Friday Fun Food Facts – July 8, 2016

Triangle Restaurant News

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

Tickets to TerraVita are now on sale. And you better jump fast, as many of these events will sell out soon. Trust me. If you aren’t familiar with TerraVita, it is arguably the premier “foodie event” in the southeast and it will take place September 28th through October 1 right here in Chapel Hill. In a nutshell, it is a multi-day celebration that brings together top chefs, food artisans, sommeliers, baristas, brewers, educators, distillers, cookbook authors and industry luminaries from across the Southeast to celebrate culinary excellence and sustainability in food and drink. Get tickets (NOW!) here. And get additional details on TerraVita here.

We need to let everyone know that Gumby’s on Hillsborough Street in Raleigh is still open. We got several tips last week that they were closed – they are not. Turns out they scale back their hours (they open at 4 p.m.) in the summer. Please stop by and/or order a pie! Our apologies.

The News & Observer reported this week that a longtime Sullivan’s Steakhouse general manager, Todd Henderson, plans to open Parkside Restaurant in the downtown Raleigh spot that used to be home to Brewmaster’s Bar & Grill and Joe’s Place (301 W. Martin St.). Henderson has hired chef Matt Scofield, who worked for six years as the executive chef at Sitti. Look for them to open in 4-6 weeks. Keep up with their progress on Facebook here.

A quick update. Downtown Raleigh’s newest coffee shop, 42 & Lawrence, opened this past week on the ground floor of SkyHouse (308 S. Blount Street). The endeavor is brought to us by Larry Larson (think Larry’s Beans and Larry’s Coffee). Check them out on Facebook here.

The News & Observer’s Andrea Weigl reported this week that Matt Fern, the longtime beverage director of Raleigh’s AC Restaurant Group, is leaving to open a deli in Raleigh. That is the great news. The “bad” news is we will have to wait two years! Fern plans to open a Raleigh restaurant that takes from the Jewish and Italian deli traditions. The location hasn’t been disclosed at this point. Stay tuned!

It is official, Raleigh has earned its wings. Well, at least the newest location of Wings Over in the form of Wings Over Raleigh. It opened yesterday at 2900 Hillsborough Street. Check them out here.

Over in Chapel Hill, the town announced that Pieology and b.good would both open on downtown Chapel Hill’s Franklin Street in the newest development, Carolina Square, when it opens in the summer of 2017. Pieology has one location in Raleigh with a second on the way. And b.good has two Raleigh locations, one in North Hills and one in downtown Raleigh. Check out Pieology here and b.good here.

The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that Urban Food Group’s Durham venture, Lucia, is closed just this week with big changes on the way. We will keep an eye on this. Check out their website for the latest.

Durham’s Boheme Restaurant will hold its grand opening this Sunday, July 10th for its Bohemian Garden with a Luau BBQ featuring traditional Caribbean dishes, drink specials and live music from 5pm onwards. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased 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.

Voting for the WRAL Out and About 2016 Voters’ Choice Awards is open through this Sunday, July 10. This is your chance to vote for your favorites in categories ranging from food, nightlife and lifestyle.

Ray Price Harley-Davidson in Raleigh is hosting its annual Buffalo Chicken Wing Cook-off this Saturday (July 9) from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Teams compete to see who can make the best wings; judges and the public decide the winners. The cost is $5. Get all the details here.

What if you could have free pizza AND help a good cause? Well, that is exactly what is happening on Sunday, July 17th at the newest location of Pieology at North Hills (in the former Sam’s spot next to Starbucks) from 11:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. While the pizza is free, donations to Carroll’s Kitchen are welcome! Get more information on Pieology here and Carroll’s Kitchen here.

The good folks over at the Downtown Raleigh Alliance announced the dates for the Downtown Raleigh Restaurant week – it will be held this year August 15-21. Go ahead and mark your calendar. Get all the details here.

Piedmont’s new executive chef John May will welcome chef Jay Pierce of The Marshall Free House in Greensboro for a 7-course celebration of sustainably raised NC shrimp on Wednesday, August 24th at 6:30pm. The $65/ person, 7-course menu is also available for $85, with beer pairings. Contact 919-683-1213 for reservations.

West 94th St. Pub celebrates 22 years of doing business with their 4th Annual Grill Master Cook Off Competition. They are calling all local “Grill Masters” to show off their grillin’ skills to help raise funds to benefit the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. This family friendly competition will be held Sunday, July 17 from 9am-1pm with live entertainment, family games, food tasting and more. The “grill master” winner will receive a special package valued at $250. Interested contestants must register via email to Kerry Bryant at by July 11th. Get more information on their website here.