TRIANGLE FOOD BLOG

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

Featured Restaurant News

• Chapelboro shared the news this week that Chapel Hill will be able to keep one of its most beloved dining spots. They first shared the news that Purple Bowl would be moving out of its 306 West Franklin Street home next summer. And a few days later they delivered the news that everyone wanted to hear…that they will move into the building at 505 West Franklin Street, at the corner of Franklin and Graham streets. The spot is the former home of the Chapel Hill Newspaper and, more recently, Top of The Hill’s distillery. This location is larger and will feature a sizable outdoor dining area. Follow along on Instagram with Purple Bowl here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• A reminder that Lon Bounsanga, the longtime executive chef at Bida Manda and Brewery Bhavana, will open his own Laotian restaurant, SAAP, in Cary on Nov. 15 on the ground floor of The Walker (370 S. Walker Street). Start getting familiar with SAAP here.

• Kane Realty Corporation announced recently that True Food Kitchen, an award-winning full-service restaurant and bar serving wholesome food made with quality ingredients, will be opening in the spring of 2024 in the Main District of North Hills. This will be the brand’s first restaurant to open in the state of North Carolina and will be located on the street-level of the 5-story 4114 Creative Offices building and feature a large outdoor dining space. Start getting familiar with them here. Thanks to RalToday for bringing this to our attention.

• Triangle Business Journal shared that a new bar has popped up on Glenwood South in the heart of Raleigh’s entertainment district. Devolve is located at 304 Glenwood Avenue next to Tin Roof in the former space of Devolve Moto – a retail store and coffee bar that had a motorcycle theme. The new bar comes from some of Glenwood South’s main ownership groups, a team consisting of Charles Long, Dan Lovenheim and Matt Kenner. Visit them on Instagram here.

• Speaking of alcohol, RalToday shared the news that Incendiary Brewing Company is hosting its grand opening on Saturday, Nov. 4 at Bloc 83 (612 W Morgan St.) from 12 to 11 p.m. All are invited to come celebrate the Winston-Salem based brewery’s first Raleigh location with music, games on the jumbo tv, bites from food trucks and Vic’s Pizzaria, and yard games. Check them out here.

• Over in Morrisville, Julie Singer shared on The Better Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies Facebook group that Peng’s Asian Cuisine in Morrisville (108 Factory Shops Road) has reopened. Visit them here as well as order online.

• My friends over at Boulted Bread are rolling out their Thanksgiving pre-ordering next week! Beginning on Wednesday, November 1st they will have their Thanksgiving Menu available online. Offerings will include pies, quiche, bread, and pastry available for pre-order on their website. Pick up will be on Wednesday, November 22nd from 8-3 at their new shop at 328 DuPont Circle. Bread, pastry, and coffee will also be available first come first serve. Visit their site here.

• And a quick shout out to Scott Crawford as Crawford & Son celebrates 7 years! To celebrate, join them on Saturday, November 4th with a menu of their “Greatest Hits” through the years! Look for some of their most beloved dishes – such as their Apple Soup and Rabbit Pot Pie. Congrats to Scott and his entire team! Visit thm here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• Rebecca Simmons shared in the Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies Facebook group that Saffron Indian Cafe by Chef Rawat is coming soon to the former location of Itaewon Grill on Erwin Rd in Durham (2608 Erwin Rd.). Saffron has a location in Cary. No word on an open date. Visit Saffron here.

• Rise Southern Biscuits and Righteous Chicken, the award-winning breakfast and lunch concept, announced this week an extensive menu update including new signature sandwiches, breakfast boxes, tater tots, and brewed iced coffee. The new menu will roll out on November 2nd with all dishes served from 7am-2pm daily. Rise has 9 locations here in the Triangle. Visit them and their menu here.

• And a couple of reminders for those in Chapel Hill. First up, Raising Cane’s will open at the corner of Franklin and Columbia Streets on Tuesday, November 7. And the following day, November 8th, Snooze, A.M. Eatery will open their doors in Eastgate Crossing. I know where I’ll be those two days! Get to know Snooze here and Cane’s here.

• AN UPDATE: The West End Kitchen grand opening has been rescheduled for Wednesday, November 8th. They are moving into the former Angelina’s Kitchen space on Rectory Street in Pittsboro and are describing their eatery as a chef-driven gastropub where they plan to offer breakfast and lunch. Get to know them here.

Closings

• Got word this week that the Your Pie Pizza restaurants in Raleigh and Durham are closing for good at the end of October.

Food Trucks

• The final Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo of the year is this Sunday, October 29th from 12-4 p.m. This is the Halloween version so wear your costumes for the last rodeo of the year! 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

• The ninth-annual WRAL Voters’ Choice Awards is open for voting! Celebrate the Triangle’s local businesses by voting for your favorites across over 140 categories. You can vote once per category through Nov. 19. Cast your votes here!

• This Saturday, October 28th the town of Morrisville will celebrate with their 2023 Diwali Festival from 5-8 p.m. at Cedar Fork District Park (228 Aviation Pkwy). The celebration includes hands-on activities, music, food, and fireworks. Food trucks on site will include Curry in a Hurry; Flavor Junction; Bruster’s Ice Cream; and Annapurna Indian Kitchen. Diwali is India’s biggest and most important festival of the year to celebrate the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and the human ability to overcome. Get all of the details here.

• Kitty Kinnin reminded me that the NC Wine Festival will take place this year on Saturday, October 28th at the beautiful Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary. For over 20 years the North Carolina Wine Festival has been bringing you local North Carolina wineries, artisans, music, food and fun! Buy tickets and get all the details here.

• 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.

• This is really cool. Raleigh’s Brookside Bodega is hosting a family-friendly campout on Nov. 4 at Haven Farm, a wedding and special event venue in Knightdale. Tickets are now on sale for the campout, which includes activities for the whole family. The family-friendly campout is BYO-tent but includes catered dinner and breakfast, s’mores, live music and more. Get tickets and all the details here.

• All three Triangle-area locations of Cape Fear Seafood Company are hosting True Bayou, a French Quarter Seafood & Wine Experience on Tuesday, November 7th from 6 ’til 8 p.m. Tickets are $65 and each location is limited to 24 reservations. To reserve your spot, you must call your specific location (Village District – 984-200-5455; Spring Forest – 984-242-4600; Wake Forest – 919-295-2455). See the evening’s full menu and pairings on their Facebook page here. Pro tip: these will sell out quickly, so act quickly. Pro tip 2: they will do more of these.

• Sola Coffee Cafe in North Raleigh will welcome Italian bluegrass group La Terza Classe (all the way from Naples, Italy) for a one-night-only concert at the cafe on Saturday, Nov. 11. This will be La Terza Classe’s fourth stop at Sola, and wine, beer and popcorn will be available to attendees. Details here.

• Carolina Brewery is hosting their Sixth Annual Oyster Roast on Saturday, Nov. 18th from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m at their Pittsboro location (120 Lowes Dr, Pittsboro). The event includes free admission with steamed or raw oysters available for purchase by the half-dozen or dozen. Pair those with Carolina Brewery’s special oyster stout. Carolina Brewery will also offer their full menu during the event. Visit Carolina Brewery here.

Food Bank Corner

• Think you can’t make a difference in someone’s life? Think you don’t have enough money to make a difference? Would you believe me if I told you that as little as $1 equates to 5 meals through the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina!?! It is true. Nearly 510,000 people face hunger across our 34-county service area. And thanks to your generosity, the Food Bank provided over 81 million meals to families and individuals last year! Make a donation today!

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

Featured Restaurant News

• After a very successful soft opening, Yatai Market is now officially open at Transfer Co Food Hall in downtown Raleigh. Yatai is a global-inspired fish market, restaurant and speakeasy led by renowned sushi chef Magno Tapia (of M Sushi fame). They are located at 500 E Davie St. and looks like they open daily at 11 and go until 9 p.m. (11 p.m on Friday and Saturday). And a quick check, the first 6 reviews on Yelp are all 5 stars! Check them out here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• Got word this week that chef Lon Bounsanga, the longtime executive chef at Bida Manda and Brewery Bhavana, both located in downtown Raleigh, is aiming to open his own Laotian restaurant, SAAP in Cary on Nov. 15. SAAP, which means delicious in Laotian, will offer the classic dishes that Bounsanga introduced to a generation of North Carolina diners. Eater named SAAP as one of the 10 most anticipated restaurants opening in the Carolinas this fall. SAAP will be located on the ground floor of The Walker at 370 S. Walker Street adjacent to Cary’s newest park, Downtown Cary Park. Start getting familiar with SAAP here.

• Just a quick note over in Cary thanks to a heads up from my buddy Jill Donovan at Donovan’s Dish (which, by the way, you should check out, with the holidays approaching). Jill sent me a note letting me know that their neighbor, Wasabi in MacGregor Village, suffered a small kitchen fire about five months ago and they have just reopened. Just to give you an idea of the kind of people they are, they kept their employees on the entire time! Let’s show them how awesome they are and support them by going by soon (107 Edinburgh South Drive, Suite 135, Cary)! And Jill confirms that their sushi is some of the best in the area! They serve Japanese and Thai fare, including sushi and sashimi, plus sake, wine and spirits. Show them your support. Check them out here.

• Over in Garner, Hugh Autry shared with us that Mi Peru Peruvian Cuisine has opened their second location (the original location is in Durham at 4015 University Drive) at 1549 US 70 serving up authentic, homemade-style Peruvian food. Visit them here.

• Heading up into Northeast Raleigh, one of Raleigh’s gems is expanding their hours. Lunch Box Deli owner Ria Dodworth reached out to me this week to let me know they have extended their hours until 3 p.m. and have ramped up for soup season – specialties like Chicken Spinach and Artichoke, Tuscan Turkey Sausage and Potato, Moroccan Tomato and Peanut, just to name a few. And if your office hasn’t used them for catering, you are missing out on that as well. Check them out here.

• Heritage Grille & Wine Barrel will open later this month at 1228 Heritage Links Drive, Wake Forest in the former Wine & Beer 101 Gastropub spot. It is the newest concept from the team behind Real McCoy’s. Visit Real McCoy’s here.

• Also in Wake Forest, we saw on Facebook (multiple postings) that Torchy’s Tacos is now open at 505 Dr Calvin Jones Hwy., almost directly across the street from the new Wegman’s (near intersection with US Hwy. 1). Their other Triangle location is in Raleigh’s Midtown East. Get to know them here.

• And a correction to our posting last week about Beow’s Books & Brews. Owner Jim Ranieri clarified that their first location is set to open later this month at 8111 Creedmoor Rd. Suite 153 in Brennan Station (in the old BottleMixx spot). And their second location will be opening in February in Falls River Towne Center at the site of the old 24/7 Fitness. Get to know them here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• In Chapel Hill, Chapelboro shared that long-anticipated news that Snooze, A.M. Eatery will open their doors in Eastgate Crossing on Wednesday, November 8th. The Chapel Hill location is now Snooze’s fourth in North Carolina, but the first in the Triangle (the other three are in the Charlotte). Including on its first day, Snooze will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekdays and from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. Snooze is going to use several soft openings to help benefit two nonprofits — PORCH and Best Buddies North Carolina will be fundraising partners with Snooze leading up to the November 8 grand opening. Get to know Snooze here.

• AN UPDATE: The West End Kitchen grand opening originally scheduled for Thursday, October 12 was POSTPONED. We don’t have a new date just yet, so stay tuned. They are moving into the former Angelina’s Kitchen space on Rectory Street in Pittsboro and are describing their eatery as a chef-driven gastropub where they plan to offer breakfast and lunch. Get to know them here.

Closings

• Reader Jan Delory shared a couple of closings this week that we haven’t reported yet up in Wake Forest. She shared with us that both Leli’s Italian Eatery and Las Margaritas Mexican Restaurant have both closed.

• Reader Paige Perry shared with us that the Applebee’s at the corner of Wake Forest and Six Forks roads has closed. There only remains one Applebee’s in Raleigh (Triangle Towne Center).

Food Trucks

• The final Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo of the year is October 29th from 12-4 p.m. 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

• The ninth-annual WRAL Voters’ Choice Awards is open for voting! Celebrate the Triangle’s local businesses by voting for your favorites across over 140 categories. You can vote once per category through Nov. 19. Cast your votes here!

• The 7th Annual Oak & Smoke BBQ, Bluegrass and Beer Festival returns to Knightdale this year on Saturday, October 21 from 12 to 8 p.m. It is held at Oak City Brewing at 616 North First Avenue in Knightdale. Get tickets and all the details here.

• Raleigh’s International Wine Festival is this Saturday, October 21 from noon until 8 p.m. at City Plaza in the 400 block of Fayetteville Street. Enjoy wine, beer, food, desserts, vendors and performers. The event will feature 25 wine suppliers and admission is free. Early bird tickets are available for $45 (plus convenience fee and tax) which gives you 10 samples and early access (i.e. avoid the lines). Get all the details here.

• Now Serving, a nonprofit group distributing healthy meals from restaurants, caterers, and commercial kitchens to the local community, will host Now Serving Food + Wine this Saturday, Oct. 21 from 2 to 6 p.m. in Smoky Hollow. The non-profit has successfully donated 72,000 meals since its inception in February 2022. Vendors will include Madre, Midwood Smokehouse, Cheeni Indian Food Emporium, Hummingbird, Stanbury, Mandolin, St. Roch, and more. It is free to attend, but a $75 ticket will get participants a sample from each of the 12 food stalls as well as wine, spirits, and beer. In addition to delicious bites, attendees will enjoy local music and cooking demonstrations. Get all the details here.

• City Market in downtown Raleigh is hosting its Annual Fall Festival this Sunday, October 22nd from 1 to 5 p.m. The event features fall carriage rides (extra charge) shopping with local craft artisans in Market Hall, local food trucks and a Pop-Up Pumpkin Patch at The Grove at City Market. Admission to the festival is free! Get all the details here.

• Kitty Kinnin reminded me that the NC Wine Festival will take place this year on Saturday, October 28th at the beautiful Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary. For over 20 years the North Carolina Wine Festival has been bringing you local North Carolina wineries, artisans, music, food and fun! Buy tickets and get all the details here.

• 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.

• This is really cool. Raleigh’s Brookside Bodega is hosting a family-friendly campout on Nov. 4 at Haven Farm, a wedding and special event venue in Knightdale. Tickets are now on sale for the campout, which includes activities for the whole family. The family-friendly campout is BYO-tent but includes catered dinner and breakfast, s’mores, live music and more. Get tickets and all the details here.

• All three Triangle-area locations of Cape Fear Seafood Company are hosting True Bayou, a French Quarter Seafood & Wine Experience on Tuesday, November 7th from 6 ’til 8 p.m. Tickets are $65 and each location is limited to 24 reservations. To reserve your spot, you must call your specific location (Village District – 984-200-5455; Spring Forest – 984-242-4600; Wake Forest – 919-295-2455). See the evening’s full menu and pairings on their Facebook page here. Pro tip: these will sell out quickly, so act quickly. Pro tip 2: they will do more of these.

Food Bank Corner

• Think you can’t make a difference in someone’s life? Think you don’t have enough money to make a difference? Would you believe me if I told you that as little as $1 equates to 5 meals through the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina!?! It is true. Nearly 510,000 people face hunger across our 34-county service area. And thanks to your generosity, the Food Bank provided over 81 million meals to families and individuals last year! Make a donation today!