TRIANGLE FOOD BLOG

Triangle Restaurant News

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

Featured Restaurant News

•  Big news out of North Hills this week that Rosewater, a restaurant by Giorgios Group and described as a European bistro café inspired by North Carolina ingredients and Mediterranean flavors, will be opening in the Park District at North Hills in the old Bruegger’s space. In addition to being a full-service restaurant, they will offer grab-and-go options during breakfast and lunch hours. The restaurant is projected to open in 2019. Learn more about the Giorgios Group here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• Additional North Hills news included the announcement that Stir restaurant will be taking up a 5,832-square-foot spot in the Bank of America tower and is described as offering fresh food, oyster bar and craft cocktails.

• Over in downtown Raleigh the ITB Insider shared the update that renowned Raleigh restaurateur Ashley Christensen has filed site plans for PooleSide Pie which will offer Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizzas at 428 S. McDowell Street right next to Christensen’s Poole’s Diner. Best way to keep up with their progress is through their Instagram account here.

• Also in downtown, the ITB Insider also reported that permits had been issued at The Dillon for the transformation of a 5,125 square-foot space on the ground floor into Raleigh’s first location of the high-end Oak Steakhouse chain. They currently have locations in Atlanta, Charleston, Nashville and Charlotte. This will be the first location in the Triangle. Get familiar with them here.

• In North Raleigh, Carole Walker updated us that Taziki’s Mediterranean Grill is now open in the old Pickled Onion space in Bent Tree plaza at 7901 Falls of Neuse Road (near NY Bagel & Deli). This is their third Triangle location (two in Cary) and first in Raleigh. Check them out here.

• Up in Wake Forest, Saturday, August 4^th is the opening date for Showmars at the corner of Capital and Stadium Drive. They have lots of locations in and around Charlotte and are described as a fast, casual concept featuring a blend of Greek and Southern, serving up sandwiches and salads. Get familiar with them here.

• Just over in Rolesville, got word from one of our readers that The Cobalt Café, a coffee shop and breakfast and lunch spot, has opened at 6150 Rogers Road. In addition to great coffee, they bake their muffins fresh daily from scratch. Get to know them here.

• And down in Clayton, one of our readers pointed out that there is a “Coming Soon” sign up at 9096 Cleveland Road for Mezza Luna, a pizzeria, pasta, grill and bar. Doesn’t look like the upfit has begun, so it could be a while. We will keep an eye on it.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• After 9 months since they first announced they were coming, The Pizza Press in Chapel Hill opened this past Thursday at 123 W. Franklin Street. They are serving up fresh pizzas and cold North Carolina craft beer. Get familiar with them here.

• Over in Durham, Amber Watson at Bites of Bull City let us know that the folks behind Cucciolo Osteria, a new Italian restaurant tucked away off of 601 W. Main Street (down from The West End Wine Bar), are opening this weekend for a limited number of walk-ins and will begin taking reservations on Monday, July 30. They will be open nightly for dinner (closed Tuesdays), and plan to introduce lunch service once they have settled into the dinner service routine. Get familiar with them here.

• Also in Durham, WRAL announced this week that the former Joe Van Gogh on Duke’s campus will become Beyu Blue Coffee – from the folks at Beyu Caffé. Beyu’s owner, Dorian Bolden, is a Duke alumnus. Check out Beyu here.

• Two additional updates from Durham thanks to Glenn Gillen. The Little Caesars over on South Roxboro Street has closed. And the China Palace at the intersection of Old Chapel Hill Road and Garrett Road is in the middle of renovations and hope to open up again Aug. 1.

• The boys are at it again. Charlie Farris and Clint Winslow are opening another Jersey Mike’s in our area! This one will be in Chatham County, just down 15-501 from Chapel Hill in the Lowe’s Foods shopping center. Construction is underway and they are looking at a late September, early October opening. Farris and Winslow also own locations in Chapel Hill (2 locations), Durham and Hillsborough. Check out Jersey Mike’s here. Thanks to reader Keith Dangel for the heads up on this.

Closings

•  None to report, aside from the Little Caesars noted above.

Food Trucks

• This Saturday, July 28 from 4-9 p.m. is the Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Caravan benefiting JDRF Triangle / Eastern NC Chapter. Come and enjoy some of the best food trucks (22 at last count) in the area while drinking local beer (several different breweries will be on hand) and listening to great music! It will be set up along Eden Street, between the NC State Capitol and the museums. Get all the details on their Facebook page here.

• The dates have been set for the Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo and Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeos. Check out Durham here and Raleigh here.

Events

•  Guess who is turning 81 today – July 27? Yep, Krispy Kreme. And to celebrate, the company is offering a special discount today only (July 27) – buy a dozen doughnuts, get a second dozen (original glazed) for $1. Check out Krispy Kreme here.

• The Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Festival is this weekend, July 27 & 28, at Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre. The fun begins tonight at 6 p.m. and continues on Saturday from noon (VIP admission) until 6 p.m. If you enjoy beer sippin’, bourbon tastin’, music listenin’, and barbeque eatin’ this event is for you. Your admission buys you a sampling glass so you can enjoy an all-you-care-to-taste sampling of beer and bourbon. Get all the details and information on pricing here.

• Raleigh Restaurant Week, produced by the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, is celebrating its 10th Anniversary from August 13 – August 19. This week long dining extravaganza showcases the culinary talent in the heart of downtown Raleigh. Over 40 restaurants will be offering specials. Participating restaurants will offer delectable, three-course prix fixe dinners for either $20 or $30 per person, depending on the venue (tax and tip not included). As a special amenity to downtown employees and other daytime downtown visitors, some restaurants will be offering $5 and $10 lunch specials. Get all the details here.

• The 2nd annual Chapel Hill Farmers’ Market Brewfest is happening on Saturday, August 25, with a 12 pack of local brewers and fermenters bringing product to sample and sell. Look for: Botanist & Barrel, Bull City Burger and Brewery, Bull City Ciderworks, Dingo Dog Brewing, Fullsteam Brewery, Haw River Farmhouse Ales, Mystery Brewing, Oak & Dagger Public House, Raleigh Brewing, Starpoint Brewing, 3rd Degree Brewhouse, and Vecino Brewing. The address is 201 S. Estes Drive Chapel Hill. (University Place next to Silverspot) and hours are regular market hours, 8am-12. Get details here.

• WRAL shared that this Sunday, July 22^nd is the Taste of Soul NC event at Durham Central Park from 1 to 6 p.m. Enjoy ribs, burgers, Jamaican food, jambalaya, vegan food, Italian ice, cakes, shaved ice and much more, including lots of entertainment options for adults and kids. The event is free. Get all the details here.

• Sunday, August 26^th is the date for Families Moving Forward’s Kids for Change End of Summer Celebration at Durham Central Park from 3-5 p.m. featuring budget-friendly food trucks and lots of fun entertainment. Admission is free. Check it out here.

• The NCRLA Chef Showdown is an annual statewide culinary competition sponsored by the NC Department of Ag. that will result in a final competition on Monday, Aug 27 in Charlotte. The final event is in conjunction with the first night of the industry’s Restaurant & Hotel Expo. Get all the information you need here.

• And one of my daughter’s favorite events has set the date for their 2018 edition – the Mac and Cheese Throwdown is scheduled for Sunday, September 16th from 5pm until 8pm at 214 Martin.  They’ve had a great response from some “mac makers” and have some new contestants this year.  So far, it looks like the lineup is Relish, Oak and Dagger, Wandering Moose, Dram and Draught, US Foods, The Mac House, Southern Charred, NOFO and the chef from 214 Martin. My daughter and I will be judges again this year! Check it out.

• The Root Cellar Cafe & Catering announced that they will host their annual Porkapalooza Festival at their new Pittsboro restaurant on Saturday, Oct. 6 at 5 p.m. To celebrate their seventh year, the celebration will offer small plate creations, featuring locally raised pork from Hickory Nut Gap and Sharp Family Farms, served casually indoors and outdoors, rather than a traditional seated dinner. Their Pittsboro location is at 35 Suttles Road in Penguin Place in Pittsboro. Tickets for Porkapalooza are $50, which includes all food, entertainment and a souvenir pint cup. Get all the details here.

• Ok, here it is again. And I tell you EVERY year, but I will repeat it again. DO. NOT. MISS. THIS. EVENT. You can just thank me later. The dates have been set for the 9^th annual TerraVita Festival over in Chapel Hill. Those dates are October 17-20. Things will kick off Wednesday, October 17, with the East Meets West dinner (first year at The Carolina Inn) and end on October 20 with the Fall Fête on The Green in Southern Village. Check out this video that give you a great look at all the events that make up TerraVita. Or visit their website here.

Food Bank Corner

• As a part of the Stop Summer Hunger initiative, generous friends of the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina will match every gift – dollar for dollar. Please help them reach their matching goal of $135,000. For every $20 you give, the Food Bank can provide 200 meals! Make your donation here!

Triangle Restaurant News

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

Featured Restaurant News

• Over in Durham, the folks at Taste Carolina informed us that Eastcut Sandwich Bar, located at 3211 Old Chapel Hill Road in the former Finch’s spot, just recently opened and begin full hours today, Friday, July 20. They serve up East Coast sandwich fare, salads, small plates, soups, sweets, and beer, wine and limited cocktails. The establishment is very family friendly and they even allow dogs on their deck. A great new Durham spot. Check them out here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• John Huisman, aka Triangle Explorer, shared the great news this week that Two Roosters Ice Cream has announced plans to open a second ice cream shop, this one in downtown Raleigh next to Yellow Dog Bread in the Person Street Plaza. In addition to their food truck, they also have a location in the Greystone Village Shopping Center at the corner of Lead Mine and Sawmill Roads in Raleigh. Get to know them on their website here.

• John also shared the news that The Lost Cajun Restaurant, serving up seafood and gumbo, is coming to the former Wendy’s spot on Forest Pines Drive in Wakefield. There is a ‘Coming Soon’ sign in the window, but no word yet on a timeline. This will be the second North Carolina location for the chain, the first in the Triangle. Get familiar with them here.

• And if that is not enough seafood news for you, the ITB Insider reported this week that permits were recently issued for Raleigh’s first location of The Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar at McNeill Pointe. McNeill Pointe is currently under construction and is located just across the street from Mami Nora’s restaurant at the corner of McNeill and Wake Forest Road. The Shuckin’ Shack has a location in Durham and two in Cary. Check them out here.

• The highly anticipated Morgan Street Food Hall in Raleigh’s Warehouse District will remain just that, for now. Last Friday, just over a week from its anticipated opening, we got word the opening would be delayed until at least August. So now we wait…Check it out here.

• Also in Raleigh, John Huisman, aka Triangle Explorer, was the first to share about the opening of Fig, a new coffee shop and cocktail bar, serving your favorite drinks all day and a small menu to accompany those. They are holding their grand opening tomorrow, Saturday, July 21 and are located at 1000 Brookside Drive. Get to know them on their website here and their Facebook page here.

• A quick update. One of our readers informed us that TLC Wings and Grill Sports Bar is now open in the old Applebee’s space on Hillsborough Street near Meredith College. Get a peek at their menu here.

• Saw a tweet from EatRaleigh that a neat new spot in Clayton’s Riverwood neighborhood called 9Bar Coffee Shop has opened. They are open seven days a week serving up coffee options during the day, and beer and wine in the evening. They are located at 411 Athletic Blvd. Check them out on Facebook here.

• Over in Fuqua Varina, John Huisman (he really has a nose for fun coffee spots) informed us that Cultivate Cafe + Coffee Roasters, a new coffee shop and roaster, has opened in the downtown area in the former EMS building across from the library. They serve freshly-roasted organic coffee and other complementary house-made products, like ice cream made from grass-fed organic milk and hand-crafted sweet and savory baked goods from Bestow Bakery. Get familiar with them here.

• Up in Wake Forest, reader Brandon Clevenger gave us several quick updates. First, Freddy’s Steakburgers will be opening July 29 at corner of Retail Dr and 98. And next door to that there is a Chipotle and a Firehouse Subs. No timeline for either of those. And a little further up Capital, in the Harris Crossing Shopping Center, Doug’s Dogs and More has been replaced by the recently opened 9.19 Island Café serving up Jamaican dishes. Get familiar with 9.19 here.

• And if that is not enough Wake Forest news for you, Clevenger also reported that Backfins Crab House has opened at the corner of Stadium Drive and Capital Blvd. (1009 Stadium Drive to be exact). They serve up (you guessed it) crabs, crab cakes and ice cold beer! Sign me up! Check them out here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• The News & Observer reported this week that Pokéworks, a national chain with 20 locations in eight states, will open its first North Carolina location this year in Durham’s One City Center. Look for a mid-September opening. Pokéworks, started in 2015, has 20 locations and has plans for more, including one in Raleigh scheduled to open next year. The Raleigh location will also be owned by Andy Lee. The company said two more North Carolina locations are planned. Check them out here.

• In Chapel Hill the lovely and talented Lori Bowers-Lennard informed us that Quickly Boba Café in Meadowmont in the former Market Street Coffee location is now open. They serve hot and cold drinks made with premium quality flower and tea leaves as well as unique Asian street food. Quickly is one of the largest tapioca milk tea franchises in the world, with over 2,000 locations in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. Check them out on Facebook here.

• Also in Chapel Hill, the local Facebook page for B.Good indicated that they are looking at an early August (possibly August 2) opening date for their newest location at Carolina Square (near the new Target). B. Good has two locations in Raleigh (downtown and North Hills), and one in Morrisville. They also have one planned for Durham’s One City Center. Get familiar with them here.

Closings

•  None to report! Keep eating local, folks!

Food Trucks

• The dates have been set for the Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo and Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeos. Check out Durham here and Raleigh here.

• Two great sites to keep up with your favorite food trucks. Street Food Finder is one – find it here. And another, aptly named, is Roaming Hunger – find it here.

Events

• Ok, here it is again. And I tell you EVERY year, but I will repeat it again. DO. NOT. MISS. THIS. EVENT. You can just thank me later. The dates have been set for the 9^th annual TerraVita Festival over in Chapel Hill. Those dates are October 17-20. Things will kick off Wednesday, October 17, with the East Meets West dinner (first year at The Carolina Inn) and ends on October 20 with the Fall Fête on The Green in Southern Village. Check out this video that gives you a great look at all the events that make up TerraVita. Or visit their website here.

• WRAL shared that this Sunday, July 22^nd is the Taste of Soul NC event at Durham Central Park from 1 to 6 p.m. Enjoy ribs, burgers, Jamaican food, jambalaya, vegan food, Italian ice, cakes, shaved ice and much more, including lots of entertainment options for adults and kids. The event is free. Get all the details here.

• Sunday, August 26^th is the date for Families Moving Forward’s Kids for Change End of Summer Celebration at Durham Central Park from 3-5 p.m. featuring budget-friendly food trucks and lots of fun entertainment. Admission is free. Check it out here.

• The NCRLA Chef Showdown is an annual statewide culinary competition sponsored by the NC Department of Ag. that will result in a final competition on Monday, Aug 27 in Charlotte. The final event is in conjunction with the first night of the industry’s Restaurant & Hotel Expo. Get all the information you need here.

• The 2nd annual Chapel Hill Farmers’ Market Brewfest is happening on Saturday, August 25, with a 12 pack of local brewers and fermenters bringing product to sample and sell. Look for: Botanist & Barrel, Bull City Burger and Brewery, Bull City Ciderworks, Dingo Dog Brewing, Fullsteam Brewery, Haw River Farmhouse Ales, Mystery Brewing, Oak & Dagger Public House, Raleigh Brewing, Starpoint Brewing, 3rd Degree Brewhouse, and Vecino Brewing. The address is 201 S. Estes Drive Chapel Hill. (University Place next to Silverspot) and hours are regular market hours, 8am-12. Get details here.

• And one of my daughter’s favorite events has set the date for their 2018 edition – the Mac and Cheese Throwdown is scheduled for Sunday, September 16th from 5pm until 8pm at 214 Martin.  They’ve had a great response from some “mac makers” and have some new contestants this year.  So far, it looks like the lineup is Relish, Oak and Dagger, Wandering Moose, Dram and Draught, US Foods, The Mac House, Southern Charred, NOFO and the chef from 214 Martin. My daughter and I will be judges again this year! Check it out.

Food Bank Corner

• As a part of the Stop Summer Hunger initiative, generous friends of the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina will match every gift – dollar for dollar. Please help them reach their matching goal of $135,000. For every $20 you give, the Food Bank can provide 200 meals! Make your donation here!