TRIANGLE FOOD BLOG

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

Featured Restaurant News

• The newest location of Burrito Shak, at 1310 E. Millbrook Road in Raleigh (Quail Corners), will have its Grand Opening TODAY Friday, September 1 from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. This marks their 11th location, mostly in eastern North Carolina (they have one in Arizona!). Locally, they have a second location in Cary at 2982 Kildaire Farm Road. The event will feature buy one, get one burritos and bowls. Look for me there today at lunch! Check them out here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• In Cary, Mike DePersia of DePersia & Associates spotted a coming soon sign for a new Korean fried chicken concept called bb.q chicken coming to the Bradford Shopping Center in Cary next to Brixx (corner of High House and Davis – 14220 Bradford Green Square). This will be their first location in North Carolina. You can start getting familiar with the concept here.

• Also in Cary, chef James Murdock shared the news that Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodle has a “coming soon” sign up over the former Thai Spice and Sushi space (986 High House Road). No word yet on an open date. Thanks Chef James!

• In Raleigh, eader Carol Zimmerman spotted a coming soon sign in Towne North shopping center on Creedmoor Road for Feng Cha Tea and Sushi. It will be where the T-Mobile was, between Chow and Duck Donuts, right next to Creedmoor Cafe. We were unable to find an online presence or opening date. Stay tuned!

• The News & Observer reported that Ice cream shop Milk & Sin will open later this year on the ground floor of Skyhouse at 124 E. Martin Street. Their cereal milk-flavored ice cream will feature 16 different cereal-infused creations, like Cinnamon Toast Crunch and other favorites. Congrats to husband and wife team Kerveins and Nicole Garnier. Get to know them here.

• Also in Raleigh, reader Jorie Slodki notified us that Meet Fresh will be opening a new location near Crabtree Mall (4509 Creedmoor Rd Suite 103) near Perry’s Steakhouse and Fiction Coffee. They have one other location in North Carolina, in Chapel Hill’s Meadowmont subdivision. Get to know them here.

• Raleigh Coffee Company over the summer acquired Benelux Coffee’s roasting business and moved their operations into their space. Please note: this is just the Benelux roasting business and not their cafe operation in Village District (i.e. RCC is NOT a coffee shop). The acquisition affords them the ability to triple their roasting capacity! Visit Raleigh Coffee Company here.

• Kudos to Altered State Brewing for finishing 3rd in the USA Today voting this year for best new brewery. See all the winners here.

• And in the rumor department today, the Beltline Buzz shared the rumor that the original Cafe Carolina space in Village District will become Postino Wine Cafe, an Arizona-born industrial wine bar and restaurant. Time will tell. But if you want to get ready, visit them here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• Kudos to Sera Cuni, chef and owner of Pittsboro’s Cafe Root Cellar and and Root Cellar Cafe & Catering in Chapel Hill as she has launched an initiative to help end hunger in Chatham County. She just launched her new project, Feed-Well Fridges, which supports the placement of fridges in accessible areas where residents in need lack access to fresh and affordable food options. The first Feed-Well Fridge, which was delivered to Siler City on Monday, Aug. 28, is located at 219 Chatham Square. The owners of Countryside Collectibles and Antiques agreed to partner with Cuni to bring this free fridge to the Siler City community. Learn more about the initiative and how you can help here.

• Saw on the Pittsboro Eats Facebook page that on September 1 (TODAY), The Chocolate Cellar will become The Sweet Fix (119 Hillsboro Street). The new owners will be Gary and Tina Szafarski. Might be best to follow the transition on Instagram here.

• The Daily Tar Heel shared the news last week that B3 Coffee will collaborate with Innovate Carolina Junction to open a new location at 136 E. Rosemary St. B3 is a a nonprofit coffee business that employs individuals with and without disabilities working together in non-hierarchical ways. B3 operates a coffee kiosk in the lobby of the Chapel Hill Public Library. Get to know them here.

• Carrie Brogren shared in the Chapel Hill Carrboro Facebook Foodies group that Rasa Indi-Chinese on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Chapel Hill is now open as Rasa Indian and Japanese Restaurant. Visit their Facebook page here.

• And a Happy Birthday to my friends at Italian Pizzeria III (aka IP3) on Chapel Hill’s West Franklin Street. They have been in business for 43 years! The staff would like to thank all customers, family, and friends for their support. Congrats to brothers Angelo and Vincenzo Marrone. Visit them here.

Closings

• Mike DePersia of DePersia & Associates shared the news that Hickory Tavern in Carrboro has closed. If you are interested in buying the space, let me know and I can connect you with Mike.

Food Trucks

• The next Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo is THIS Sunday, September 3 from 12-4 p.m. The final rodeo of the season will be October 29. All the rodeos are from 12-4 p.m. Giddyup! Here is the link.

• 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

• WRAL reminded us that the 14th Annual African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake County is an annual celebration of African American culture as expressed through art, music, food and community. This two-day festival is held over Labor Day weekend each year. There will be a free block party, followed by ticketed concerts each evening. The event is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Get all the details here.

• On Wednesday, September 6th, Prohibitive in Cary’s Matthews House (317 W Chatham St.) will host a Wine & Cheese Pairing where guests will be tasting through five delicious and refreshing Italian wines paired with five light cheese dishes. The event begins at 6 p.m. and costs $55/person. Make your reservation now (Pro Tip: Use code Cheese23 to receive 15% off).

• Sam Jones BBQ is hosting a special BBQ & Bourbon Event from 6-8 p.m. Sept. 12 at their Raleigh location. The event includes a three-meat barbecue buffet, swag bags and special guest Justin Hampton of Diageo who will offer a guided tasting of Bulliet, Balcones, Blade and Bow, George Dickel and IW Harper 15 year bourbons. Tickets are $125. Get all the details here.

• Plates Neighborhood Kitchen in downtown Raleigh is having an end of summer celebration on September 13th (5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.) called Sangria & Tapas Pairing Night. Chef David Mitchell will be serving a special menu of Spanish-inspired small plates, while bar manager Lewis Williams tastes you through three different styles of housemade Sangria, with insight into their inspiration and craft. Patio seating highly recommended! Reserve your seats here.

• Heights House Hotel, in Raleigh’s historic Boylan Heights neighborhood, announced its newest hospitality driven amenity geared towards both the Raleigh resident and the visiting overnight guest. Afternoon Tea will be available at The Parlor at Heights House, beginning September 15th on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Get all the details here and make reservations here. Reservations open TODAY (September 1) at 12 noon. Better act quick…trust me! Even better, join their mailing list and you can register an hour early! Again, trust me.

• The 10th annual Sola Hot Mini 5K race is Saturday, September 16 at Sola Coffee in North Raleigh. Thus far, the race has raised over $450,000 in the fight to end ALS with a goal to raise $200,000 more this year. Get details and register here.

• The USA TODAY Wine & Food Experience is coming to Raleigh on Saturday, September 16th and will be held at Dorothea Dix Park (Flowers Field). Attendees will explore a Raleigh culinary adventure that celebrates the best local food and drink, enjoy endless food and drink samples, attend demonstrations and interact with exhibitors in a beautiful outdoor setting for a single admission price. Get tickets and all the details here.

• Saturday, September 23 is Bull City Burger and Brewery’s OctoBullFest, guaranteed to be the ​best WURST day of the year. It’s an annual street festival including live music, food, beer, games, and a kids’ area ​featuring a bounce house, bubbles, Balloon Man Mike, and more. Did we mention the food? We ​sell ​our​ ​100%​ ​pasture-raised​ ​beef​ ​burgers,​ ​house-made​ ​veggie​ ​burgers​ ​and​ ​ ​feature our​ ​authentic​ ​bratwurst​ ​for​ ​the​ ​event,​ ​all​ ​served​ ​on​ ​house-baked​ ​buns.​ Not to mention soft pretzels, and OctoBullfest Mustard/Mushroom Fries. There is always wine and beer available, including our​ ​Octoberfest​ ​lager​ ​aptly named​ ​“Stierstadt” (German​ ​for​ ​Bull​ ​City) which is brewed once yearly​ ​for​ ​the​ ​event.​ We welcome kids, adults, families, dogs, and smiles to East Parrish Street. Proceeds support Durham Habitat. The website should be updated soon with this year’s details, but last year’s info still gives a general sense.

• The folks over at Acme are bringing back Salt & Smoke on Saturday, October 28th. This year’s event will be held at The Barn at Sonark Media (located just off of Old 86 in Hillsborough). If you are not familiar with the event, it is a full afternoon and evening of live music, whole hog barbecue, raw oysters, roasted clams and plenty of the right beverages to wash it all down – local beer, wine and cocktails. And if you get your tickets now, through the end of this month there is a $25 discount for all tickets purchased (just use the code FINALLY when checking out). Get all the details and tickets here.

Food Bank Corner

• Right now, one in five people in central and eastern North Carolina don’t have enough to eat. Your tax-deductible gift helps provide food and hope to families, children, and seniors right here in our community. Together, we can help people in our community during their greatest time of need. Give here. Every $10 you donate provides 50 meals! #noonegoeshungry

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

Featured Restaurant News

• North Hills and Kane Realty Corporation announced this week that True Food Kitchen, an award-winning full-service restaurant and bar serving wholesome food made with quality ingredients, will be opening in the Main District of North Hills in early 2024. This will be the brand’s first restaurant to open in the state of North Carolina (they have 44 restaurants in 17 states) and will be located on the street-level of the 5-story 4114 Creative Offices building. It will feature a large outdoor dining space. True Food Kitchen was founded in Phoenix, Arizona in 2008 by integrative medicine specialist Dr. Andrew Weil. Look for everything from the juiciest organic grass-fed burgers and brick-oven fired pizzas, to decadent brunch towers and hearty grain bowls topped with wild-caught salmon. Start getting familiar with True Food Kitchen here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• In addition to the above-mentioned True Food Kitchen, Kane Realty Corporation also announced other restaurants for the Main District Expansion project. Those will include Restoration Hardware (RH) Gallery rooftop restaurant and wine bar, Limani Grille, Mia’s Bakery, Village Tavern plus the reopening of Ruth’s Chris Steak House. Once completed, the expansion will include a 12-story high-rise residential building, 346,000 square feet of office space and 100,000 square feet of ground floor retail. Openings are scheduled to begin in late 2023 and continuing into 2024. Visit RH here, Limani Grille here, Mia’s Bakery here, Village Tavern here and Ruth’s Chris here.

• Monday, August 28 is the eagerly awaited grand opening date for Taco Bamba’s Raleigh location. Located in The Ridgewood Shopping Center on Wade Ave, this will be their first spot outside the Washington, D.C. metro area. Widely known for its inventive and generously-stuffed tacos and tortas, deep mezcal-focused bar, and bold design and soundtrack, Taco Bamba began ten years ago as a hole-in-the-wall Northern Virginia strip mall carryout. They have grown to over ten locations in the D.C. suburbs and Raleigh, with future openings planned in Nashville, Richmond and a return to D.C. proper. To celebrate its opening, they will be giving away a free taco a week for a year to the first 100 guests who place an order in person. Start getting familiar with them here.

• The newest location of Burrito Shak, at 1310 E. Millbrook Road in Raleigh (Quail Corners) will hold their Grand Opening on Friday, September 1 from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. The event will feature buy one, get one burritos and bowls. Check them out here.

• 321 Coffee is heading back to their roots. Started by two NCSU students in 2017, they announced this week that they would open their newest location on NC State’s Centennial Campus. 321 Coffee is a local coffee shop and roaster that employs individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Projected to open in early 2024, the newest shop will be 321 Coffee’s fifth location across the Triangle. Visit 321 here.

• Speaking of coffee. Raleigh Coffee Company had a very vague posting on their Facebook page this week about an upcoing new location. They posted a picture – go see if you recognize where this is. Anyway, we will keep an eye on it. Here is their Facebook post.

• And over in Village District, Cafe Carolina made short order of moving into their new space, just around the corner. They are now open at 2130 Clark Avenue in the spot formerly occupied by SoCa. The bakery’s new larger space is open daily from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Visit them here.

• Down in Holly Springs, one of our readers shared the news that signs are up and work is being done for Dave’s Hot Chicken at the recently closed Mason Jar in Holly Springs. This will be their fourth location in North Carolina, but the first in the Triangle. No word on an open date. Get to know Dave’s here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• Durham’s Beyu Cafe continues their growth with the announcement this week that they have opened locations in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 at RDU International Airport. Be sure to visit them the next time your travel plans take you through the airport. Visit Beyu here.

• Durham’s Alley Twenty Six (located at 320 East Chapel Hill Street in Durham) is offering an Island Relief cocktail to help raise money for those affected by the wildfires in Maui. Three dollars of each Island Relief cocktail sold between now and Sept. 10th will be donated to the Hawaii Community Foundation to assist in disaster response and recovery. Alley Twenty Six’s Island Relief cocktail contains white rum, pineapple, banana, orange, lime and Angostura bitters. Direct donations can be made here. Visit Alley Twenty Six here.

• And a kudos to hand out. Queeny’s was named one of the South’s best new restaurants of 2023 by Southern Living, the only Triangle restaurant – and one of only two restaurants in the state – to make the list! Restaurants all over the region were evaluated by Southern Living editors based on their food, of course, but also on service, hospitality and how the restaurant supports and treats its staff and the wider community. Visit Queeny’s here. Read the article here.

• And over in Carrboro, David Glass shared on the Chapel HIll Carrboro Foodies Group page that a Pelican’s Snoballs is opening soon in Carrboro. It will be located at 505 W. Main Street, between Lanza’s and O2 Fitness. No word on an open date. Visit them here.

Closings

• None to report. Keep eating local, folks!

Food Trucks

• The next Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo is Sunday, September 3 from 12-4 p.m. The final rodeo of the season will be October 29. All the rodeos are from 12-4 p.m. Giddyup! Here is the link.

• 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

• A couple of big street festivals are happening this weekend featuring plenty of food and beverages. First up is Packapalooza on Saturday, August 26th from 2 to 10 p.m. on Raleigh’s Hillsborough Street. The event is free, so gather your pack and head over for a day of music, food, special events, and NC State pride. And in Cary they will host their annual Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival on Saturday and Sunday. Head on over to Academy St. where nearly 300 artists from 16 states, plus a beer garden, interactive art activities, a children’s area, food and more. The event is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Get all the details on Packapalooza here and Lazy Daze here.

• On Wednesday, September 6th, Prohibitive in Cary’s Matthews House (317 W Chatham St.) will host a Wine & Cheese Pairing where guests will be tasting through five delicious and refreshing Italian wines paired with five light cheese dishes. The event begins at 6 p.m. and costs $55/person. Make your reservation now (Pro Tip: Use code Cheese23 to receive 15% off).

• Sam Jones BBQ is hosting a special BBQ & Bourbon Event from 6-8 p.m. Sept. 12 at their Raleigh location. The event includes a three-meat barbecue buffet, swag bags and special guest Justin Hampton of Diageo who will offer a guided tasting of Bulliet, Balcones, Blade and Bow, George Dickel and IW Harper 15 year bourbons. Tickets are $125. Get all the details here.

• Heights House Hotel, in Raleigh’s historic Boylan Heights neighborhood, announced its newest hospitality driven amenity geared towards both the Raleigh resident and the visiting overnight guest. Afternoon Tea will be available at The Parlor at Heights House, beginning September 15th on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Get all the details here and make reservations here.

• The 10th annual Sola Hot Mini 5K race is Saturday, September 16 at Sola Coffee in North Raleigh. Thus far, the race has raised over $450,000 in the fight to end ALS with a goal to raise $200,000 more this year. Get details and register here.

• The USA TODAY Wine & Food Experience is coming to Raleigh on Saturday, September 16th and will be held at Dorothea Dix Park (Flowers Field). Attendees will explore a Raleigh culinary adventure that celebrates the best local food and drink, enjoy endless food and drink samples, attend demonstrations and interact with exhibitors in a beautiful outdoor setting for a single admission price. Get tickets and all the details here.

• Saturday, September 23 is Bull City Burger and Brewery’s OctoBullFest, guaranteed to be the ​best WURST day of the year. It’s an annual street festival including live music, food, beer, games, and a kids’ area ​featuring a bounce house, bubbles, Balloon Man Mike, and more. Did we mention the food? We ​sell ​our​ ​100%​ ​pasture-raised​ ​beef​ ​burgers,​ ​house-made​ ​veggie​ ​burgers​ ​and​ ​ ​feature our​ ​authentic​ ​bratwurst​ ​for​ ​the​ ​event,​ ​all​ ​served​ ​on​ ​house-baked​ ​buns.​ Not to mention soft pretzels, and OctoBullfest Mustard/Mushroom Fries. There is always wine and beer available, including our​ ​Octoberfest​ ​lager​ ​aptly named​ ​“Stierstadt” (German​ ​for​ ​Bull​ ​City) which is brewed once yearly​ ​for​ ​the​ ​event.​ We welcome kids, adults, families, dogs, and smiles to East Parrish Street. Proceeds support Durham Habitat. The website should be updated soon with this year’s details, but last year’s info still gives a general sense.

• The folks over at Acme are bringing back Salt & Smoke on Saturday, October 28th. This year’s event will be held at The Barn at Sonark Media (located just off of Old 86 in Hillsborough). If you are not familiar with the event, it is a full afternoon and evening of live music, whole hog barbecue, raw oysters, roasted clams and plenty of the right beverages to wash it all down – local beer, wine and cocktails. And if you get your tickets now, through the end of this month there is a $25 discount for all tickets purchased (just use the code FINALLY when checking out). Get all the details and tickets here.

Food Bank Corner

• Right now, one in five people in central and eastern North Carolina don’t have enough to eat. Your tax-deductible gift helps provide food and hope to families, children, and seniors right here in our community. Together, we can help people in our community during their greatest time of need. Give here. Every $10 you donate provides 50 meals! #noonegoeshungry