TRIANGLE FOOD BLOG

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

Featured Restaurant News

• La Terrazza, the newest addition to Umbria Hospitality Group, opened this week in The Dillon rooftop in the Warehouse District. Offering a delightful fusion of southern Italian and Mediterranean cuisine, it is complemented by an enchanting city skyline view. The dining space is adorned with floor-to-ceiling glass walls and also features two bars—one indoors and the other nestled in a patio enclosure. Umbria Hospitality Group also includes Italian restaurant Mulino Italian Kitchen & Bar and event venue Melrose Knitting Mill. Umbria Hospitality Group was founded by Samah Hachby, who was raised in Morocco and attended schools in Italy before coming to the United States. Get to know them here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• I learned this week that Jaguar Bolera, the highly anticipated “eatertainment” spot, will open on Sunday, May 19 at Raleigh Iron Works (1101 E Whitaker Mill Road). The concept mixes Mexican flavor with the soul of Southern cuisine, bringing both worlds together in their woodfire oven. And they feature a massive playground with more games than you can shake a pin at (think Duckpin, pickleball, darts, corn hole, ping pong, foosball, karaoke and more) and a choice selection of libations on tap (with a self-serve wall). Sounds like a ton of fun! This will be their first location, with a second location underway in Atlanta. Start getting familiar with them here.

• Also in Raleigh, reader Jennifer Buchholz  shared that sandwich and sub shop Brooklyn Pickle is holding their grand opening on May 6th at The Marketplace at Lake Boone (4025 Lake Boone Trail) think Buffalo Brothers and Two Roosters (in the former Just Salad spot). This will be their second North Carolina location and the first in the Triangle. If you are not from Syracuse, then get to know them here.

• Several sources shared the exciting news this week that the classic Berkeley Cafe has completed their move and they have opened in the old Fiction Kitchen space in Raleigh on S. Dawson, a stone’s throw from their former location. They are currently doing lunch Monday through Friday. Visit Berkeley on Facebook here.

• Up in North Raleigh, saw on a Facebook post that the popular food truck The Wandering Moose has finally opened their brick-and-mortar location at 2315 Lynn Road (very close to the intersection with Creedmoor Road). They are open 11:30 a.m. until midnight, 7 days a week. Food is served from 11:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. 7 days a week. They also have a very nice outdoor patio. Check them out here.

• Triangle Business Journal reported this week that the new Locals Seafood Market in east Raleigh has opened in a 10,000-square-foot space at 1408 Corporation Pkwy. It serves as the company’s headquarters and includes a whole fish butchery and seafood processing operation. The market’s regular hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. A grand opening is planned for May 18. You may also visit them at local farmers’ markets as well as their location at the Durham Food Hall. Check them out here.

• Triangle Business Journal also reported that a new Cook Out is coming to a shopping center in North Raleigh. Known for its hot dogs, burgers and shakes, it looks like their next location will be in the shuttered Boston Market spot near the Strickland Road and Six Forks Road (9500 Strickland Road). On a related note, TBJ indicated that the Boston Market on Strickland Road closed in November after almost 30 years in operation, leaving no locations in North Carolina. Visit Cook Out here.

• Up in Wake Forest, the Cha House will hold their grand opening this Saturday, May 4th at their newest location where they specialize in authentic boba tea and delectable food offerings. Join them from 11 am – 9 pm at 3604 Rogers Branch Rd., Suite 101 in Wake Forest. Attendees will enjoy Buy One Get One Drink 50% Off – and the first 30 people in line will receive a $10 gift card to use on their next visit as well as a Buy 1 Get 1 50% off drink card for their next visit. They already have locations in Raleigh and Cary. Visit them here.

• European inspired coffee house Press Coffee, Cocktails & Crepes will open this month in the 400H mixed-use tower in downtown Raleigh (400 Hillsborough Street at the corner with West Street). This is their third location serving high-quality coffee and cocktail beverages, along with a rotating menu of food offerings. After revitalizing downtown Graham with its opening in 2016, Press opened a second location in downtown Durham’s American Tobacco in 2021 with immediate success. Press was named Best New Restaurant in Indy Week, Durham Magazine, and Yelp and was chosen an ideal brunch location in Durham by Southern Living Magazine. Get to know them here.

• Out in Wendell, specifically Wendell Falls, the Triangle Business Journal shared the news this week that the newest location of Culver’s will soon join the lineup. No word on a timeline or open date. Visit Culver’s here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• We learned this week that Emmy Squared will have their Grand Opening next Wednesday, May 8th at Brightleaf Square (905 West Main Street). Emmy Squared Pizza, known for using artisanal and locally sourced ingredients, is bringing their signature Detroit-style pizza, famed Le Big Matt burger, shareable appetizers and more to their third location in North Carolina (they have two locations in Charlotte). Get familiar with them here.

• Also in Durham, reader Tom Viemont noticed signage up for an ice cream shop called La Monarca Michoacana moving into the former Zweli’s space at 4600 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd. in the Oakcreek Village shopping center. No word on an open date. Visit their Facebook page here.

Closings

• We lost a good one this week. Ken Yowell shared with me that after 11 years in downtown, he decided to turn out the lights at his Oak City Meatball. This one hurts.

• Reader Lauren Bradley shared with us that the Just Salad at Marketplace at Lake Boone has closed making way for the soon-to-open Brooklyn Pickle (see above).

Food Trucks

• 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

• Get ready to indulge in a delectable journey through Jewish cuisine as Jewish for Good proudly presents Jewish Food Week, a week-long celebration of culinary delights starting today, May 3rd through May 12th. This mouthwatering event promises to tantalize taste buds while supporting a meaningful cause, with all proceeds benefiting Jewish for Good’s Food Pantry. Get all the details of the week here. 

• Johnston County’s Ham & Yam Festival is this Saturday, May 4th in downtown Smithfield (200 S. Front Street) from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Expect ham sandwiches, pork barbecue sandwiches, sweetpotatoes foods, kids activities and lots of live entertainment! Visit their site here.

• Peck & Plume at The Mayton in Cary is hosting Ginspiration, an exclusive gin tasting from Sutler’s Spirit Co., from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, May 9. Guests will enjoy three beverages highlighting gin from this Winston-Salem, N.C. distillery alongside three bites from Peck & Plume’s executive chef Jason Daniels. Tickets cost $45 per person. Get tickets and all the details here.

• The News & Observer reminded us that the Frankie Lemon School and Developmental Center will hold their 2nd Annual Gettin’ Piggy With It event on Saturday, May 18th and Sunday, May 19th once again at Maywood Hall & Garden. The event is hosted by Lawrence Barbecue and Trophy Brewing. This festival celebrates 15 pitmasters from across the country. Tickets start at $100 and go on sale TODAY, Friday, April 19. Get all the details here.

• And if that is not enough pig for you, Saturday May 18th is also the date for the 17th Annual Carolina Pig Jig as part of the Got To Be NC Festival at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds (11 a.m. until 2 p.m.). All-You-Can-Eat BBQ tastings, hush puppies, slaw, and more! This annual BBQ competition features 25 teams from across NC all vying for your vote for the coveted People’s Choice Award. The event benefits the Masonic Home for Children and the Central Children’s Home. Visit their Facebook events page for tickets and all the details.

• My buddy Neha Shah, director of the Pittsboro-Siler City Convention & Visitors Bureau, shared that the annual Farm to Fork Picnic, celebrating local food and local farms, will take place Sunday, June 2 from 4pm – 7pm, again at Fearrington Village. Get details and tickets here. 

• Tickets are on sale now for the 9th Annual Dinner in the Meadow which will take place on September 15, 2024 on a grassy knoll atMeadow Lane Farm, in bucolic Franklin County, offering beautiful pastoral views and clear, starry skies. Some of the region’s most sought-after chefs will be preparing delicious dishes using ingredients from local farms and food artisans. It is an annual fundraiser for the Leonard-Mobley Small Farm Fund, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded in 2014 to support and cultivate small farms in our region of North Carolina. Get tickets and all the details here.

Food Bank Corner

• No doubt we live in a wonderful corner of the world. But here are some things to remember and not forget. Right now, one in five people in central and eastern North Carolina don’t have enough to eat. The Food Bankprovided over 88 million meals to families and individuals last year. The Food Bank’s partner agency network has reported up to a 60% increase in neighbors visiting for food assistance. The need is real and right here in our backyard. Consider helping in 2024. See how here.

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

Featured Restaurant News

• This is one to get VERY excited about. Raleigh Magazine shared that The Exchange Raleigh, a 40-acre mixed-use development in Midtown, is bringing together two local legends in the dining scene to create S&P Hospitality. 2021 NCRLA Chef of the Year Saif Rahman (formerly with Vidrio), and Watts & Ward and The Ark Royal co-owner and screenwriter Patrick Shanahan will truly elevate the dining scene in a space that will make you feel like you are no longer in Raleigh. The name of the high-dining concept hasn’t yet been revealed. As far as the menu, the magazine described it as follows – “the “American” venture is anticipated to bow this fall—and not at all what likely comes to mind when you think of American fare. So, less burgers and fries and more drawing inspo from cultures the world over that comprise American—and Southern—cuisine as we know it.” Read all about it here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• And we got a more definitive opening date for the European inspired coffee house Press Coffee, Cocktails & Crepes coming to the 400H mixed-use tower in downtown Raleigh (400 Hillsborough Street at the corner with West Street). They will open next month, with this being their third location serving high-quality coffee and cocktail beverages, along with a rotating menu of food offerings. After revitalizing downtown Graham with its opening in 2016, Press opened a second location in downtown Durham’s American Tobacco in 2021 with immediate success. Press was named Best New Restaurant in Indy Week, Durham Magazine, and Yelp and was chosen an ideal brunch location in Durham by Southern Living Magazine. Get to know them here.

• RALtoday shared this week that Glenwood Place, just inside the beltline on Glenwood Avenue, will soon be home to Village Juice & Kitchen. This will be their third North Carolina location, with locations already in Winston-Salem and Charlotte. Look for them to open later this year serving high-quality cold-pressed juices and scratch-made breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Get to know them here.

• Reader Micah Volborth shared with us that Chapel of Bones on Maywood (former site of Volume 11 and the Maywood, next to Trophy) is open during the day as a coffee shop (concert venue/bar by night) and is now serving baked goods from Groovy Duck. Their beans are a collaboration with Fortuna out of Greensboro. Check them out here.

• Julie Barnes shared with us that she saw signage for a new sushi/hotpot concept called Umiya coming soon to the old Tuesday Morning space at the corner of Six Forks and Wake Forest roads next to the Dollar Tree. Looks like they are shooting to open this summer and will have a sushi buffet. We couldn’t find an online presence, so stay tuned. Thanks Julie!

• Reader Tim Decker notified us that the long-anticipated opening of Brazilian steakhouse Estampa Gaucha, located in the Westin Hotel at Brier Creek, has opened. This is their third location, and the second in North Carolina (they have a location in Charlotte). Get to know them here.

• Also in Raleigh, reader Michael Burger shared with us that the Subway sandwich shop located in the Southgate Plaza at 1601 Cross Link Road in Raleigh has reopened for business. The shop closed in August and has since changed owners and been gutted and remodeled. He noted that everything is shiny and new and they started welcoming customers back on April 12th. Thanks Michael!

• Over in Fuquay-Varina, David McCreary shared with us that in partnership with BOLT Drinks and Coffee, Fat Cat Homemade Ice Cream opened this week at 400 Broad Street. They’re offering scoops and cones, sundaes, milkshakes and more with a rotating flavor menu. Check them out here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• We learned this week that Joel and Sarah Bohlin, the owners of The Village Diner, opened West Hillsborough Pizzeria, a new restaurant located next door to their award-winning diner. West Hillsborough Pizzeria is located at 600 West King Street, serving hand tossed pizzas, wings, burgers, sandwiches, and salads with a full bar featuring cocktails, draft beer, and wine from 3pm-9pm Tuesday through Saturday. Get more familiar with them here.

• It looks like the former Allen & Son spot between Chapel Hill and Hillsborough on Old Hwy. 86 is getting a major renovation and new life in the form of a concept called Sidetrack Lounge. They’ll soon be serving up beer, wine and cocktails with an outdoor area in the back for seating and live music. They noted that they are currently looking for a tenant to offer window style food service for the back half. No word on an open date, but eager to get open!

Closings

• Preeti Waas made the difficult decision this week to close Cheeni Indian Food Emporium in Raleigh at 1141 Falls River Avenue. However, fans of Preeti can still enjoy her amazing creations at Cheeni Durham. Visit Cheeni Durham here.

• WRAL shared this week that the Hillsborough Street location of Gonza Tacos Y Tequila is closing. Their last day of service will be this Saturday. That’s the bad news. The good news is their North Raleigh, Wake Forest and Cary locations continue to thrive.

• And Raleigh’s spirit-free cocktail bar concept, Umbrella Bar, will close after tonight’s service (April 26). They opened for New Year’s at the beginning of 2024.

• Got word this week from reader Katie Page that Bruno’s Seafood and Steaks in North Raleigh near Wake Forest has closed effective immediately.

Food Trucks

• 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

• One of Raleigh’s favorite downtown events is happening this weekend and the weather could not be more perfect! Brewgaloo, North Carolina’s largest craft beer festival, takes place today (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday) featuring over 110 craft breweries from around NC and partnering with local food trucks, local vendors, and local bands. The fun begins Friday night with a sampler event from 6-10 p.m. featuring limited releases, barrel aged, and sour beers. Saturday’s street festival spans the length of Fayetteville Street and fills Downtown Raleigh from 12-8 p.m. with more than 110 NC craft breweries, local food trucks, and local vendors. With two stages featuring local bands all day, this lively festival is sure to be a good time. Visit Brewgaloo here.

• Cary’s annual Spring Daze Arts + Crafts Festival is this Saturday, April 27th at Bond Park from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. The event gives a true nod to the artistry and creativity found in our great state of North Carolina, welcoming 170 artists all calling NC home! Guests can also expect to find toe-tapping entertainment on three stages, delicious food, activities for the kids, and so much more! Get all the details here.

• Guests are invited to experience a delicious multi-course dinner with James Beard Foundation winner chef Ricky Moore, who will take attendees on a culinary journey across North Carolina in support of KIPP NC schools. The “Cookoff for Education” will take place at Saltbox Seafood Joint at 2637 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd. in Durham on April 29. KIPP NC is an eight-school region of the national Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP). Funds raised through sponsorships and ticket sales will be an investment in North Carolina’s current and future students, teachers and educational leaders. You can find more details here. 

• Get ready to indulge in a delectable journey through Jewish cuisine as Jewish for Good proudly presents Jewish Food Week, a week-long celebration of culinary delights from May 3rd to May 12th. This mouthwatering event promises to tantalize taste buds while supporting a meaningful cause, with all proceeds benefiting Jewish for Good’s Food Pantry. Get all the details of the week here. 

• Peck & Plume at The Mayton in Cary is hosting Ginspiration, an exclusive gin tasting from Sutler’s Spirit Co., from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, May 9. Guests will enjoy three beverages highlighting gin from this Winston-Salem, N.C. distillery alongside three bites from Peck & Plume’s executive chef Jason Daniels. Tickets cost $45 per person. Get tickets and all the details here.

• The News & Observer reminded us that the Frankie Lemon School and Developmental Center will hold their 2nd Annual Gettin’ Piggy With It event on Saturday, May 18th and Sunday, May 19th once again at Maywood Hall & Garden. The event is hosted by Lawrence Barbecue and Trophy Brewing. This festival celebrates 15 pitmasters from across the country. Tickets start at $100 and go on sale TODAY, Friday, April 19. Get all the details here.

• And if that is not enough pig for you, Saturday May 18th is also the date for the 17th Annual Carolina Pig Jig as part of the Got To Be NC Festival at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds (11 a.m. until 2 p.m.). All-You-Can-Eat BBQ tastings, hush puppies, slaw, and more! This annual BBQ competition features 25 teams from across NC all vying for your vote for the coveted People’s Choice Award. The event benefits the Masonic Home for Children and the Central Children’s Home. Visit their Facebook events page for tickets and all the details.

• My buddy Neha Shah, director of the Pittsboro-Siler City Convention & Visitors Bureau, shared that the annual Farm to Fork Picnic, celebrating local food and local farms, will take place Sunday, June 2 from 4pm – 7pm, again at Fearrington Village. Get details and tickets here. 

• Tickets are on sale now for the 9th Annual Dinner in the Meadow which will take place on September 15, 2024 on a grassy knoll atMeadow Lane Farm, in bucolic Franklin County, offering beautiful pastoral views and clear, starry skies. Some of the region’s most sought-after chefs will be preparing delicious dishes using ingredients from local farms and food artisans. It is an annual fundraiser for the Leonard-Mobley Small Farm Fund, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded in 2014 to support and cultivate small farms in our region of North Carolina. Get tickets and all the details here.

Food Bank Corner

• No doubt we live in a wonderful corner of the world. But here are some things to remember and not forget. Right now, one in five people in central and eastern North Carolina don’t have enough to eat. The Food Bankprovided over 88 million meals to families and individuals last year. The Food Bank’s partner agency network has reported up to a 60% increase in neighbors visiting for food assistance. The need is real and right here in our backyard. Consider helping in 2024. See how here.