TRIANGLE FOOD BLOG

• A huge congratulations to AJ Viola and Mike Sholar, the guys behind BREW, a new coffee and beer bar that just opened in downtown Raleigh’s Seaboard Station. Serving up locally roasted Raleigh Coffee Company coffee beans, cold brew, in house baked goods, and they have plans to serve craft beer in the near future. Get by and check them out – cool space. Here is their website.

Wake County Restaurant News

• Joe & Sarka Leli just yesterday hung the “now open” sign up at Leli’s Deli in Wake Forest at 3325 Rogers Road and will be serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. I have known Joe for a number of years and excited to see him with his own place again. Check them out here.

• The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that a restaurant called Organic Festival is coming to the Poyner Shopping Center near Triangle Town Center in north Raleigh. The restaurant, at 5951 Poyner Village Parkway, is expected to open in November. Check them out here.

• We’ve been watching this one for a while, but the Triangle Business Journal reported this week that a deal to build a new Chick-fil-A restaurant and drive-thru at the Lake Boone Shopping Center in west Raleigh has been finalized with plans to open the new location by the spring of 2015. The Wendy’s building that is currently there will be torn down to make way for the new store.

• The News & Observer reported today that Maui Wowi, a restaurant that serves Hawaiian coffees and smoothies in flavors such as strawberry banana, mango orange, lemon and pina colada, has opened in Cary at 919 N. Harrison Ave. near Walmart. Check them out here.

• And reader Bryan Kay provided a quick update on the former KFC location at 5900 Duraleigh Road that is being converted into a Steak & Shake. Bryan notified us that in the last week construction crews have begun making significant progress and it won’t be long now before burgers and shakes are rolling out of there. We will keep an eye on it. Thanks Bryan!

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News 

• Say cheese! WRAL and Triangle Business Journal reported that a Cincinnati-based grilled cheese restaurant made famous on the reality show “Shark Tank” announced plans for a Carrboro location. Tom+Chee specializes in more than 20 types of grilled cheese and three versions of tomato soup. Their menu also includes salad and vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. The location is not known just yet. Check them out here.

Closings 

• None to report! Keep eating local, folks!

Food Trucks 

Food Bank Corner   

• The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina is proud to announce that they will hold their 3rd Annual FoodBank24 New Media Telethon on September 26-27, 2014. The 24-hour event begins at noon on September 26th and continues for 24 straight hours of entertaining and enlightening activities as part of Hunger Action Month. Put it on your calendar and get all the details here. There are lots of ways to participate.

• This past week marked the closing of Benelux Coffee in downtown Raleigh’s City Market, but also the announcement that they will be opening their new location in Cameron Village Shopping Center (402 Oberlin Street to be exact) next month. In the meantime, you can visit them at their Alexander Family YMCA location on Hillsborough Street. We’ll keep an eye on their opening date. Keep up with them here.

Wake County Restaurant News

•  In other coffee news, Carolina Business Connection reported earlier this week that Wake Forest-based coffee shop Bean Therapy has opened a second location at The Galleria in North Raleigh at 9650 Strickland Road. They will have an open house on September 6 from 10 – 6 p.m. with door prizes and free coffee samples. Check them out here.

• The News & Observer reported this week that Italian restaurant Posta Tuscan Grille and its bar at the Marriott City Center in downtown Raleigh are transitioning into a Southern eatery and gastropub that will be called Rye Bar and Southern Kitchen. Look for renovations to begin in early October with a planned “reopening” the second week of November.

• Got word this week from a Yelp message board that a Supreme Hibachi Asian Buffet is set to open in the location that used to be Blinco’s at 6711 Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh. No word yet on an open date, but we’ll keep an eye on it.

• Gary Lane let me know this week that Clouds Brewing, a locally owned craft beer bar and restaurant in downtown Raleigh, is holding their grand opening tonight (August 29) beginning at 5 p.m. Get all the details here.

• Beginning at 11 a.m. on September 1st, World of Beer is opening their second Triangle area location at the corner of Harrison Avenue and Westin Parkway. Here are the numbers: 55 taps; 500 bottled beers; 19 flat screens. And that does not include the pretty yummy pub faire that will be offered. Also, on September 2nd (their official grand opening) 10% of all sales will go to SAFEChild. Check them out here.

• Got word from several sources this week that Blackfinn Ameripub is set to open September 3rd (as with any opening, that is subject to change) in Morrisville’s Park West Village at 3201 Village Market Place. With other locations throughout the country, this marks the first Triangle area location. It looks pretty cool. Check it out here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News 

• The News and Observer reported that Foster’s Market Chapel Hill, a restaurant and market that opened in 1998, is changing its name to The Root Cellar Café & Catering in September. Everything you have come to love will remain the same. But look for some new things on the horizon. Check them out here.

• Looks like hot dogs are joining the list of hottest places on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill – joining pizza joints and t-shirt shops. The Daily Tar Heel is reporting this week that Trolly Stop Hot Dogs is well on its way to opening a Chapel Hill location at 306 W. Franklin Street, in the same complex as Vespa Ristorante. This follows the opening of Sup Dogs, which just opened several weeks ago. Check them out here.

• The Triangle Business Journal is reporting this morning that Nzinga’s, a new breakfast and brunch cafe, is coming to 828 Fayetteville Street in the Phoenix Crossing Shopping Center in Durham. They are having a “tasting party” on September 4th from 6-7:30 p.m. Check out their Facebook page here.

Closings 

• Bummed to have to report this week that Dorry’s Downtown closed their doors in downtown Cary last weekend. My best to Ray on whatever he takes on next.

• Saw on a Yelp message board, and confirmed by a posting on Twitter, that just over a year after opening, the OC Bar & Grill on Oberlin Road in Raleigh has closed.

• Got word from reader Pat Price this week that the View Bar on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh has closed. That is the bad news. But coming out of that, it appears as if Big Mike’s BBQ (which was operating out of View Bar) will be opening a new location over in Cary next month at 1222 NW Maynard Road in Cary. Website says it is opening in October. We will keep an eye on it.

Food Trucks 

Food Bank Corner   

• The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina is proud to announce that they will hold their 3rd Annual FoodBank24 New Media Telethon on September 26-27, 2014. The 24-hour event begins at noon on September 26th and continues for 24 straight hours of entertaining and enlightening activities as part of Hunger Action Month. Put it on your calendar and get all the details here. There are lots of ways to participate.