TRIANGLE FOOD BLOG

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

Featured Restaurant News

•  ‘Tis the season! The News & Observer has compiled a list of restaurants that are open on Christmas Day (and a few on Christmas Eve). And don’t forget to check out Postal Fish Company bringing an Italian tradition to the Triangle as they host the Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner on Christmas Eve, December 24th. Check out Postal’s event here and the full list of restaurants here. 

Wake County Restaurant News

• Learned last week of Tenedor, which opened at the end of November. It  is a neighborhood taqueria that focuses on fast, fresh Latin fare consisting of family recipes mated with secret sauces and seasonings. They are located in Raleigh just outside of 440 on New Bern Avenue/Hwy. 64. Owner Lee Cordova was born in Veracruz, Mexico and moved to the United States early in life. Check them out here.
• This is worth a trip over to Trophy Brewing Company on Monday nights (as if you need another reason). But apparently after a research trip to Detroit and much testing in their kitchen, they are making 20 “Detroit Style” pizzas every Monday night (who knew there was Detroit style pizza?). Dine in only. When they are gone, they are gone. Check out Trophy here.
• And lots of changes on Raleigh’s Hillsborough Street according to @catonatrain on Twitter. First up, Marco’s Pizza was replaced by a new place called Hot Tomato. Check out Hot Tomato here. Waba closed and was replaced by a Peruvian/Colombian/Venezuelan  place called Pisco Mar, although interestingly enough, they still have a few Korean items on the menu. Visit them on Facebook here. And finally, Mama Jee is gone and in its place is a sushi bar called Mon Sushi. Can’t find an online presence, but they are already getting really good reviews on Yelp. I think I have found my Hillsborough Street beat reporter!
• Reader Jeanette Hauser noticed signage for Poke Bros. at 780 Alexander Place, Suite 110 in Brier Creek. They offer fast, fresh, fit. high-quality, sushi-grade fish and farm-fresh veggies in an authentic Hawaiian poké bowl. No word yet on an open date. Get familiar with them here.
• In Morrisville, Offline Raleigh reported this week that Fount Coffee + Kitchen opened in the Marketplace at Perimeter Park (corner Chapel Hill Road and Carrington Mill Blvd.). They will offer coffee and teas, smoothie bowls, salads, stacks and small plates. Check them out here.
• Down in Holly Springs, reader Keith Weitz pointed out that signage is up for a concept called Harvest Moon in the former SiP Bistro location at 128 Bass Lake Road. Unfortunately an online search didn’t turn up anything, so stay tuned. Thanks Keith!
• And in downtown Fuquay-Varina, David McCreary shared the news that Vicious Fishes Brewery, Taproom & Kitchen opened this week at 132 S. Fuquay Avenue in the former Rock Harbor Grill space. The new spot will combine a craft brewery already known for its location in Angier with a gastropub featuring wood-fired cuisine. Visit them on Facebook here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

•  Over in Durham, Triangle Explorer John Huisman just reported that Sofia Pizza has opened at 2201 Angier Avenue. Sofia’s is a casual neighborhood spot where neighbors new and old can hang out and enjoy tasty pizza, pasta, soft serve, and local beers. Get to know them here.
• Offline Durham noted that Sweet Charlie’s (hand rolled ice cream) is having their Grand Opening this Saturday in the Hope Valley Commons shopping center in South Durham near the WhichWich, Makus Empanadas and Mattie B’s. This appears to be their first North Carolina locations. Check them out here.
• One final note from Chapel Hill, SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill will operate a Dewey’s Bakery holiday shop at the SECU House (NOT in University Place as originally planned) at 123 Old Mason Farm Rd in Chapel Hill through Dec. 23. Thirty-five percent of proceeds from each sale will go directly to SECU Family House – a safe, nurturing and affordable home for patients and their loved ones who travel great distances to UNC Hospitals for lifesaving procedures due to serious illnesses. Dewey’s baked goods have been a treasured holiday tradition since the bakery opened in downtown Winston-Salem in 1930. Get familiar with Dewey’s here.

Closings

• Got word last week that Ruckus Pizza & Pasta in Cary at the Arboretum is closing. Owner Robert Royster confirmed that the last day will be January 3rd. Stay tuned on the new owner and that concept. The good news is Ruckus has 4 other locations in the Triangle!

Events

• This Saturday, December 15th is the date of the Holiday Pop-up Wine Dinner at Vino Wine Shop at 89 Hillsboro Street in downtown Pittsboro. This first dinner in a series will feature chef Regan Stachler, former owner-chef of Little Hen farm to table restaurant in Holly Springs. The cost is $69 per person and features four courses paired with five fabulous wines. Space is limited to 26 people so hurry and buy your ticket before they are gone. Here is the Facebook event page with all the details.
• Also on this Saturday, December 15th, Eastcut Sandwich Bar and Ponysaurus Brewing are coming together for a Oysters + Oyster Saison Garden Party. Fresh oysters, pints of oyster saison, live music and more in their heated garden from 2pm-10pm. Get all the details on their Facebook event page here.
• The folks over at The Rickhouse will host the first Durham Village Holiday Market featuring North Carolina made eats, drinks and gifts on December 16-18. Sample independent food, beverage, and craft producers while you complete your shopping list. Each night will have a bar and a different food truck for you to enjoy. Get all the details, including hours, on their Facebook page here.
• Postal Fish Company brings an Italian tradition to the Triangle as they host the Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner on Christmas Eve, December 24th. Christmas Eve is a vigil, or fasting day, and the abundance of seafood reflects the observance of abstinence from meat until the feast of Christmas Day itself. Today, the meal typically consists of seven different seafood dishes. The tradition comes from Southern Italy, where it is known simply as The Vigil (La Vigilia). This celebration commemorates the wait, the Vigilia di Natale, for the midnight birth of the baby Jesus. The long tradition of eating seafood on Christmas Eve dates from the Roman Catholic tradition of abstaining from eating meat on the eve of a feast day. This “feast” features 7 courses paired with 5 wines. Dinner starts at 4:45 promptly, doors open at 4:30pm. Get tickets and all the details here.
• And looking ahead to next year, an annual favorite – Cooking for a Classic 2019 – is just around the corner. The prize for 2019 is a restored 1981 JEEP Scrambler. The First Round is Monday-Thursday, Feb. 25-28; Second Round is March 4 and 5; and the Finale is March 11. Tickets start at $75 for the First Round, $100 for the Second Round and $125 for the Finale.Venue is 1705 East in Raleigh. You can get all the details here and tickets here. Each evening features six plated courses. Round One features Teddy Diggs from Coronado vs. Ryan Grimm from Watersview; Matt Hannon from Ashton’s vs. Bo Peterson from Primal Food & Spirits; Jake Wood from 18 Seaboard vs. Jonathan Blackley form Prestonwood Country Club; and Andrew Smith from buku vs. Orlando Jinzo from The Leadmine. All proceeds benefit the Lucy Daniels Center’s mental-health programs for children in the Triangle. sexpromo

Food Bank Corner

• There is Hope for the Holidays at the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina where your gift today (and through the holidays) is doubled! We know the feeling of warmth, security, and belonging that comes from being around a meal with family. This year, we’re asking you to help us provide hope for the holidays. Your gift today will be doubled when you give to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina! That’s twice as many nutritious meals for working families, individuals, children, and seniors in our 34-county service area. Every $10 you donate doubles to $20, providing up to 100 meals! Make your gift today!

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

Featured Restaurant News

• Following on last week’s news that Sam Jones was bringing his barbecue to Raleigh, we got news this week that North Hill’s Q Shack will be closing in January and that Chapel Hill’s legendary Allen & Son BBQ has closed. The good news is that you can continue enjoying the Q Shack through January 19th and you can order your smoked turkey, honey-glazed ham or chile-rubbed beef brisket for the holidays. Additionally, owner Tom Meyer will continue sharing his culinary talent through catering offered by Southern Harvest Hospitality Group and he will continue on with his Sprout Cafe and Elements Coffee Bar both located at the Museum of Life & Science in Durham. For Allen & Son fans, there is still the franchise location on 15-501 midway between Chapel Hill and Pittsboro owned by Jimmy Stubbs. Check out Southern Harvest here and the remaining Allen & Son here. Order your Christmas/Holiday dinner here.  

Wake County Restaurant News

• In downtown Raleigh, Leo Sauarez shared via Twitter that Budacai Boba Bar is coming to the former Povenance space at 120 E. Martin Street. The sign in the window indicates that this will be North Carolina’s first Boba Bar. We couldn’t find an online presence, so stay tuned.
• One of our readers let us know that there is a Bad Daddy Burger Bar coming to The Corners at Brier Creek just beyond 540 off Glenwood Avenue (Harris Teeter shopping center). Site indicates they will open in January, 2019. Check out Bad Daddy’s here.
• The Triangle Business Journal shared this week that CoreLife Eatery opened Nov. 30 at 200 Crossroads Blvd. in Cary. The active lifestyle restaurant serves a variety of greens, grains and broth-based dishes. The eatery has other locations in North Carolina, which include Fayetteville and Greensboro, and 49 locations across the U.S. Get to know them here.
• Reader Greg Beatty shared that there is a new online dessert company based in Cary called Taste Desserts. He can personally vouch for the deliciousness of their offerings (he especially enjoyed their Key Lime Pie). He noted that they ship certain items and have local pickup for all their offerings. Information can be found here.
• Also in Cary, Cary Magazine shared that Sushi at the Park is opening soon at Parkside Town Commons at the corner of Hwy. 55 and O’Kelly Chapel Road. They will be offering over 40 ultra-fresh sushi rolls for your enjoyment. Keep up with their opening announcement on their Facebook page here.
• Down toward Garner, reader Hugh Autry noted a Yemen Kitchen banner now hanging on the former Bruegger’s location at 117 Small Pines Drive, across from Walmart. No other information is available at this time.
• And if you are a fan of cider, make your way over to Morrisville where Matthew Galiani has opened Naughty Penguin Hard Cider where they craft rich hard apple cider from regionally sourced apples. And they have a tasting room open 7 days a week. Thanks to Nancy Scotto for the heads up! Get all the details and check them out here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

•  In Chapel HIll, Crunkleton’s Gary Crunkleton is expanding his empire. Following on the news that he would be part of the new ownership of Crook’s Corner, the News & Observer shared this week that he is partnering with Sam Suchow, the owner of the barbecue restaurant The Pig, to open The Neighborhood Bar right next to The Pig on Weaver Dairy Road in north Chapel Hill. Don’t worry, there will be a “pass through” between the two establishments allowing you to order barbecue! Look for it to open in August.
• Reader Jacqueline Atlas noticed a new sign in the old Monterrey Mexican restaurant location on Elliott Road that read Don Chicken Rotisserie. Other than that, we were not able to find any sort of online presence. She did note that it looks like a fairly thorough renovation/remodel. Thanks Jacqueline! And we will continue to keep an eye on it.
• In Durham, John Huisman, aka Triangle Explorer, shared that Liturgy Beverage Company, a new retail coffee, tea, and chocolate business, is coming to the Durham Food Hall (in the Central Park neighborhood of Durham) in early 2019. To make it all happen, they have a Kickstarter campaign to help them fulfill this dream. Check it out here.
• Bralie’s Sport Bar & Grill has opened a second location (affectionately called Bralie’s 2) at 4707 Hillsborough Road. My wife and I stopped in shortly after they opened, but they didn’t have food at the time. I’m happy to report they began lunch service around the middle of last month and have a chef that makes daily specials and is building on their current menu. The original location is on Carpenter Fletcher Road near the intersection of Hwy. 55 and Interstate 40. Get to know them here.
• And also in Durham, the founders of the popular food truck Soomsoom Pita Pockets are moving back to Isarel, but they are not taking the truck with them. They have sold it to the folks at Cast Iron Group (think The Cookery, Dashi and Ponysaurus Brewing Co.). Check out Cast Iron here.
• One final note from Chapel Hill, SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill will operate a Dewey’s Bakery holiday shop at the SECU House (NOT in University Place as originally planned) at 123 Old Mason Farm Rd in Chapel Hill through Dec. 23. Thirty-five percent of proceeds from each sale will go directly to SECU Family House – a safe, nurturing and affordable home for patients and their loved ones who travel great distances to UNC Hospitals for lifesaving procedures due to serious illnesses. Dewey’s baked goods have been a treasured holiday tradition since the bakery opened in downtown Winston-Salem in 1930. Get familiar with Dewey’s here.

Closings

• Not a good week for closings. We already mentioned above the pending closing of Raleigh’s Q Shack at North Hills (open through January 19th) as well as the already closed Allen & Son BBQ in Chapel Hill.
• Not exactly restaurants, but we also learned this week that Funny Girl Farm and Sam’s Quick Shop, both in Durham, are closing. Funny Girl on December 15th and Sam’s on December 31st.

Events

•  December 15th is the date of the Holiday Pop-up Wine Dinner at Vino Wine Shop at 89 Hillsboro Street in downtown Pittsboro. This first dinner in a series will feature chef Regan Stachler, former owner-chef of Little Hen farm to table restaurant in Holly Springs. The cost is $69 per person and features four courses paired with five fabulous wines. Space is limited to 26 people so hurry and buy your ticket before they are gone. Here is the Facebook event page with all the details.
• Also on December 15th, Eastcut Sandwich Bar and Ponysaurus Brewing are coming together for a Oysters + Oyster Saison Garden Party. Fresh oysters, pints of oyster saison, live music and more in their heated garden from 2pm-10pm. Get all the details on their Facebook event page here.
• The folks over at The Rickhouse will host the first Durham Village Holiday Market featuring North Carolina made eats, drinks  and gifts on December 16-18. Sample independent food, beverage, and craft producers while you complete your shopping list. Each night will have a bar and a different food truck for you to enjoy. Get all the details, including hours, on their Facebook page here.
• Postal Fish Company brings an Italian tradition to the Triangle as they host the Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner on Christmas Eve, December 24th. Christmas Eve is a vigil, or fasting day, and the abundance of seafood reflects the observance of abstinence from meat until the feast of Christmas Day itself. Today, the meal typically consists of seven different seafood dishes. The tradition comes from Southern Italy, where it is known simply as The Vigil (La Vigilia). This celebration commemorates the wait, the Vigilia di Natale, for the midnight birth of the baby Jesus. The long tradition of eating seafood on Christmas Eve dates from the Roman Catholic tradition of abstaining from eating meat on the eve of a feast day. This “feast” features 7 courses paired with 5 wines. Dinner starts at 4:45 promptly, doors open at 4:30pm. Get tickets and all the details here.

Food Bank Corner

•  Over 60% of students in our 34-county service area qualify for free/reduced-price lunch. It’s difficult for any student to excel academically when they come to school hungry. So we invite all students, staff, parents, and teachers to join our Students Against Hunger food and fund drive to help feed hungry children and their families in our community. Since 1996, students in our area have donated enough to provide nearly 6 million meals. Join the cause! Participants in the Students Against Hunger campaign collect food and funds from October 1 through November 30. Competing schools must deliver their donations to any of our branches by 11am on Friday, November 30th. Find out if your child’s school is participating (and if not, get them to!) here.