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 Common Market, a popular Charlotte-based bar, deli and bodega concept, is expanding to Durham with a 5,000-square-foot location just off Ninth Street at 1821 Green Street near the Duke East Campus. Conde Nast Traveler described the concept as “part general store, part deli, and part bar, this is a surefire bet for a non-boring bite to eat.” This will be the fifth Common Market location since its founding in 2002. In addition, owner Graham Worth anticipates a food hall-esque experience with the addition of a local coffee vendor, and possibly pastry, bagels, doughnuts and/or ice cream from local artisans, not to mention regular pop-ups. Look for them to open this fall. Get to know them here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• It was announced this week that Jim Baker and Isabella Luciano are the new owners of Global Village Organic Coffee on Raleigh’s Hillsborough Street (2428 Hillsborough Street), directly across from NC State’s campus. They take over the reigns from Mike Ritchey, owner for the past 22 years. Mike will assist Jim and Bell with the transition and to help identify expansion options. Visit Global Village here.

• In West Raleigh on Edwards Mill Road, reader Nikki Cleveland brought it to our attention that the former Stromboli’s spot (3434 Edwards Mills Road) is now Bronco’s Tacos, Raleigh’s newest taco spot offering a wide variety of quick-casual Mexican favorites. Check them out here.

• Down in Holly Springs, reader Brett Bearman shared with us that the MediTerra Grill had been sold/closed and that there is now a sign for Taziki’s Cafe coming soon. This will be the fourth Triangle-area location for Taziki’s. And there remains a MediTerra Grill location in Durham on Erwin Road. No word just yet on an open date. Get to know Taziki’s here.

• A couple more updates in Holly Springs thanks to one of our readers. NY Pizza is becoming a new Randy’s Pizza on Holly Springs Road near Lowes Foods and the Blind Pelican. They are close to opening. Also a new Crumbl Cookies is coming to the Holly Springs Town Center near Rise and Tijuana Flats. Visit Randy’s here and Crumbl Cookies here.

• Over in Fuquay-Varina David McCreary shared that Bolt Drinks and Coffee has opened at 400 Broad Street. It specializes in locally roasted coffee and one-of-a-kind energy drinks. Visit them here for more details. 

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that Succotash Food Truck is taking over the space formerly home to Park’s Food St. at 3219 Old Chapel Hill Road. They serve “Southern Fusion” fare – Louisiana Cajun and Creole, Texas barbecue and Lowcountry Cuisine from the Carolinas. The menu reflects the culinary background of chef Juan DiGiulio, who is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He and his wife, Sam, founded the food truck four years ago. Succotash will be the name of the restaurant which is aiming to open at the beginning of September. Get to know them here.

• Over in Chapel Hill, Thaiphoon Bistro, with two locations in Raleigh (Glenwood Avenue and Creedmoor Road), announced this week that they have opened a third location, this one at 1704-A East Franklin Street. They opened this past Monday adjacent to the Staples store. They are open for lunch and dinner. Visit them here.

• Also in Chapel Hill, The Daily Tar Heel shared that Bombolo, owned by siblings Garret Fleming and Eleanor Lacy, will be a casual Mediterranean-Italian restaurant set to open at 104 N. Graham St., beside Al’s Burger Shack. Bombolo will serve pasta, charcuterie and sandwiches. You will recognize the owners as the same folks that brought us Big Belly Que. Look for an opening by August. Might be best to follow their progress on Facebook here.

• Ever wanted to own your own your own restaurant? How about one that is well established and profitable? Well, Neal DePersia at DePersia & Associates wanted to share the news that Carrboro Pizza Oven in Carr Mill Mall is for sale. The current owner relocated to the West coast last year and has a well trained, experienced staff running the operation. It is a 10-year-old business that set sales and profit records in 2021, but the owner feels it’s time pass the baton. Contact Neal for more information.

Closings / Cancellations

• The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that Your Pie (which opened in Cary in 2019) at Village Square Shopping Center at the corner of Cary Towne Boulevard and SE Maynard Road has closed. The locations in Raleigh and Durham remain open.

• The self-proclaimed “Dude of Morgan Street” passed along the information that the Taco Bell Cantina on Hillsborough Street in Raleigh has closed and no longer appears on the Taco Bell app.

Food Trucks

• The final Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo of 2022 will be on Sunday, September 25th. The rodeo is set up on downtown Raleigh’s Fayetteville Street featuring a half mile of food trucks and restaurants spread out over 10 city blocks. Details here.

• The remaining Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo 2022 schedule is as follows: September 4 and October 30. Mark your calendars. Get all the details here.

• 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 Crushable Craft Beverage Festival returns to the Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP on Saturday, July 16th from 5:30 until 9:30 p.m. The event highlights 13 different craft beverage makers featuring hard cider, hard seltzer, sour beers and live music – all hosted in the outdoor beer garden at the Glass Jug’s RTP location on Hwy 55 in Durham. Get tickets and all the details here.

• The Bull City BBQ Bash will take place on Saturday, September 3rd from 12-5 p.m. bringing a high energy BBQ event to Durham to cap the summer holiday season. Attendees will interact with BBQ competitors, taste and vote on delicious food while supporting Helps Education Fund, enjoy live music, shop at a small business marketplace, enjoy local food and beverages and most of all – experience an amazing atmosphere! Get all the details on their website here.

• After a 2-year hiatus, Dinner in the Meadow will return as attendees will be gathering in the meadow again on Sunday, September 11th from 5:30-8:30 in the evening. The dinner sells out each year, so you are encouraged to get your tickets early. Get all the details here.

• The 15th Annual Pepperfest returns this year on Sunday, September 18th at The Plant in Pittsboro. The event is hosted outdoors with live music and pepper-themed food and drink made with locally-grown sweet, hot, and smoky NC peppers. Chefs and craft beverage makers will compete for awards. Guests can taste different dishes made from peppers grown in the Piedmont of North Carolina. Early bird prices are good through July 1st, when prices increase. Get your tickets and all the details here. Thanks to Neha Shah with the Pittsboro-Siler City Convention & Visitors Bureau for alerting me about this great event.

• Like beer? Excellent. Visit Raleigh has established a Raleigh Beer Trail that gives you a passport to get stamped at the 30+ breweries in the Raleigh area, from Wake Forest to Raleigh to Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina. Once you’ve filled up your passport with stamps, you send it in to receive prizes. Nothing like being rewarded for drinking! But as always, please drink responsibly. Get the details here.

Food Bank Corner

• With your support over the last year, the Food Bank distributed food to approximately 200,000 youth facing hunger in the 34 counties we serve. Unfortunately, we continue to see a devastating impact from COVID-19 for young people, who are left vulnerable to family and school changes. No child should have to worry when he or she will eat again, and no parent should have to skip a meal, so they can put food on the table for their children. Through agency distributions, targeted nutrition programs, education, and public policy work, the Food Bank is reaching young people with healthy and fun food options. Learn more here. #NoOneGoesHungry

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

Featured Restaurant News

• It all started on Mangum Street in Durham in 2012. A small little joint. Then a second location. First location closed due to development. And now, named Best Chef: Southeast in the 2022 James Beard Awards. A huge congratulations to Ricky Moore and his Saltbox Seafood Joint for the much deserved accolade. Could not have happened to a nicer, more deserving person in the industry. And the food…if you haven’t had it, you are missing out. Problem now is beating the crowds that will be there. Trust me, it is worth it. Check out Saltbox here. Congrats also to  Cheetie Kumar of Garland and Shannon Healy of Alley Twenty Six for being finalists!

Wake County Restaurant News

• Altered State Brewing at 8471 Garvey Drive in Raleigh just opened their doors last weekend. Stop by and check out their continuously rotating selection of hazy IPAs, heavily fruited sours and decadent stouts. Might be best to follow along on Facebook here.

• Cary will get a new Dunkin’s store at 920 High House Road with their opening on Wednesday, June 22. The “new” Dunkin’ features the brand’s next generation design, with a modern atmosphere and innovative technologies.  They will open at 5 a.m., awarding the first 50 guests in line with “Free Coffee for a Year” and will celebrate at 7:30 a.m. with a ribbon cutting with local dignitaries, the franchisee and crew, and guests. Visit them here.

• NC Triangle Dining shared that Honeysuckle Gelato has opened in Cary’s Fenton development. They have a couple of locations in Georgia and a location in Charlotte. This is their first location in the Triangle. Get to know them here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• Glenn Gillen notified us that he saw signage at the former B. Good spot in downtown Durham (corner of Main and Corcoran streets) for La Mala, Mexican Inspired Cocktails. Their instagram page notes they will feature handcrafted margaritas, botanas, tequilla bar and mezcal. They come to us from the folks behind Raleigh’s La Santa Modern Mexican Food on Glenwood Avenue. Follow their progress and open date on Instagram here. Visit La Santa here.

• Also in Durham, the folks over at Bites of Bull City pointed out that the Triangle Coffee House, with a location on Ninth Street, will open their second location at University Hill (3109 Shannon Road) this Saturday, June 18th. The festivities run all day from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Get details on their Instagram here.

• Got word from my Twitter buddy Burgeoning Baker that Thai55 is moving to a new location just around the corner on Highway 54. No word yet on the timeline of the move, nor if there will be a name change with the move (Thai54 maybe?). Stay tuned. Keep up with them here.

• And down in Pittsboro, Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies group founder Carrie Brogren shared the news that The Chocolate Cellar Deux is now open at 119 Hillsborough Street next door to the book store. Follow them on Facebook here.

Closings / Cancellations

• Noticed on a recent visit to Morrisville that the Flying Mayan has permanently closed.

• We also got word this week that Jetplane Coffee in downtown Durham also closed.

Food Trucks

• The final Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo of 2022 will be on Sunday, September 25th. The rodeo is set up on downtown Raleigh’s Fayetteville Street featuring a half mile of food trucks and restaurants spread out over 10 city blocks. Details here.

• The remaining Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo 2022 schedule is as follows: September 4 and October 30. Mark your calendars. Get all the details here.

• 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

• This Sunday, June 19th is Father’s Day and every dad would be happy attending the Father’s Day Bourbon and Bacon Pairing at Clouds Brewing (905 W Main St., Durham). Beginning at 2 p.m., they are teaming up with Four Roses Distillery and the $35 tickets include a hand-selected flight of bourbon and bacon snack pairings as well as a presentation on the history of bourbon and Four Roses alongside tasting notes for each selection. Get tickets and all the details here.

• Beginning next Monday, June 20th, and every Monday after, Crave Hot Dogs and Barbecue on Oberlin Road in Raleigh will host karaoke nights from 6-10 p.m. with DJ Josh Sobel. Visit them here.

• The 18 Restaurant Group (think Cantina 18 in Raleigh and Harvest 18 in Durham) is back with their popular Brewery Dinners! They will be featuring a four-course menu at Cantina 18 on Wednesday, June 22 and Harvest 18 on Thursday, June 23, along with pairings provided by Fullsteam Brewery. Both events begin at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are $60 per guest (before tax and gratuity). Contact each restaurant for tickets. Visit Cantina here and Harvest here.

• Vidrio restaurant on Glenwood Avenue in downtown Raleigh will host a family-style Ukrainian Dinner on June 23rd from 6:30-9 p.m. to benefit World Central Kitchen’s efforts to feed people displaced by the Russian war in Ukraine. One hundred percent of the dinner’s proceeds will be donated. After watching the news coverage of the ongoing Russian incursion into Ukraine, Vidrio’s executive chef Saif Rahman was moved to turn one of the restaurant’s monthly Taste of the Mediterranean dinners into an event to support the Ukrainian people. Get all the details and reserve your spot here.

• The Crushable Craft Beverage Festival returns to the Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP on Saturday, July 16th from 5:30 until 9:30 p.m. The event highlights 13 different craft beverage makers featuring hard cider, hard seltzer, sour beers and live music – all hosted in the outdoor beer garden at the Glass Jug’s RTP location on Hwy 55 in Durham. Get tickets and all the details here.

• After a 2-year hiatus, Dinner in the Meadow will return as attendees will be gathering in the meadow again on Sunday, September 11th from 5:30-8:30 in the evening. The dinner sells out each year, so you are encouraged to get your tickets early. Get all the details here.

• The 15th Annual Pepperfest returns this year on Sunday, September 18th at The Plant in Pittsboro. The event is hosted outdoors with live music and pepper-themed food and drink made with locally-grown sweet, hot, and smoky NC peppers. Chefs and craft beverage makers will compete for awards. Guests can taste different dishes made from peppers grown in the Piedmont of North Carolina. Early bird prices are good through July 1st, when prices increase. Get your tickets and all the details here. Thanks to Neha Shah with the Pittsboro-Siler City Convention & Visitors Bureau for alerting me about this great event!

• Like beer? Excellent. Visit Raleigh has established a Raleigh Beer Trail that gives you a passport to get stamped at the 30+ breweries in the Raleigh area, from Wake Forest to Raleigh to Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina. Once you’ve filled up your passport with stamps, you send it in to receive prizes. Nothing like being rewarded for drinking! But as always, please drink responsibly. Get the details here.

Food Bank Corner

• With your support over the last year, the Food Bank distributed food to approximately 200,000 youth facing hunger in the 34 counties we serve. Unfortunately, we continue to see a devastating impact from COVID-19 for young people, who are left vulnerable to family and school changes. No child should have to worry when he or she will eat again, and no parent should have to skip a meal, so they can put food on the table for their children. Through agency distributions, targeted nutrition programs, education, and public policy work, the Food Bank is reaching young people with healthy and fun food options. Learn more here. #NoOneGoesHungry