 

  •   The latest trend of movies and dinner has arrived in Chapel Hill with the opening today (October 23rd) of the much anticipated Silverspot Cinema in University Place (formerly University Mall). The 13-screen theater has a full-service restaurant and bar, plush leather seats and the screenings of independent and foreign films along with Hollywood blockbusters. Check it out here.

Wake County Restaurant News

  •  We learned from Downtown Raleigh News and Events that Liquid State, the new coffee, tea, beer, and wine cafe coming to Raleigh’s Hillsborough Street (in the former Locopops location and in the same building as David’s Dumpling & Noodle Bar), will open next week. To keep up with their opening plans, check them out on Facebook here.
  • Got word this week from the News & Observer that Cary is now home to Argana American Mediterranean Subs, opened recently in a strip center across the street from Maynard Crossing. Apparently their menu is a lot more diverse than just subs and is worth a visit. We could not find anything online, so you’ll just have to visit!
  • Got word from reader Deborah Copeland that Don Julio Mexican Cantina is opening in the  Wake Forest Crossing Shopping Center, 12516 Capital Blvd, in the former Kyoto Steakhouse space. No word yet on an open date. You can find them on Facebook here.
  • WRAL noted this week that Blaze Pizza has announced plans to open their second Raleigh-Durham area location in Garner at 140 Cabela Drive near Cabela’s and Five Guys. Blaze opened their first North Carolina location last year over in Morrisville. Check out Blaze Pizza here.
  • Looks like Standard Foods is prepping to slide into the lunch business. No word yet on when that will start, but postings on social media indicate they are staffing up for that move. We will keep an eye on it. Check them out here.
  • The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that North Ridge Pub and Café Tiramisu are moving to the other side of North Ridge Shopping Center off Falls of Neuse Road in northeast Raleigh. The move was prompted by Simon Property Group’s desire to move a new Burger 21 location into the shopping center. North Ridge Pub is taking over what was previously a Weight Watchers location. Café Tiramisu is moving into a space that was once Carolina Sushi. Check out North Ridge Pub here and Cafe Tiramisu here. The North Ridge Pub space is larger and will open in early November, while the new location of Cafe Tiramisu will open in late December, early January.
  • And saw on a Yelp message board that Raleigh has a new Firehouse Subs location, this one near the intersection of Edwards Mill Road and Duraleigh at 4111 Ed Drive.

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News 

  •  Looks like next Saturday, October 24th is the opening date of the newest location of Carolina Ale House. This will be their 9th location here in the Triangle. The location is on West Franklin Street in the former Chrysler building. 10% of the proceeds from the first 7 days of business will go to the Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill. Check them out here.
  • We told you about this last week, but Crepe Traditions, serving savory and sweet crepes at 140 W. Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, will celebrate its grand today (Friday, Oct. 23) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be an official ribbon cutting, free samples and five percent of proceeds from the day’s sales will benefit the NC Children’s Hospital. Check them out here.
  • After over a year of brewing in the unique nanobrewery housed above The Cookery’s Front Room entrance, the Ponysaurus Brewing Co. brewery and taproom is opening its garage doors at 219 Hood Street. A Grand Opening celebration, featuring food trucks, live music, and local breweries will take place tomorrow (October 24th)from 4 to 8pm. The event is free and open to the public. For more information on the grand opening, check them out here.

Closings 

  • Got word from reader Sammi Hilliard who saw a sign in Beaver Creek Commons that Rita’s will be closing when their lease ends on November 1st.

Food Trucks

  • Thanks to our friends over at Bites of Bull City, I learned of a new food truck hitting the streets this weekend. Boricua Soul, fusing soul food and Puerto Rican cuisines, will debut this  weekend at the Pittsboro Street Fair on Saturday, October 24th. The truck is nicknamed the Soul Patrol! Check them out here.
  • Got word from the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership that starting tonight, October 23, Hanu Truck (Korean and Asian-inspired street food) is partnering up with Ms. Mong (Mongolian BBQ, Banhmi & burritos) over on Chapel Hill’s Franklin Street to bring you Kumiho, a late night pop up izakaya! Check out Ms. Mong here and Hanu Truck here.
  • John Huisman (aka Triangle Explorer) informed me about the fact that every Thursday from September through November, the town of Knightdale is hosting “Food Truck Thursdays” with a new food truck scheduled each week. The weekly truck will be parked at Knightdale Station Park near the amphitheater each Thursday 11am to 2pm. Check out the schedule here.
  • For a listing of ALL food truck events, head over to Art’s page, The Wandering Sheppard on all things food truck related here.

Events

  •  My friend John Huisman (aka Triangle Explorer) reminded me with his post this week that Compass Rose Brewery, which opened this past May in North Raleigh, will hold their Grand Opening party this Saturday, October 24th. To mark the occasion they’ll have live music, food trucks, and of course plenty of their own beers and guest brews on tap. Compass Rose Brewery is located at 3201 Northside Dr. in Raleigh. Get all the details here.
  • Chickenwire is holding their next “pop-up” dinner on Sunday, October 25th in Raleigh (exact location is a secret until just before the event). This dinner has an Oktoberfest theme where you’ll grab your complimentary beer stein at the door, and enjoy German-inspired foods – passed hors d’oeuvres, a carving station and a smorgasbord featuring sausages and other culinary surprises. $90 gets you unlimited food and 2 drinks. Get your tickets and see a complete list of all the chefs and collaborators involved here. Thanks to Felicia Perry-Trujillo for the tip on this event.
  • The town of Garner will hold their second Downtown Garner Trick or Eat Food Truck Rodeo on October 25th from 12-5 on Main Street. They’ll have 14 food trucks, 3 craft brewers, and some activities for children. You can find more detail here or on their Facebook event page here.
  • The Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series, a single-elimination tournament highlighting the best of the Carolina’s food, agriculture and culinary talent, is gearing up for its Battle of Champions series in which five top regional chefs will battle it out to take home the coveted annual championship title. Foodies from the Carolinas and beyond are invited to attend the four live dinner events Oct. 28 to 31 in Raleigh, savoring the full-service, six-course meals and serving as judges. Tickets and more information can be found here.
  • Barbecue expert and personality, Roland Dickey, Sr., will be in Raleigh Thursday, Oct. 29 hosting a guest appreciation event at Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, located at 6552 Glenwood Ave. from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm. The store will offer $1 pulled pork sandwiches during the event, and Mr. Dickey will autograph and give away cookbooks to the first 100 guests. One guest will win free barbecue for a year! Dickey’s has 6 Triangle-area locations. Check out Dickey’s here.
  • The folks over at Triangle Foodie Adventures have announced their next two dinners. The first is on Tuesday, November 3rd at The Rockford on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh. The Rockford has put together a 6 course menu (including a glass of wine) that will delight your tastebuds. They will do it again on November 14th, this time at The Refectory Cafe in Durham. Get tickets and all the details here.
  • Acme Restaurant in downtown Carrboro is known for its great food AND for its great events. This one tops the list. Their 3rd Annual Salt & Smoke event is on Sunday, November 8th. They describe it as “oysters and barbecue, music and friends” but you really need to read about it here and get your tickets here.
  • Also on November 8th, another pop-up dinner is being held by the folks over at The Familiar Supper Club over in Durham. The dinner is at 6:30 p.m. The theme is Pumpk(hen) and will feature all that is bountiful in North Carolina in the fall. Join chefs John Childers, Evan Sheridan and Greg Gettles. Cost is $80. Get tickets and all the details here. Thanks to Felicia Perry-Trujillo for the tip on this event.
  • And thanks to a tip from Felicia Perry-Trujillo, we learned that The Wine Feed is partnering with Stop Hunger Now and Green Button Farm to bring you Pork & Vine – a pork and wine festival. On November 8, from 12-4 p.m. our 5 restaurant partners will be preparing their pork-inspired dishes in small plates for you to enjoy – all of the pork is provided by Green Button Farm, a humane, certified organic, non-GMO farm. Each small plate will have a sample of wine to match that will be specifically chosen by The Wine Feed. Cost ranges from $40-$50. Get tickets and all the details here.
  • Expressions V. A Celebration of Food and Art will bring together philanthropists, food and wine enthusiasts and lovers of the arts. The annual event will be held on Friday, November 20 at The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary, N.C., and will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Lucy Daniels Center. The featured artist for this year’s event is Beverly McIver. Get all the details and learn who the guest chefs are this year here.

Food Bank Corner   

  •  The Durham Bulls Fall Fan Fest is this Saturday, October 24 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park and the weather will be absolutely perfect. Fans will be able to take batting practice and play catch on the field. Entry to Fall Fan Fest is free, but with a donation of at least three canned food items fans will be placed into a raffle to win a Trick-or-Treat outing with Wool E. Bull! For more information, check them out here.

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