TRIANGLE FOOD BLOG

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

Featured Restaurant News

• Saw on Ashton Mae Smith’s weekly email that Layered Croissanterie, a croissant bakery meticulously crafting pastries with a modern twist, is set to open this Sunday, June 30th at 911 N. West Street in the old Rainbow Upholstery building in downtown Raleigh. It is brought to us by husband-and-wife team Mark and Kawsar Chavez. As with any opening, check out their social media for any changes. Follow them on Instagram here or visit their website here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• Last week we told you about Sean Degnan’s plans to bring chef Drew Smith with him to Cary to open kō•än in the former ān space at 2800 Renaissance Park Place in August. This week we share the news that you can get a sneak preview of kō•än as they will host a summer-long pop-up series at their sister restaurant so•ca in Cameron Village starting with the first one TODAY Friday, June 28 with executive chef Drew Smith and his talented team! Follow them on Instagram here.

• The folks over at Offline Raleigh shared the news that the popular Wake Forest roaster and cafe is coming downtown. It was announced this week that Black & White Coffee Roasters will be taking over the coffee counter at Videri Chocolate Factory. The coffee counter will be closing after this Sunday and reopening July 6 under the new ownership. Follow Black & White Coffee on Instagram here.

• Offline Raleigh also shared the news that a brand-new spot called Bumble Tea has opened at 3221 Avent Ferry Road in Raleigh. Their menu includes  tasty milk tea (boba), smoothies, coffee, and bumble waffles. Get to know them here.

• Got word this week that Raleigh will be home to the next location of Just Salad and will be located at 4025 Lake Boone Trail in the Marketplace at Lake Boone (same complex at Buffalo Brothers, Guasaca and The Oak, Kitchen & Bourbon Bar). This will be the Triangle’s first location, and only second in North Carolina for the concept that started in midtown Manhattan. The menu has evolved to more than just salad, including wraps, grain bowls, market bowls, toast boxes, smoothies, and more. Look for them to open in July. Keep up with them here.

• Over in Cary, Asali Desserts & Cafe in Cary’s MacGregor Village will join with MacGregor Village to hold a Grand Opening Celebration this Saturday, June 29th from 5pm to 9pm. The celebration will be filled with giveaways to the first people at the cafe (you could win FREE coffee for a year!), a prize wheel, samples, live music, activities for the kids and more. Plus, meet the owners and husband-wife team Hanadi Asad and Jamaal Ali as they welcome you to celebrate the opening of their new cafe. All the details can be found on their Facebook event page here.

• The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that Raleigh’s Triangle Town Center has landed some new dining options. Those hungry for Vietnamese Pho, shrimp rolls or lemongrass chicken, can now head over to Oriental Pho located at the mall’s food court. Oriental Pho also serves Boba tea smoothies. Another new storefront is Coffee Times. It’s located just outside of the food court, and across from Hollister. Patrons can grab coffee, espresso or tea – and also enjoy paninis and various treats. And finally, Sugar Grinders is located in the Macy’s wing on the upper level. It offers various items to satisfy the sweet tooth such as the “made-with-love” lemon pound cake and an assortment of cookies. You can visit all of Triangle Town Center’s dining options here.

• The Triangle Business Journal also reported this week that a Marco’s Pizza might soon be taking over a portion of the FedEx Office Print & Ship Center space at 6820 Glenwood Avenue (near the intersection with Duraleigh Road). Apparently an administrative site review plan has been submitted. Marco’s Pizza has locations in Chapel Hill, Clayton, Durham, Holly Springs, Morrisville, Pittsboro, Raleigh and Wake Forest and has two more locations in Raleigh on the way, as well as a location in Apex. Get to know Marco’s here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• Over in the RTP side of Durham, along Page Road and adjacent to Page Road Grill and Mez, reader Paul Prause sent me a note about a sign for a new restaurant coming our way. The new venture is called Lulu Bangbang Asian, but that is all we know at this point. We were unable to find an online presence, so stay tuned! Thanks Paul!

• WRAL shared the news this week that Corner Boys BBQ, a Fuquay-Varina-based food truck and catering company, will be the next pop-up business at American Tobacco Campus. Corner Boys is known for its BBQ classics — including pork, chicken, beef, turkey and brisket BBQ and “jerk” chicken. Sides include slaw, green beans, boiled potatoes, roasted potatoes, mac-n-cheese, corn on the cob, cabbage, yams, baked beans and corn bread. Flavored lemonades and dessert — like peach cobbler and banana pudding — are also staples. The shop, located at 359 Blackwell St., opens July 3 and will serve customers through July 26. Hours are Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Get to know Corner Boys here and visit the ATC Pop-up site here.

• Clint Winslow and Charlie Farris are at  it again – opening their 6th Jersey Mike’s location – this one in Durham at 1835 MLK Jr. Parkway in the University Commons shopping center near the intersection with University Drive (between Harris Teeter and Orange Theory). Winslow and Farris also own the two locations in Chapel HIll, one in Hillsborough, another one in Durham at Falconbridge and one just outside of Chapel Hill in Chatham County. Check out the newest location of Jersey Mike’s here.

• Over in Hillsborough, reader Stephen Head shared some exciting news. Napoli Pizza is taking over the former Mystery Brewing space and renovations are underway – slated to open this fall. According to the News & Observer, Carrboro restaurants Napoli Pizza and Glasshalfull wine bar are partnering on the new restaurant. Get to know Napoli here.

• Stephen Head also shared the news that Tacos Los Altos, a food truck on Churton Street in Hillsborough, has opened up a restaurant at 126 West King Street. Get familiar with the truck and the restaurant on their Facebook page here.

Closings

• Good friend Karis Jackson shared the news that Babalu in Chapel Hill’s Eastgate Crossing shopping center has closed. They opened this location in August, 2017.

• And in Carrboro, “Durhamois” (his Chowhound profile name) shared that One Fish Two Fish has permanently closed. 

• Just a reminder that Jason Smith’s s 18 Seaboard will end a 14 year run on July 2 – good luck reserving a “farewell” lunch or dinner. Here is their website.

Food Trucks 

• This Saturday, June 29th down in Holly Springs is the Park It in the Market Food Truck Rodeo at the Holly Springs Farmers Market at 300 W. Ballentine Street. It runs from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Get a list of trucks and all the details on their Facebook page here.

• The Wake Forest Food Truck Rodeo will take place THIS Sunday, June 30th from 12 – 4 pm at 405 S. Brooks St. in downtown Wake Forest! You can get all the details on their Facebook page here.

• Thanks to a note from Mark Ginsberg, I learned that the Knightdale Food Truck Thursdays is back up for the season. The event is held the third Thursday of the month from April through October at Knightdale Station Park for lunch AND dinner. Get all the details, truck schedule and more here.

• The remaining two dates for the 2019 Durham Food Truck rodeos are September 1 and November 3! Get all the details here.

• And the remaining two dates for the 2019 edition of the Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo are: Sunday August 4th – 3pm-9pm ( Evening Rodeo); and Sunday Oct 6th – 12-6pm. All are held along Fayetteville Street. Get all the details here.

Events

•  Taste celebrates the vibrant Durham-Chapel Hill culinary scene with a festival of food & beverage events, June 26-30, 2019. All told, the event features 5 premium culinary events. New for this year, they are offering back-to-back nights of their signature Grand Taste Experience at the Durham Armory – with each night featuring over 30 great local restaurants. The week also boasts a 1920s themed Speakeasy Nightclub at a secret location, a 6-Course Southern Feast Dinner at Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club and a Boozy Brunch at Clouds Brewing. Get all the details and tickets here. 

• You can ask the lovely and talented Lori Bowers-Lennard, but I’m not much of a fruit fan. But one fruit I can get excited about is a good ol’ North Carolina peach. That is why I’m excited to share that Dexter Hill reached out to me this week to be one of the judges at the NC Peach Day which will take place at the State Farmers Market on Thursday, July 11 beginning at 11 a.m. There will be free peach ice cream, fresh NC peaches, a peach recipe contest (of which I will be a judge!) and a special appearance by the N.C. Peach Queen (who knew?). Get all the details here.

• The folks over at The Root Cellar Cafe (Pittsboro location) and Vino Wine Shop are teaming up for a Summer Wine Dinner featuring four (4) plated courses with five (5) wine pairings. Tickets are $69, which includes all fees, sales tax, and gratuity. Get all the details and tickets here.

• It was recently announced that one of Chatham County’s largest food festivals, the 12th Annual Pittsboro Pepperfest, is returning to main street in downtown Pittsboro. The date for this year’s event is Sunday, September 22 from 3 – 6 p.m. So go ahead and mark your calendar to spend your afternoon in historic, downtown Pittsboro. Get all the details here.

• One of my favorite annual events released details about their event dates and when tickets will go on sale. The 10th anniversary edition of Terra Vita Food & Drink Festival will take place in Chapel Hill October 16 – 19, 2019. Tickets go on sale July 11, so put that date on your calendar to snap up the quick sell-outs! Get all the details here.

Food Bank Corner

• While some kids daydream about trips to the pool and neighborhood games, others are worried summer will mean months with an empty fridge. But thanks to our generous corporate sponsors, you can help twice as many kids facing hunger this summer: Every gift you give before July 31 will be doubled – up to $102,500! That means that every $10 you give will be doubled to help provide 100 meals for children and families losing access to school-provided meals this summer. Double your donation today!

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

Featured Restaurant News

•  It was revealed this week that the original plan to bring bu*ku to the former ān space changed slightly. Instead, bu•ku owner Sean Degnan is bringing chef Drew Smith with him to Cary to open kō•än in the former ān space at 2800 Renaissance Park Place. Opening in early August, kō•än’s menu will be focusing on dishes from Vietnam and Thailand, reflective of the year Smith spent traveling in that part of the world. Smith’s menu and vision for kō•än includes an array of small plates meant for sharing like Cauliflower 65, Duck Bao and Lobster Gyoza, along with large plates like NC Thai Fried Snapper and Green Tea Smoked Duck. Expect to find inventive bowls on the menu as well like the kō•än Hot Pot brimming with lobster, cod, shrimp and local vegetables or the Vietnamese Pho with Wagyu Beef Short Rib. See more on their website.

Wake County Restaurant News

• It has been 14 months, but the News & Observer reported this week that the former Standard Foods space near Person Street will soon come back to life with a slight name change and a completely new concept: Standard Beer and Food. It’s the latest project from Whit Baker and Andy Schnitzer, who are also partners in Cary’s popular Bond Brothers Beer Co. and the beer pop-up Ancillary Fermentation. The new Standard will continue their focus on beer, but Baker and Schnitzer promise something beyond the ordinary brewpub fare. Minor renovations will begin this summer with plans to open by the fall. Get to know them (again) here.

• Also in Raleigh, reader Thomas Porter updated us with the news that Hieu Bowl Vietnamese Kitchen has opened in the former Burger King location at 3701 Hillsborough Street. You can get to know them and view their menu online at their website here.

• Out in Wendell, got word this week that Daniel Whittaker and chef Patrick Cowden are unveiling a second restaurant concept. Farmhouse Café will be located in Wendell Falls development and will feature creative, seasonal dishes, local vendors and a community-focused atmosphere built on sustainable practices – and fun things like prosecco and kombucha on tap. Whittaker and Cowden are also behind downtown Raleigh’s The Pharmacy Cafe and the catering company Green Planet Catering. It is slated to open in September and will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Get more details on the Wendell Falls website here.

• In Morrisville, we learned this week that Charlotte-based brand Hickory Tavern opened their 28th store company-wide yesterday at Park West Village across from the Stone Theaters – Park West Village 14. Hickory Tavern is known for its substantial menu, signature burgers and a 360-degree view of televisions perfect for watching the big game. The Morrisville location will be the fourth Triangle-area location (Carrboro, Cary, Holly Springs). Get to know them here.

• Down in Apex, the Triangle Business Journal reported this week that developers have begun work on a new Culver’s in Apex, with construction set to be completed later this year. This will be the third Triangle-area location for the Wisconsin-based chain and will be located at 1401 Kelly Road. The other locations are in Wake Forest and Clayton. For those not familiar, Culver’s is a quick-service, family-style restaurant chain specializing in burgers, frozen custard shakes and Wisconsin-style cheese curds. Check them out.

• Also in Apex, reader Chris Creighton notified us that the latest Zaxby’s has opened right on Hwy. 64 at 1171 Pine Plaza. Visit them here. 

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• The folks over at NC Triangle Dining shared the news that chef Michael Lee’s newest concept, M Pocha, is now in soft-open mode. Lee’s latest venture is in the five-points area of downtown Durham in the former Cupcake Bar space serving up pan-Asian small plates like nasi goreng, grilled kalbi (short rib) and dumplings. Visit all the M restaurants here.

• A quick update, the folks over at Bites of Bull City let us know that The Oak House in Durham is now open on the ground floor of One City Center. It is described as not a coffee shop that serves drinks and it is not a bar that serves coffee-it’s a high-end craft beverage lounge with something for everyone. Keep up with their latest on their Facebook page here.

• And a reminder in Durham that Rocky Mount Mills Beer Garden at American Tobacco has taken over the space that was formerly home to Tyler’s. The beer garden features brews sourced from breweries at Rocky Mount Mills, including Hopfly, Tarboro, Koi Pond and BDD brewing companies. The beer garden’s regular hours will be Thursday and Friday from 4 to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 1 to 9 p.m. Keep up with them on Facebook here.

• Over in Chapel Hill, the News & Observer reported that Blue Dogwood Public Market is entering its second year with a couple North Carolina basics: barbecue and ice cream. Joining this summer will be Big Belly Que from chef Garret Fleming, who was the chef at the acclaimed Motto restaurant in downtown Durham before it closed in July 2017. The second new vendor is Burlington’s Smitty’s Homemade Ice Cream, which is returning to Chapel Hill and opening a satellite location at the food hall’s bar. Blue Dogwood opened last June at 306 W. Franklin St., with six vendors and a bar, tucked back on Franklin Street in a former grocery store building. Get all the latest here.

• Also in Chapel Hill the Triangle Business Journal reported that out on Hwy. 54 heading to Interstate 40  in the Vallero gas station, Dunkin’ Donuts has opened their newest prototype store. Located at 110 Stancell Drive, this brand new generation of design makes getting your Dunkin’ fix easier and quicker. The new look and feel also offers an innovative tap system serving consistently cold beverages such as its coffee, iced teas, cold brew coffee and nitro infused cold brew coffee. Pop in and check them out.

Closings

• Michael DePersia of National Restaurant Properties shared the news this week that Cafe Buongiorno has closed in the Falls Village neighborhood in North Raleigh.

• Over in Durham, the folks at Bites of Bull City shared that Cuban Revolution in the American Tobacco Campus has closed.

• The folks at Eighty8 Asian Bistro over in Cary shared on their Facebook page that they are officially closing their doors on June 23rd. They did note, however, that they will continue to operate their food truck…and hinted at the possibility of reopening in a different location. Get in there one last time this weekend.

• David McCreary shared the news that the WhichWich at 145 Grand Hill Place in the Holly Springs Towne Center has permanently closed.

• Just a reminder that Jason Smith’s s 18 Seaboard will end a 14 year run on July 2 – but good luck reserving a “farewell” lunch or dinner. Here is their website.

Food Trucks 

• Got word from Wake Forest that the next Wake Forest Food Truck Rodeo will take place on Sunday, June 30th from 12 – 4 pm at 405 S. Brooks St. in downtown Wake Forest! Go ahead and mark your calendar. You can get all the details on their Facebook page here.

• Thanks to a note from Mark Ginsberg, I learned that the Knightdale Food Truck Thursdays is back up for the season. The event is held the third Thursday of the month from April through October at Knightdale Station Park for lunch AND dinner. Get all the details, truck schedule and more here.

• The remaining two dates for the 2019 Durham Food Truck rodeos are September 1 and November 3! Get all the details here.

• And the remaining two dates for the 2019 edition of the Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo are: Sunday August 4th – 3pm-9pm ( Evening Rodeo); and Sunday Oct 6th – 12-6pm. All are held along Fayetteville Street. Get all the details here.

Events

•  Ever wanted to show off your pickle? Now is your chance. The Rickhouse hosts Durham’s 5th Annual PickleFest this SATURDAY, June 22 – featuring a Home Pickler’s Contest. The pickle-packed tasting event and marketplace will be showcasing North Carolina made products from pickle vendors near and far including locally crafted kombucha and kimchi! Triangle area restaurants sample their unique pickle dishes as well as pickle flavored beers and a Bloody Mary bar to quench your thirst and pucker your lips! VIP $25 includes early bird entry from Noon – 1pm + Home Pickler’s Contest Tasting + (1) free drink ticket. General Admission $10 – Session 1 from 1 – 3pm | Session 2 from 2 – 4pm. Kids under 10 years old are free. Visit their Facebook event page here.

• The folks over at Pompieri Pizza are expanding their annual Lambrusco Fest this year – extending it over 6 days from June 17 through June 22! Lambrusco Fest was a one day festival, but this year they are changing up with events happening over six days. They will have pasta and parmesan dinners as well as specials featuring prosciutto and balsamic and fun things! Get all the details on what is being offered each day (some events are already sold out!).

• Taste celebrates the vibrant Durham-Chapel Hill culinary scene with a festival of food & beverage events, June 26-30, 2019. All told, the event features 5 premium culinary events. New for this year, they are offering back-to-back nights of their signature Grand Taste Experience at the Durham Armory – with each night featuring over 30 great local restaurants. The week also boasts a 1920s themed Speakeasy Nightclub at a secret location, a 6-Course Southern Feast Dinner at Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club and a Boozy Brunch at Clouds Brewing. Get all the details and tickets here.

• You can ask the lovely and talented Lori Bowers-Lennard, but I’m not much of a fruit fan. But one fruit I can get excited about is a good ol’ North Carolina peach. That is why I’m excited to share that Dexter Hill reached out to me this week to be one of the judges at the NC Peach Day which will take place at the State Farmers Market on Thursday, July 11 beginning at 11 a.m. There will be free peach ice cream, fresh NC peaches, a peach recipe contest (of which I will be a judge!) and a special appearance by the N.C. Peach Queen (who knew?). Get all the details here.

• It was recently announced that one of Chatham County’s largest food festivals, the 12th Annual Pittsboro Pepperfest, is returning to main street in downtown Pittsboro. The date for this year’s event is Sunday, September 22 from 3 – 6 p.m. So go ahead and mark your calendar to spend your afternoon in historic, downtown Pittsboro. Get all the details here.

• One of my favorite annual events released details about their event dates and when tickets will go on sale. The 10th anniversary edition of Terra Vita Food & Drink Festival will take place in Chapel Hill October 16 – 19, 2019. Tickets go on sale July 11, so put that date on your calendar to snap up the quick sell-outs! Get all the details here.

Food Bank Corner

• While some kids daydream about trips to the pool and neighborhood games, others are worried summer will mean months with an empty fridge. But thanks to our generous corporate sponsors, you can help twice as many kids facing hunger this summer: Every gift you give before July 31 will be doubled – up to $102,500! That means that every $10 you give will be doubled to help provide 100 meals for children and families losing access to school-provided meals this summer. Double your donation today!