Featured Restaurant News
- One of Raleigh’s most recognizable buildings. a historic landmark, the round hotel on Hillsborough Street, is reopening next week as Hotel Indigo Raleigh after undergoing a $36 million renovation. The renovation has transformed it into a 204-room boutique hotel while retaining the circular architecture that made it a local icon. The reopening also introduces the 20th-floor High Ground, a top-floor bar and restaurant with panoramic views of downtown, and a ground-floor café and lounge designed to welcome Raleigh locals as well as hotel guests. As a Raleigh native, I’m super excited to see what they have done with this landmark. Visit them here.
Wake County Restaurant News
- Arepa Culture in Raleigh, an award-winning local family-owned Venezuelan restaurant, is now open in their new spot. Originally located in the Pleasant Valley shopping center, they are now open and will have their Grand Opening from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Saturday, September 26th in the Six Forks Station shopping center (9320 Forum Dr.), next to Target. Visit Arepa here.
- The folks behind Shinmai Shokudo and Shinmai Kumo in Cary are opening their third concept tomorrow (September 26) – Shinmai Moku. It is in the new section of Quail Corners shopping center (corner of Millbrook and Falls of the Neuse roads). Moku is an intimate Japanese yakitori and izakaya inspired by the evenings found throughout Japan, where people gather around charcoal grills to share skewers, small plates, and drinks with friends. Their goal isn’t just to open another restaurant, but to bring a more authentic yakitori experience to North Carolina through craftsmanship, atmosphere, and hospitality. Book your reservation now! Visit them on Instagram here.
- Over in Cary, reader David Hoover shared with us that Ala Rahi, a concept featuring a fusion Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and South Asian cuisine, will soon open near the intersection of James Jackson and Cary Parkway (1080 Darrington Drive). Follow along on Instagram here for their pending opening announcement.
- Tim Decker shared that Abbey Road will soon open a third location – this one in Morrisville, joining their locations in Cary and Apex. They will open in Park West Village in the former Ruckus Pizza & Pasta location. In the meantime, visit their two locations here.
- In Holly Springs, reader Eric Brenner shared that the former Bass Lake Draft House location will soon be home to the first North Carolina location of Lil Ricci’s NY Pizza and Pasta which is set to open in November. They also have two locations in Colorado. Start getting familiar with them here.
- Little Caesars opened its newest restaurant in Garner at 4458 Fayetteville Road. The new location will serve guests Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. with extended hours until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Visit Little Caesars here.
Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News
- Not many concepts based here in the Triangle-area can boast that they have eight locations – but now Saladelia Cafe & Catering can. The Triangle Business Journal shared the news this week that owners Fida and Robert Ghanem will open their eighth location inside Imperial Tower (most people still refer to it as the Quintiles building) at 4820 Emperor Blvd. off Page Road along Interstate 40. They are looking to open next month. Visit Saladelia here.
- The News & Observer reported this week that the Texas-style Dampf Good BBQ will open their first brick-and-mortar location taking over the former Pit space in Durham’s Geer Street district. Brothers Nick and Bryce Dampf opened in 2022 as a kind of smokehouse residency at Cary’s Phillips Farms (which will remain open). The aim is to open this winter, in late December or early January. The new location will have a market-style cutting line, mirroring many Texas barbecue restaurants, where diners order their smoked meats by the pound and see brisket and ribs sliced in front of them, according to the N&O. Keep up with their progress on Instagram here.
- Just over the county line from Chapel Hill in Chatham County, the former MunchiLove at Governor’s Village has reopened as Eluent Coffee. Same owner. Same team. They are open from 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Visit them on Instagram here.
- Sad to share that Tonya’s Cafe in Chapel Hill suffered a devastating kitchen fire this past weekend. Luckily they were closed at the time of the fire, so no one was hurt, but the bakery and cafe from Mama Dip’s granddaughter Tonya Council will likely be closed for a while. A GoFundMe has been set up to help out.
- And over in Carrboro, in the historic Carr Mill Mall, Venable Bistro has reopened after extensive renovations that have kept you away for the past few weeks. The renovations look amazing – stop by this weekend to check it out while enjoying all the dishes you have been missing. Visit them on Instagram here.
Closings
- This Sunday will be the last day you can visit Ruckus Pizza & Pasta’s location in Morrisville’s Park West Village. That’s the bad news. The good news is they still have four locations for you to enjoy. Visit Ruckus here.
- Mike Depersia shared with us that Leo’s Italian Social in Morrisville has closed. Their North Hills location remains open. Visit them here.
Food Trucks
- Like my buddy Tim Coynesmith likes to say, “Somebody has been reading my diary.” Two Roosters is hosting an Ice Cream Truck Rodeo TONIGHT, Friday, September 25th from 5-9 p.m. with five of their catering vehicles and carts! They’ll be serving off-the-menu specialty items and Longleaf Swine (which is moving into the former Sawmill Taproom space) will be there with barbecue. It will be held in the Greystone Baptist Church (7509 Leadmine Road) parking lot, directly next to their Greystone Village shop and kitchen in N Raleigh. You can get all the details on their Facebook page here.
- The final Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo THIS SUNDAY noon to 4 p.m. on September 27. You’ll find food and drink at over 30 food trucks as well as inflatables and family fun for all ages. It will be hosted at Durham Central Park (500 Foster Street, Durham). Go ahead and mark your calendar. Get all the details here.
- Looking to find your favorite food truck (or stalking them and simply don’t want to have to admit it)? We understand. Find them on Street Food Finder here.
Events
- Saturday, September 26, Shop Local Raleigh will host NC Oktoberfest – Prost Y’all, a brand-new Oktoberfest-inspired street festival transforming Fayetteville Street into a celebration of North Carolina craft beer, local food, small businesses, live music and fall fun. The event will feature more than 35 breweries and cideries, approximately 50 food trucks and 40 local businesses and makers. Best of all, admission is free and open to the public. Get all the details here.
- On Sunday, September 27, from 12 to 6 p.m., the inaugural Carolina Culture Food Fest will transform Moore Square into an exciting celebration of food, culture, and community. With the tagline “Where Food, Family & Fun Come Together,” the free, family-friendly festival will bring together food trucks, chefs, dessert vendors, local businesses, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders from across North and South Carolina. One of the festival’s most anticipated attractions will be a live food competition, where participating chefs and food vendors will put their signature dishes, creativity, and culinary skills to the test. Get all the details here.
- Chef Sera Cuni and her team over at The Root Cellar in Chapel Hill are taking part in two dinners coming up that you are going to want to check out. First up is the Annual Pay-What-You-Can Community Feast benefitting chef Sera’s nonprofit Feed-Well Fridges to build Feed-Well’s first permanent home and commissary kitchen. This event takes place on September 27th also at Chatham Oaks Farm. And the second, a Yellowstone Dinner on October 29th where four incredible chefs are taking over Holl & Stone Farm in Garner. Chefs Sera Cuni of The Root Cellar, Bill Hartley of Postal Fish Company and JDub’s Po’Boys, Ryan Butler of Smoke Ropers, and Lynn Wells of Thyme Well Spent and Our State Magazine will each helm their own station, giving guests the chance to wander the farm, fill their plates and experience a menu built around smoke, fire, Southern ingredients and a little Wild West inspiration. Get your tickets for any of these events and all the details here.
- And we are just over a week away from National Cinnamon Bun Day celebrated annually on October 4th. Be sure to plan a visit to my buddy Darryl Fuller owner of Morning Rolls at 1322A E Millbrook Road in Raleigh. Visit Morning Rolls here.
- Flour & Barrel is planning an October 8 anniversary party that includes ten courses, aerialists, fire dancers and a sneak peek at the High Horse menu which will open in Durham at the Horseshoe at Hub RTP this fall. It will feature dishes and cocktails from Flour & Barrel and High Horse. Expect to see the favorites from each concept including cornbread, grouper with deviled ham, bone marrow with crab meat and more from High Horse, as well as table-side pastas and dessert from Flour & Barrel, and of course — flambé. Tickets are $90 and you can secure your spot here.
- Tickets are officially on sale for the 2026 Chefs for Change Annual Gala & Auction to benefit Families Moving Forward. Reserve your spot now to join them on Thursday, November 5th, as they gather at The Cookery for an unforgettable evening of exquisite food, inspiring stories, and abundant opportunities to make a meaningful difference for families and children experiencing homelessness in Durham! And because it’s Chefs for Change, they’ve invited an exceptional lineup of friends—the crème de la crème of the Durham culinary scene—to share their passion for food and Families Moving Forward: Matt Kelly of Nanas Rockwood; Chris Garrett of Seraphine; Aaron Benjamin of Gocciolina; Alex Catotti and Erin Kobler of Restaurant Cornelia and The Vinter and the Baker; and, Chris McLaurin of Lutra Cafe and Bakery. Early Bird pricing ends soon! Get your tickets here.
- Tickets are now on sale for the third Rawleigh Oyster Fest, presented by Earp’s Seafood Market, returning Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. This year’s event, themed “Smoke & Shuck,” expands the festival’s signature chef-and-oyster-farm pairings to include North Carolina pitmasters for the first time, bringing barbecue into the mix alongside raw oysters. It will be held at Raleigh Iron Works. Rawleigh Oyster Fest has sold out both of its previous events — its launch in November 2025, which sold all 550 tickets, and a spring 2026 edition that sold out in just five days. The event is organized by Eduardo Mera of Mera Brothers Oysters, Katie Dombrowski, communications administrator for the City of Raleigh, and Max Trujillo of the NC F&B Podcast. Together, the two previous events raised approximately $12,500 for the Frankie Lemmon School and Development Center and the N.C. Coastal Federation. Get tickets and all the details here.
Food Bank Corner
- The Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina is launching the Plate It Forward campaign to address the rising hunger crisis in the region. During Hunger Action Month this September, Food Bank supporters can dine out at partnering restaurants to purchase #PlateItForward dishes. A portion of the proceeds from each order directly benefits the Food Bank and our network of over 700 partner agencies and meal sites. At a time when more than 1 in 7 of our neighbors don’t know where their next meal might come from, it’s never been more important to #PlateItForward. Our community can get involved by visiting them here to find a roster of participating restaurants and their #PlateItForward dishes. Diners are encouraged to share their #PlateItForward meal on social media to invite others to get involved.
