TRIANGLE FOOD BLOG

Featured Restaurant News

• And then there were four — locations, that is, not roosters. Confused? Stay with me. Two Roosters Ice Cream has announced a fourth location which will occupy the former WhichWich spot on Lake Boone Trail just down from Rex Hospital. They currently have locations in Raleigh’s Greystone Village and Person Street Plaza, as well as Durham’s Golden Belt campus. And did I mention their seasonal location at the Durham Bulls ballpark as well as their food truck? That’s a lot of ice cream! Keep up with them here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• Triangle Business Journal shared the news this week that The Roast Grill, known for the char-grilled hot dogs and glass-bottled Cokes since the 1940s, has reopened. Owners George and Katherine Poniros have been on the line for the past 30 years, taking over the spot his grandparents started. The Roast Grill is located at 7 S. West St. in downtown Raleigh. With only 12 seats, they have been closed since the start of the pandemic. Re-familiarize yourself with them here.

• RalToday shared the news that Peace & Saint, Raleigh’s newest trendy cocktail spot, opened this past weekend at 616 Saint Marys St. in Glenwood South. The bar offers both craft cocktails and hookah, plus delicious desserts. Book a reservation and/or check them out here.

• RalToday also shared this week that Texas-based Tiff’s Treats will open in Raleigh’s Village District this December. According to those in the know, they are best known for their warm cookie delivery service and have 65 locations across the country. The new spot will be located at 421 Daniels St. near Cantina 18. Get to know them here.

• And out in Brier Creek, Jennifer Buchholz shared another update on Crumbl Cookies – apparently you are going to have to wait even longer. Their opening date was adjusted from June 30 to July 9th. Guess that is how the cookie crumbles. Visit them here.

• Looking for all the outdoor dining options in Downtown Raleigh? The Downtown Raleigh Alliance has put together a great list of those options, and they even divided it up by district. Check out that list here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• The new owners of Brightleaf Square in downtown Durham are nearing completion of major renovations to the popular destination and as part of that have announced a couple of dining tenants according to the Triangle Business Journal. First two up are Detroit-style pizza chain Emmy Squared Pizza and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream (which was started in 2002 by Jeni Britton Bauer, a James Beard Award winner). Start getting familiar with Emmy Squared here and Jeni’s here.

• Over on Chapel Hill’s Franklin Street there is some expansion going on according to an article this week in the Triangle Business Journal. Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews, an independent bookstore and Spanish-style chocolateria, opened in November 2019 at 109 E. Franklin St. And come September they will expand right next door adding 2,200 square feet of space. The spaces will be connected, but they will be differentiated in name to distinguish the concepts. Epilogue will continue to be the cafe and new book space while Prologue will house used, rare and collectible books alongside additional cafe seating. Keep up with Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews here.

• And here are a couple of wonderful resources for those looking to dine in downtown Durham or downtown Chapel Hill – Downtown Durham Inc. has an up-to-date listing of the status of each restaurant in downtown Durham. Check out the list here. And the Downtown Chapel Hill Partnership has put together a similar list for Chapel Hill here.

Closings / Cancellations

• Got word this week that bu•ku Global Street Food up in Wake Forest has closed their doors. They moved out of their downtown Raleigh location in 2018.

• Also, reader Burke Williams shared that Peño Mediterranean Grill off Falls of the Neuse Road in Raleigh in the old Chronic Taco’s spot has closed.

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

• For the month of July, Capital City Clauses is hosting Give Back Days leading up to their Jingle in July event on July 29th at the Raleigh Beer Garden. During the month of July you can enjoy great specials from the following establishments: Goodberry’s Frozen Custard, PDQ, DeMo’s Pizzeria & Deli, Two Roosters, Raleigh Beer Garden, Neuse River Brewing & Brasserie, and Barrel Culture Brewing and Blending. Get all the details on Give Back Days and each establishments deal here. Proceeds from both events go towards Capital City Clauses’ mission of enriching children’s lives with hope, cheer and joy.

• Downtown Durham Inc. announced that The Streetery will return Saturday, July 10 at Central Park with added outdoor seating and buskers. Join them from 1 – 9 p.m. to shop, carry out, dine in or dine out. The Streetery happens on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month. Get all the details here.

• Durham Summer Wine & Food Festival, a 4-day wine and food festival, is happening right now through July 4th. The event will showcase the contemporary cuisine, music, and independent arts in Durham. Tickets grant you 20% off participating restaurants, access to exclusive tasting and pairing events and all the entertainment. Visit their website to see a list of participating resturants and other activities here.

• RalToday shared that Raleigh’s International Food Festival is returning to City Plaza on Sat., August 28 from 12 noon -10 p.m. The festival features a variety of international food, beer and wine, as well as international performers. Admission is free. Get all the details here.

• You might want to go ahead and plan on spending your Labor Day weekend in Pinehurst for the inaugural Pinehurst Barbecue Festival – a three-day event, staged in and around the historic Village of Pinehurst from September 3-5, 2021. The event will offer a unique culinary sampling experience of various barbecue meats and traditional sides. Choose to experience the entire three-day festival, or attend just one signature event. A multi-ticket VIP package, as well as individual tickets for each event are available. The pitmaster lineup includes: Ed Mitchell, The Preserve (Raleigh); Christopher Prieto, Prime Barbecue (Knightdale); Adam Hughes, Old Colony Smokehouse (Edenton); Joe Lumbrazo, Backyard Bistro (Raleigh); and Ashley Sheppard, Pik N Pig (Carthage). Get tickets, schedule and all the details here.

• Our friends over at RalToday pointed out a few events you might want to go ahead and get on your calendar. So exciting to think of some of our favorite events actually happening in 2021! First up, Raleigh Veg Fest 2021 originally scheduled for April 4 has moved to October 31 in downtown Raleigh’s Moore Square. Details here. And Brewgaloo is now scheduled for September 17 & 18 in downtown Raleigh. Details here.

Food Bank Corner

• When school is out, the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina knows families struggle to keep food on the table. Budgets for so many families are already stretched thin from the pandemic, with job losses and hours being cut. Thankfully, our generous corporate and individual donors are matching gifts up to $132,000! Every $10 you give can help provide 100 meals… feeding twice as many kids, teens, and families in need. Can you chip in? Click here if you can!

Featured Restaurant News

• The Triangle Business Journal shared the wonderful news this week that the iconic Players’ Retreat, on Oberlin Road just off Hillsborough Street, has reopened – allowing fully vaccinated guests inside, and anyone to their outdoor dining space. Fully vaccinated guests receive a button allowing future re-entry, and so far over 1,500 buttons have been handed out. Check out the PR here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• And following on that great news, more and more restaurants are resuming “normal” operations. And so it is so with Sweet Tea and Cornbread Cafe, in the NC Museum of History, is reopening Saturday. It’s owned and ran by Tonya Council, granddaughter of Mama Dip (of Mama Dip’s fame in Chapel Hill). Thanks to blogger EatRaleigh for the tip. I also was in downtown this week as tables and chairs (which had been in storage) were being returned to Gravy and Sitti in downtown Raleigh as they inch closer and closer to pre-pandemic occupancy. Visit Sweet Tea here, Gravy here and Sitti here.

• Over in Cary, the Triangle Business Journal shared that Cotton House Craft Brewers will open Triangle Beer Co. at 320 E. Durham Road in the former Jordan Lake Brewing facility TOMORROW, June 26. They will have 16 taps with a broad range of current and new beers. It’s situated less than a mile from the original taphouse, Cotton House, at 307 S. Academy St. The new space will also feature the company’s newly launched Craft Concepts @ TBC, a permanent mobile food kitchen and catering service that will serve the Triangle area. Visit their website here.

• Ashton Mae Smith shared in her weekly update last week that the much-anticipated (ish) delicatessen is doing pop-up events as they inch closer to their opening. Best to follow them on Instagram for their next pop-up. No exact date yet on an opening…just soon(ish). Keep up with updates on Instagram.

• Also in Cary, Mike DePersia with DePersia & Associates shared that Coffee & Crepes, which has been a staple in the Crossroads shopping center in Cary for nearly twenty years (don’t worry it’s not going anywhere), has been sold. Terri and Andres Pastrana have sold the coffee shop to Nichole Hustava and Tim Nigh who will continue to operate business as usual for the time being with a planned remodel later this year. Terri and Andres will continue to operate their “chef services” in and around Wake County. The store is located at 315 Crossroads Boulevard. Check them out here.

• And out in Brier Creek, Jennifer Buchholz shared an update on Crumbl Cookies – apparently you are going to have to wait a little longer. Their opening date was adjusted from June 30 to July 5th. Visit them here.

• Looking for all the outdoor dining options in Downtown Raleigh? The Downtown Raleigh Alliance has put together a great list of those options, and they even divided it up by district. Check out that list here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that Big Belly Que, which has been operating out of the Blue Dogwood Market at 306 W. Franklin St. in Chapel Hill, will move the restaurant to a newly renovated building at 104 N. Graham St. in the emerging area at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro border area called Midway. The plan is for Big Belly Que to be open at the new, larger location by September, with indoor and outdoor seating options. Congrats to siblings Garret Fleming and Eleanor Lacy! Visit them here.

• Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies founder Carrie Brogren shared the news this week that there is a new spot coming to Pittsboro….The Beagle, a bar which will feature cocktails and small plates. It is brought to us by the owners of Oakleaf and they are hoping to open sometime in July. It will be in the spot where Blue Dot Coffee was (53 Hillsboro Street). Follow along with their progress on their Facebook page here.

• Mike DePersia with DePersia & Associates shared that on the heels of the Apple news, just up the road from their proposed campus, he sold Thali Indian Restaurant in RTP for Jasbir Singh to Madan Lal and Deepak Rani. They plan on keeping things the same and will be owner/operators. Stop in to support local 5311 S Miami Blvd Suite E Durham, NC 27703 or you can check them out here.

• Our friends over at RalToday reported that The Triangle is getting a taste of NOLA this summer when Durham native Rashanda Mason opens The Slush, a frozen daiquiri lounge, at 321 W. Main St. in downtown Durham. Mason plans to open the spot in mid-July after having the idea for it for about 7 years. You can follow updates on their Facebook page here.

• RalToday also shared that Big League Waffles and Scoops had their grand opening on Wednesday, June 23. They are located in the Morgan Street Food Hall (411 W Morgan St.). They serve up homemade Liege waffles and locally-sourced ice cream. Follow them on Facebook here.

• And here are a couple of wonderful resources for those looking to dine in downtown Durham or downtown Chapel Hill – Downtown Durham Inc. has an up-to-date listing of the status of each restaurant in downtown Durham. Check out the list here. And the Downtown Chapel Hill Partnership has put together a similar list for Chapel Hill here.

Closings / Cancellations

• None to report! Keep eating local, folks!

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

• The Downtown Raleigh Alliance has brought back their extremely successful Dine Out Downtown program that they began last year. It continues every Saturday through June and highlights a different district in downtown. This Saturday (June 26) from 5-9 p.m. This weekend’s focus will be Fayetteville Street. Complimentary parking is available throughout downtown. Get all the details and see which restaurants will be participating this Saturday here.

• Downtown Durham Inc. announced that The Streetery will return Saturday, June 26 at Five Points with added outdoor seating and buskers. Join them from 12 – 9 p.m. to shop, carry out, dine in or dine out. The Streetery happens on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month. Get all the details here.

• Created on the North Carolina Food and Beverage Podcast, ‘Bubbles and Brisket’ is a collaboration of chefs, pit-masters, wine producers and sommeliers, pairing sparkling wine with a variety of cooking techniques and side dishes that feature everyone’s favorite: brisket. The event will take place on June 26 from 2-6 p.m. at V Pizza on Kildaire Farm Road in Cary. The event will feature brisket by: Toriano Fredricks of Boricua Soul; Carrie Schleiffer of Alley 26 and Crooks Corner; James Johnson of Skippers; Marc Russell of Longleaf Swine BBQ; Kyle Sutton of Butts for Babies; Anthony Rapillo of V Pizza; and Derek Wilkins of the Butcher’s Market. And bubbles by: Triangle Wine Company; Vintage 59; Broadbent Selections; and WineSellers. Tickets are $65 and you can get those and all the details here.

• Durham Summer Wine & Food Festival, a 4-day wine and food festival will debut this year July 1 through 4th. The event will showcase the contemporary cuisine, music, and independent arts in Durham. Tickets grant you 20% off participating restaurants, access to exclusive tasting and pairing events and all the entertainment. Visit their website to see a list of participating resturants and other activities here.

• RalToday shared that Raleigh’s International Food Festival is returning to City Plaza on Sat., August 28 from 12 noon -10 p.m. The festival features a variety of international food, beer and wine, as well as international performers. Admission is free. Get all the details here.

• You might want to go ahead and plan on spending your Labor Day weekend in Pinehurst for the inaugural Pinehurst Barbecue Festival – a three-day event, staged in and around the historic Village of Pinehurst from September 3-5, 2021. The event will offer a unique culinary sampling experience of various barbecue meats and traditional sides. Choose to experience the entire three-day festival, or attend just one signature event. A multi-ticket VIP package, as well as individual tickets for each event are available. The pitmaster lineup includes: Ed Mitchell, The Preserve (Raleigh); Christopher Prieto, Prime Barbecue (Knightdale); Adam Hughes, Old Colony Smokehouse (Edenton); Joe Lumbrazo, Backyard Bistro (Raleigh); and Ashley Sheppard, Pik N Pig (Carthage). Get tickets, schedule and all the details here.

• Our friends over at RalToday pointed out a few events you might want to go ahead and get on your calendar. So exciting to think of some of our favorite events actually happening in 2021! First up, Raleigh Veg Fest 2021 originally scheduled for April 4 has moved to October 31 in downtown Raleigh’s Moore Square. Details here. And Brewgaloo is now scheduled for September 17 & 18 in downtown Raleigh. Details here.

Food Bank Corner

• When school is out, the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina knows families struggle to keep food on the table. Budgets for so many families are already stretched thin from the pandemic, with job losses and hours being cut. Thankfully, our generous corporate and individual donors are matching gifts up to $132,000! This is a great site for surfers who want a lot of Hentai porn at their fingertips: Hentai video website review read on for in depth information on updates, download options, quality of the streaming video player, and those five bonus sites.Every $10 you give can help provide 100 meals… feeding twice as many kids, teens, and families in need. Can you chip in? Click here if you can!