Triangle Restaurant News
Triangle restaurant news…that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler.
Featured Restaurant News
- Kudos to Kinston chef Vivian Howard on winning the James Beard Award for Outstanding Television Personality for her role in “A Chef’s Life” on PBS which documents her and her husband’s life running two restaurants (Chef & The Farmer and Boiler Room Oyster Bar) in Kinston. Next week we find out if Raleigh’s Ashley Christensen will win Best New Restaurant for Death & Taxes. Check out Vivian’s restaurants here and here and Ashley’s here.
Wake County Restaurant News
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It is official. It was announced this week that Raleigh’s newest non-profit restaurant, Carroll’s Kitchen, will take over the former Square Rabbit space in downtown Raleigh at some point this summer. Carroll’s Kitchen is a 501c3 restaurant dedicated to ending homelessness for women in Raleigh. They held a launch party this past week with over 250 people in attendance. Check out their new website and get all the details on this exciting, and meaningful venture here.
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Also in downtown Raleigh, G. Patel’s Eschelon Experiences restaurant group announced that the former Zinda location will become Bare Bones, a new ribs, burger and beer restaurant on Raleigh’s Fayetteville Street. They hope to be open by this summer. According to the News & Observer, Bare Bones chef will be Taion McElveen, who previously worked at Cameron Bar & Grill and The Oxford. His menu will feature smoked pork, beef ribs, brisket and house-ground burgers. Learn more here.
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Over in downtown Raleigh, saw on Ashton Mae Smith’s weekly blog (which you should subscribe to by the way) that Sushi O owner’s are replacing their short-lived International Burger and Breakfast Restaurant concept with an authentic Szechuan / Chinese restaurant and bar called China O Bistro and Bar. No information on a website or Facebook page yet.
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Up in Wake Forest, the Triangle Business Journal reported last week that Buku owner Sean Degnan has confirmed that he and business partner Tony Hopkins will be opening a second, smaller, location on Rogers Road near the Heritage development in Wake Forest. The goal for opening is set for Fall 2016. In the meantime, check them out here.
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Over in Cary, Hickory Tavern opened its second Triangle location this past Wednesday in the new Parkside Town Commons Center. The original Triangle-area location is in downtown Carrboro. Check out the Cary location on Facebook here.
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Also in Cary, those familiar with Johnny’s Pizza on Holly Springs Road in Apex, will be excited to learn that they will open a second location in the former Z Pizza location in the Stone Creek shopping center at the corner of High House and Davis. Look for them to open this location in August or September. Get all the details on their Facebook page here.
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And Cary’s location of Sassool will hold their grand opening celebration on Mother’s Day, May 8th from 1-4 p.m. Sassool’s second location, which opened in December, is located at 1347 Kildaire Farm Road in the Shoppes of Kildaire (Trader Joe’s). Get all the details on their website here.
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Finally, in Garner reader Hugh Autry (actually, his wife), brought it to my attention that Panera Bread has opened in Garner’s White Oak shopping center. Check them out here.
Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News
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Happy + Hale has successfully opened their second location, which is in Durham at 703 Ninth Street, and will hold their grand opening, tomorrow, April 30th, from 11-4 p.m. Get all the details on their Facebook page here.
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While you are downtown, might as well also pop into Counter Culture Coffee at 812 Mallard Avenue as they celebrate their grand opening event on Saturday, April 30th beginning at 10 a.m. Take a tour, taste (both coffee and tasty treats provided by local chefs) and visit their pop-up store. Get all the details here.
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Beyu Caffe, located in the heart of downtown Durham, will be closing for one week to move to its larger quarters at 341 W. Main Street, just two doors down! Check them out here.
Closings
- None to report. Keep eating local, folks!
Food Trucks
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TABLE will hold its 4th Annual Food Truck Rodeo tomorrow (April 30) from 3-7 p.m. at Chapel Hill’s Orange United Methodist Church on MLK Blvd. The event is to benefit one of TABLE’s program, called the Weekend Backpack Program, a year-round hunger relief program that provides food to hungry kids when school is not in session. Get all the details on the trucks, kids events, entertainment, etc. here.
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The Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo’s first event of the year is this Sunday, May 1st from 1-6 p.m. Organizers tout the event as a 1/2 mile of food trucks and restaurants spread out over 11 city blocks. There will be a total of 54 trucks, with nine of those being new to the event! The site now has the complete food truck list as well as site map. The remaining three rodeos will be held on June 12, Aug. 7 and Oct. 9. Get all the details here.
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With the warm weather returning, it also means the return of the Food Truck Thursdays in Knightdale. Every Thursday from April through June, the town will host a new truck at Knightdale Station Park for lunch and dinner. Just look for it from 11am to 2pm and 5pm to 8pm near the amphitheater (rain or shine – shelters are covered). For all the details and the truck schedule, check them out here. Thanks to Mark Ginsberg for the heads up!
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The News & Observer reported this week that former Standard Foods butcher Steven Goff plans to get the Brine Haus food truck on the road in the Triangle by August or September. Goff’s last day at Standard was April 23rd (Scott Crawford will end his time there the first week in May). Goff hopes to eventually transition the concept from a truck to a brick-and-mortar location. Stay tuned!
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For a listing of ALL food truck events, head over to Art’s page, The Wandering Sheppard on all things food truck related here.
Events
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The Carolina Inn begins the 14th season of its popular end-of-the-workweek celebration called “Fridays on the Front Porch” this Friday, April 29 (today) from 5-8 p.m. This Friday afternoon ritual will continue through early October. Get more details on food and entertainment here.
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Felicia Perry-Trujillo reminded me that the next Snap Pea Underground pop-up dinners will be held May 20th & 21st at a secret location in Durham, and tickets go on sale TODAY (Friday, April 29th) at 12 noon. If you are interested, set a reminder as these dinner will literally sell out within minutes. Trust me. Seriously. Go here at 11:55 and start hitting your refresh button.
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If you like wings, you’ll want to get down to the Raleigh Beer Garden tomorrow (Saturday, April 30) from noon to 6 p.m. (tix are $10 in advance) for the Glenwood South Wing Fling featuring 10 different restaurants showcasing their skills. Get all the details here.
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This year’s edition of the Raleigh Food & Wine Festival, a four day event, will be held May 19-22. Get all the details and ticket information here.
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The Piedmont Dinner Series continues on May 25th as Piedmont’s Greg Gettles and The Boot’s John May will host a late spring bbq in partnership with Locals Seafood. The multi-course dinner is $65, plus $20 for wine pairings. Get all the details and the menu on the events page here.
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Ok, this is a bit of a stretch to include, but it’s too fun/funny not to include. It is the 2016 Doughman event being held in Durham on May 28. What is it? It is a “foodie” event that combines the elements of a triathlon with competitive eating. 4-member teams basically down a delicious treat from a Durham establishment which is then followed by a bike, run or “water activity” challenge of varying distances. Sign up and get all the details here.
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Andrea Weigl at the News & Observer noted on her Twitter account recently that tickets to one of my favorite annual events, Farm to Fork have gone on sale. The event this year will be held on the weekend of June 3rd through June 5th. Get all the details and tickets here.
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Arguably the area’s biggest “foodie” event, TerraVita, recently announced the dates for this year’s festival – September 28th through October 1st. The Chapel Hill-based festival, now in its seventh year, offers exceptional dinners, tasting events, after parties, chef demos as well as the “Sustainable Classroom” – educational experiences featuring renowned chefs, authors & national media. TerraVita concludes with a Grand Tasting on the Green featuring over 65 chefs, artisans and beverage producers for tastings, live chef demonstrations and cookbook signings. TerraVita’s ticket launch and full schedule will be released in mid-June. More details here.
Food Bank Corner
- Ever wondered how your company can make a difference in the local community and do your part to help end hunger? Host a Food Drive!!! The great folks over at the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina make is SO SIMPLE! Check it out here and be your office hero!
