TRIANGLE FOOD BLOG

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

Featured Restaurant News

• Chef Victor Albisu announced this week that 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.

Wake County Restaurant News

• We start of with some great news to help cool down your summer! WRAL shared that Two Roosters has officially opened their newest location – this one in Wake Forest at The Factory across the sidewalk from Gonza Tacos and Village Deli. They are open Saturday 12-10pm; Sunday 2-9pm; Tuesday-Thursday 2-9pm; and Friday 12-10pm. Check them out here.

• The Downtown Raleigh Alliance shared the news this week that the Triangle’s third location of Chido Taco opened this week at 555 Fayetteville Street (end of Fayetteville Street, closest to Raleigh Memorial Auditorium). They have locations on Bale Street in Raleigh and one in Cary at the intersection of Kildaire Farm Road and Cary Parkway. Check out Chido here.

• The Downtown Raleigh Alliance also announced this week that the Berkeley Cafe will live on as they shared where they will move when their current site has to give way to a new 36-story tower. They will move just around the corner into the spot currently occupied by Fiction Kitchen (428 S Dawson St.) – who will be moving to the Gateway Plaza at the corner of Capital and Crabtree boulevards (2411 Crabtree Blvd. to be exact). We will keep you posted on the timing of these changes, but for now, the Berk and Fiction Kitchen continue to operate in their current locations. Follow Berkeley Cafe on their Facebook page here.

• Reader Caley Braman shared with us that the former Glory Days Grill in Apex in the Publix shopping center has closed, and Mike Montgomery, owner of Abbey Road (with locations in Cary and Apex), is opening a new sports bar called The Dugout Tavern & Grill at 1413 Kelly Road. Look for upscale pub food and an extensive craft beer selection. They are expected to open at the end of this month. Might be best to follow them on Facebook for their progress and announcements.

• In Garner, it was shared this week that there is an ownership change taking place at The Beerded Lady Bottle Shop. After a nearly eight year run, Antares Nicklow and Shannon Cummings are stepping away on August 31 and handing the keys over to a couple of familiar faces, Jesse and Eddie. Cheers to new beginnings and our best to Antares and Shannon and their next chapter. Visit them here. Visit them here.

• Down in Johnston County, the Triangle Business Journal reported that Slim Chickens, a chain based in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with more than 200 locations open or planned around the country and in the U.K., is planning to opening a location in Smithfield. This will be the first Slim Chickens in the Triangle area, but has two other North Carolina locations in Charlotte and Monroe. Get to know them here.

• And congrats to Raleigh’s very own Adé Carrena of Dounou Cuisine who took home the title of NCRLA Chef of the Year at the NCRLA 2023 Chef Showdown grand finale that was held at the Pavilion at the Angus Barn and hosted by Kitty Kinnin. Lots of other winners were recognized in a variety of categories. See a full list of winners here. Congrats to all the chefs and mixologists from across North Carolina.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• Ei Phyo shared in the Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies Facebook group that Haymar’s Kitchen, serving up authentic Burmese cuisine, has opened at 1301 E. Main Street in Haw River, NC (for those not familiar, Haw River is just west of Mebane). Best to follow them on Facebook.

• Down in Chatham County/Pittsboro, Kingston 99 Kitchen will hold their Grand Opening celebration on Thursday, August 24th at 5:30 p.m. You can find their authentic Jamaican cuisine at The Plant (192 Lorax Lane, Pittsboro) where they are open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. Visit their Facebook event page for all the details.

Closings

• Following a three-year run, Catalan Tapas Bar at 4214 NW Cary Parkway in Cary will permanently close their doors at the end of this week. Thanks to David McCreary and Triangle Business Journal for sharing this information.

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

• Sassool’s Annual Hummus Mix Off is tomorrow! On August 19th from 2-5pm at their Raleigh location they are bringing in local food influencers and recipe creators to compete for your vote as the best flavored hummus. The winner will have their recipe featured as our September special! Tickets are on sale NOW. With your ticket, you are able to try every hummus competing (this is over 12 kinds of hummus) and then vote for your favorite. This is a family friendly event! Get tickets and all the details here.

• And then on August 24th, The NC Museum of Art, Vitis House, and Catering Works present “The Art Inside the Bottle”. Together with NCMA curator Maya Brooks, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art, and Vitis House owner and wine educator, Doreen Colondres, we will dive into Identity, Place, and Power as themes that contextualize works of art and wine in specific and inspiring ways. Join us from 7pm-9pm for a very special evening to explore history, tradition, and process behind winemaking and artmaking at The Art Inside the Bottle. You will foster new insights in an immersive, sensory experience! Seven wines with custom-designed food pairings will be served as Maya speaks in person to share her expertise on seven important works of art from the Museum’s Collection. Details and sign up 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).

• 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

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

Featured Restaurant News

• The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that a new concept called Gussie’s from North South Hospitality will move into the space at 927 W. Morgan St. formerly occupied by Soul Taco, and before that, Remedy Diner and P.G. Werth’s. This is the hospitality group’s first location. North South Hospitality is owned by Katie O’Kane and Vance Daniels. Reader Hannah Willoughby was able to add that it will be a “neighborhood bar” offering food and drinks as well as oysters! Hoping to open late September. Not much offered on their website.

Wake County Restaurant News

• The wait is over Wendell! Parkside Restaurant owners Jenessa Mitchell and Todd Henderson will open their second location today, Friday, August 11th, at 4 p.m. Parkside will be joining Treelight Square in the Wendell Falls development at 2251 Treelight Way, Suite 101 in Wendell. The new spot will occupy a 4,500-square foot space with an outdoor patio and total seating for about 150 people (similar to the Raleigh location). The Wendell location will carry the same Parkside name along with a very similar menu. Reservations can be made at their website or on Open Table. Congrats to Jenessa and Todd and their entire team! Visit them here.

• Raleigh Iron Works development (1101 E Whitaker Mill Rd) has landed an award-winning ice cream shop! The new Andia’s Ice Cream Raleigh location posted their soft opening hours for Friday, August 11th though Tuesday, August 15th. This is Andia’s third location with two already in Cary. Get familiar with them here.

• Since 1995, Cafe Carolina has been a staple in Raleigh’s Village District. But for a few months, they will be closed as they move up the street (literally, a couple hundred yards) to a larger spot in the former so•ca space at the corner of Clark Avenue and Oberlin Road. An opening date for the new location has yet to be announced, but they are still accepting catering orders. Visit their website here.

• Up in North Raleigh in the Quail Corners shopping center (corner of Millbrook and Falls of the Neuse Road) a new concept called Burrito Shak opened at the beginning of this month in the former Tijuana Flats spot. They have one other Triangle-area location in Cary. They describe themselves as a quick service restaurant serving up killer burritos, tacos, quesadillas and more. Get to know them here.

• And Downtown Raleigh’s Sip n’ Stroll district, where beer, wine, and cocktails can be taken place-to-place, will have new boundaries and hours starting Tuesday, Aug. 15. More of the Warehouse District and Hillsborough Street will be included and will be in effect from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Get all your questions answered here.

• Over in Cary, got word this week that Rise Southern Biscuit & Righteous Chicken will open a location in Waverly Place this fall. Rise opened in Durham in 2012 and has now expanded to nineteen locations in North Carolina, Kansas, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee and California, with new stores on the way. Visit Rise here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• Indy Week reported that Isaac’s Bagels brick-and-mortar location at 1003 West Chapel Hill Street in Durham opened this week. They are open Thursday and Friday from 8 until 12; Saturday from 9 until 1; and Sunday 8 until 12. They are offering takeout only – offering bagels, sandwiches, coffee and sweets. Visit them here.

• In Durham’s Falconbridge Shopping Center (Farrington Road), Tyler Surratt shared on the Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies Facebook page that a new sign for El Tesoro Mexican Grill went up in the former New China spot.

• A quick update on Med Deli in Chapel HIll. Chapelboro shared the news in a broadcast this week that owner Jamil Kadoura anticipates they will be able to reopen in 6 to 10 months after their devastating fire. In the meantime, you can enjoy their catering which they are operating out of their event venue a few doors down from the cafe location. To schedule a catering, do so here.

• Over in Hillsborough, The News of Orange County reported this week that Eno River Brewing (329 Eno Mountain Road) opened their doors yesterday. The space is beautiful and features a 1,700-square-foot outdoor seating area that faces a long lawn reaching out to the tree-lined Riverwalk. The paper also reported that the brewery has space for two food trucks, and that the owners plan to work with local restaurants for food options, including a new food truck venture called Rad, from Mick and Kate Carroll, the owners of Radius Pizza in downtown Hillsborough. Eno River Brewing is also planning to do business with Lil Brew Bird, a mobile beer dispenser created by Patrick Harrell. Best to check in on Instragram.

• Down in Chatham County/Pittsboro, got word that Kingston 99 Kitchen will hold their Grand Opening celebration on Thursday, August 24th at 5:30 p.m. You can find their authentic Jamaican cuisine at The Plant (192 Lorax Lane, Pittsboro) where they are open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. Visit their Facebook event page for all the details.

• Reader Janny Lavery shared the news with us that Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken will open their newest location in Mebane (1410 Mebane Oaks Road) at the beginning of 2024. According to their website, this will be their 11th location. Visit Alpaca 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

• Today, August 11th, Dix Park will host their Foodie Friday event from 5-8 p.m. in the Flowers Field. The event is a great opportunity to meet with family and friends or wind down with work colleagues. Sample Raleigh’s street food (3 food trucks) and enjoy local musicians in beautiful Dix Park. Get all the details here.

• Tickets are still on sale for next Monday’s (August 14) NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale from 6-8:30 pm at The Pavilion at the Angus Barn. My buddy Kitty Kinnin will MC the event. This is North Carolina’s premiere culinary and mixology competition. Presented by Got To Be NC, the NC Department of Agriculture, the Chef Showdown features culinary and mixology competitors who will showcase North Carolina proteins, produce and products in their dishes, cocktails, and mocktails. Get tickets and all the details here.

• A taste of old becoming new, cider and mead! The NC Museum of Art and Catering Works are partnering with NC Wine for a delicious and thoughtful pairing of beverages, tasty bites, and art. What’s the buzz about cider and mead? Come find out on August 17 and learn more about the NCMA’s “paired” works of art while sipping local NC cider and mead. This event will be held in the West Building from 6:30 pm through 8:30 pm. Tastings begin at 6:30 pm. Over 10 different makers and multiple tasting stations will be featured. Docent lead tours connect art to these historic libations, and are scheduled at 6:45 pm, 7:30 pm, and 7:45 pm. Please arrive at 6:30 pm, in order to enjoy the whole event. Join them here.

• Sassool’s Annual Hummus Mix Off is right around the corner! On August 19th from 2-5pm at their Raleigh location they are bringing in local food influencers and recipe creators to compete for your vote at the best flavored hummus. The winner will have their recipe featured as our September special! Tickets are on sale NOW. With your ticket, you are able to try every hummus competing (this is over 12 kinds of hummus) and then vote for your favorite. This is a family friendly event! Get tickets and all the details here.

• And then on August 24th, The NC Museum of Art, Vitis House, and Catering Works present “The Art Inside the Bottle”. Together with NCMA curator Maya Brooks, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art, and Vitis House owner and wine educator, Doreen Colondres, we will dive into Identity, Place, and Power as themes that contextualize works of art and wine in specific and inspiring ways. Join us from 7pm-9pm for a very special evening to explore history, tradition, and process behind winemaking and artmaking at The Art Inside the Bottle. You will foster new insights in an immersive, sensory experience! Seven wines with custom-designed food pairings will be served as Maya speaks in person to share her expertise on seven important works of art from the Museum’s Collection. Details and sign up 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