Friday Fun Food Facts – September 16, 2016

Triangle Restaurant News

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

Featured Restaurant News

  • So, the featured news this week is more about chef changes revealed by the News & Observer. First up is that Adam Rose has left the just-opened H Street Kitchen in Raleigh. No word yet on where Rose will land, we just hope it is somewhere here in the Triangle. And after nine months, John Childers moved from Midtown Grille back to the Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary where he had been for seven years.

Wake County Restaurant News

  • In downtown Raleigh, the News & Observer reported last week that the city of Raleigh awarded the contract to operate a cafe in the soon-to-be-renovated Moore Square to Empire Eats which also owns Raleigh Times, Morning Times, Sitti, The Pit and Gravy. The new cafe will be called Square Burger, serving square patties on potato rolls. Raleigh will spend $12.6 million over the next year to renovate Moore Square. Learn more about Empire Eats here.
  • WRAL reported this week that Mission Valley’s Dalat (under new ownership) is looking to reopen either September 19th or 20th. Call them first (919-832-7449) before you head over.
  • The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that the sports restaurant and bar concept out of Maryland called Glory Days Grill will be coming to the Triangle, and more specifically Raleigh, in the summer of 2017. Congratulations to Chris, Warren and Douglas Holmes. Get familiar with Glory Days Grill here.
  • Wahlberg brothers, Mark, Donnie and Paul, are bringing their Boston-area restaurant concept to Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh, taking over the space formerly occupied by The Oxford. And you guessed it (I know you did), it is called Walhburgers. And this could happen as soon as January, 2017. Seriously. Don’t believe me? Check it out here.
  • And reader Rebecca Calhoun tipped us off to the fact that a bar and bottle shop called Hoppy Endings (gotta love the name) is opening soon in the Litchford Village shopping center in North Raleigh. No word yet on an opening date. You can keep up with them on Facebook here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

  • While they have been open for a number of weeks now, Chapel Hill’s Chronic Tacos, located in Meadowmont Village, will hold their grand opening celebration from noon until 4 p.m. THIS Sunday, September 18th. They will be giving away free tacos to the first guests, hosting a taco eating contest, live music – and a chance to meet professional skateboarder and television personality Jason “Wee Man” Acuña. Check out Chronic Tacos here.

Closings

  • After a 40 year run, Tripp’s on Wade Avenue in Raleigh has closed their doors.

Food Trucks

Events

  • Not to be outdone by Durham, Raleigh is going to have their very own vegan cookoff between September 12th and October 1st. The Oak City Vegan Challenge will feature 6 restaurants offering special vegan dishes that diners can cast votes for their favorites. The event is modeled after the Bull City Vegan Challenge, which has been extremely successful over in Durham. Get all the details and the list of restaurants here.
  • Next Tuesday, September 13th, The Rickhouse in Durham will host Forage into the Forest beginning at 6:30. There will be three guest chefs who prepare a dish using foraged ingredients followed by a demo of their respective dish on stage. Get ticket information and all the details here.
  • Hibernian Hospitality Group and Ed Mitchell are proud to announce Ed Mitchell’s Brews & ‘Cue event featuring Ed’s foodtruck “Q On Wheels” to be held at the Raleigh Beer Garden in downtown Raleigh on Saturday, September 17th from 5pm until the food runs out. The renown pitmaster’s truck will feature his highly sought after signature barbecue offering a wide array of platters and sides. Get all the details here.
  • The third annual Triangle Oktoberfest will take place at Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre on September 23rd and 24th. Enjoy family-friendly activities such as music from the Little German Band, dancing, traditional Bavarian food and fare, wiener dog races, “Rock-toberfest” concerts by Four Founders and West Street Band, children’s play area, and prizes for German attire. Children 16 and younger are free. Friday tickets: $15 in advance, or $20 at the door. Saturday tickets: $20 in advance, or $25 at the door. Purchase tickets here.
  • The folks over at Bittersweet have teamed up with the women from Pho-Nomenal Dumplings for a five-course Sunday dinner of comfort food with an Asian twist on Sunday, September 25. Five courses, including dessert from Bittersweet, each with a wine or cocktail pairing for $60. Two seatings at 5:30 and 8:00 p.m. $60. Call 919.977.3829 to order tickets. Check out Bittersweet here.
  • 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.
  • You don’t want to miss this event (because yours truly will be one of the judges). The event? It is Relish Cafe & Bar’s charity Mac and Cheese Throwdown and Bartender Showdown benefiting the Hope Center at Pullen on Saturday October 1st from 6pm to 11pm. Visit the website to get all the details and ticket information.
  • Felicia Perry-Trujillo reminded me about the upcoming 9th Annual Pepperfest taking place Sunday, October 2nd from 2-7 p.m. at Brier Chapel in Chatham County. The event features super delicious pepper-themed dishes and beverages, live music and children’s activities. A great outdoor event for this time of the year. Get tickets and all the details here.
  • The Root Cellar Cafe & Catering in Chapel Hill is holding its fifth annual Porkapalooza on Friday, October 14th at 6:30 p.m. The event will feature twelve small plate courses celebrating local pork, including roasted suckling pigs; beer cheese fondue with local sausages; fried green tomatoes topped with pimento cheese, beer-braised crispy pork belly and tomato jam; poutine with sweet potato fries, Seven Springs country gravy and Ashe County cheese; and bacon marshmallow s’mores. The dinner also includes Fullsteam beer pairings. Save $10 by ordering tickets by Aug. 31. Get all the information and tickets here.
  • Jennifer Noble Kelly sent me information about PICNIC, North Carolina’s newest whole hog barbecue joint, and its’ farm partner, Green Button Farm, hosting their inaugural NC Barbecue Revival at the farm this fall, October 28th – 30th. The three-day weekend will be chock full of classes, discussions, feasts and pig pickins’. Get a listing of all the events, ticket information and every last detail on the their website here.
  • And on November 6th, the folks over at Acme will bring back the fourth edition of Salt & Smoke Festival to beautiful Rock Quarry Farm on Highway 54 just outside of Carrboro. This is becoming quite the event, as over 500 people attended last year. Get all the details and ticket information here.
  • Also on November 6th, the folks over at Chickenwire announced their latest pop-up dinner which will be held, at a secret outdoor venue to be revealed later, and will feature 8 area chefs with offerings utilizing “fire, grill and smoke.” VIP tickets get you in an hour early. Get all the details, including a listing of participating chefs, and tickets here.

Food Bank Corner

  • September is Hunger Action Month and as part of that, the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina will be holding their annual 24 hour telethon –  #FoodBank24 to raise money and awareness through noon TODAY (September 16th). 24 hours to raise $24k! Get all the details here.

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