TRIANGLE FOOD BLOG

Featured Restaurant News

• Cary tops the big news this week with the Triangle Business Journal reporting that Dram & Draught will join the lineup of drinking and eating establishments slated for the Fenton development (on 69 acres along Interstate 40 and Cary Towne Boulevard) set to open the 2nd quarter of 2022.  D&D already has locations in downtown Raleigh and Greensboro. Look for this location to feature a rooftop bar! D&D will join already announced chef Scott Crawford’s Crawford Brothers Steakhouse, Steve Palmer’s Italian restaurant Colletta, chef Michael Lee’s M Sushi and chef Ford Fry’s Tex-Mex restaurant Superica. Visit Dram & Draught here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• Saw on some recent Facebook posts that so•ca in Raleigh’s Village District is moving toward re-opening sometime in the middle of April, and their sister restaurant, Kō•än in Cary, might be as well. They cited beautiful weather, some restrictions being lifted, additional relief from the government and an on track vaccine schedule as reasons for the move. One post on the Kō•än Facebook site suggests a possible opening in March or early April. Stay tuned. Re-familiarize yourself with so•ca here and Kō•än here.

• RalToday pointed out that Heirloom Brewshop, a Laotian, Taiwanese, and Japanese-inspired specialty coffee shop, premium tea house, bottle shop and all-day kitchen in downtown Raleigh, will reopen their dining room this Saturday, February 27. To celebrate, the cafe is also hosting a special fish fry event Sunday, February 28. Seating is limited so you can pre-order your meal. Visit their Instagram page for all the details. You can pre-order on their website here.

• Up in North Raleigh, Triangle Business Journal noted that Michael Bongiorno opened Bongiorno & Son, an Italian specialty shop and delicatessen, this past weekend in Lafayette Village on Honeycutt Road. They offer sandwiches, soups, imported cheeses, cold cuts, sausage, pasta, bread, and a variety of antipasto offerings. They are open Tuesday through Sunday and catering is also available. Check them out here.

• Look out Fuquay-Varina. Think people have a hard time pronouncing your name now? Wait until you get a little French infusion with the news this week that La Farm Bakery has opened a 3-month pop-up bakery with outdoor seating, grab-and-go sandwiches and a full coffee bar! It is located at at 1900 Broad Street, open daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit La Farm here.

• And if that is not enough yumminess in “the Quay,” Today in the Quay shared the news this week that Willow Oak Farm (1530 Lafayette Road) will open The Scoop, an ice cream shop that offers a variety of ice cream flavors, sundaes and milkshakes, in March. Follow them on Facebook for their progress and any announcements.

• In Cary, reader Joe McGarry pointed out that a concept called Okja K-Pub and Restaurant has opened in the former location of Der Biergarten at 1080 Darrington Drive. The look to be serving up Japanese and Korean cuisine along with traditional American cuisine (burgers, sandwiches and wings). You can check out their menu and get familiar with them here.

• Looking for all the outdoor dining options in Downtown Raleigh? The Downtown Raleigh Alliance has put together a great list of those options, and they even divided it up by district. Check out that list here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that Raleigh-based Lonerider Brewing Co. will open later this year at the Borden Brick development in downtown Durham. Lonerider will occupy 3,300 of the 13,000 total leasable square feet on Ramseur Road at the corner with Fayetteville Street and just off the Durham Freeway. This will mark their fourth Triangle location, joining the original taproom in Raleigh and their two Hideout locations in Wake Forest and Raleigh (the Raleigh location features a full-service restaurant). Visit Lonerider here.

• Chapel Hill Foodies group leader Carrie Brogren posted this week that the new Glass Jug Beer Lab – Downtown Durham is coming along…..with a potential target opening date around the week of March 22nd. Thanks for the update Carrie! Visit their Facebook page here to keep up with their progress.

• Also in Durham, the folks over at Bites of Bull City noticed a new sign for Bella Napoli, pizzeria & Italian grill, over at Patterson Place. Unfortunately, that is all we know at this point. No word on an opening date, nor were we able to find an online presence. Stay tuned.

• Reader Samantha Tuggle notified us that Bowl of Pho Vietnamese & Thai Restaurant has opened their location on Miami Boulevard (2806 S Miami Blvd to be exact). Visit them here.

• And here are a couple of wonderful resources for those looking to dine in downtown Durham or downtown Chapel Hill – Downtown Durham Inc. has an up-to-date listing of the status of each restaurant in downtown Durham. Check out the list here. And the Downtown Chapel Hill Partnership has put together a similar list for Chapel Hill here.

Closings / Cancellations

• The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that The Palace International at 1104 Broad St. in Durham, which serves African cuisine, will close at the end of February. Apparently the landlord did not renew their lease. The good news is they are actively seeking a new location. Let’s hope they are successful in that effort!

Food Trucks 

• 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

• My buddy Kitty Kinnin brought it to my attention that Jake Wood is bringing a kind of “sneak preview” of his Lawrence BBQ to Standard Beer & Food this Saturday, February 27 beginning at 12 noon. Think whole hog and oyster bar! How long will it last…until they are out. So get there early! Visit their Facebook event page for all the details.

• The Downtown Raleigh Loyal Lunch Contest brought to us by the Downtown Raleigh Alliance is off and running! Running through Mar. 5, if you eat lunch downtown, you could win a $25 or $100 gift card. Contest info and a list of restaurants can be found here.

• Our friends over at RalToday pointed out a few events you might want to go ahead and get on your calendar. So exciting to think of some of our favorite events actually happening in 2021! First up, Raleigh Veg Fest 2021 scheduled for Sunday, April 4 in downtown Raleigh’s Moore Square. Details here. The North Carolina Wine Festival is scheduled for May 22 at the Streets at Southpoint. Details here. And Brewgaloo scheduled for June 11 & 12 in downtown Raleigh. Details here.

• Looking to spice up your Tuesday nights? Well Bites of Bull City has launched their new weekly dining out/take out event called Tuesday Night Bites. These are special deals offered by some of the best local restaurants in Durham. Not only will these offers give you a sweet, delicious deal and help you fulfill the #durhamtakeoutpledge (to dine/take out at least twice a week to support our local restaurants), but it will also help these establishments thrive on a slower night and survive the winter during a pandemic. Get all the details here. What are you doing next Tuesday night?

Food Bank Corner

• Many of us have fond memories of Spring Break vacations. But for kids who rely on school meals, spring break can be a hungry time. If you are interested in being a site to provide kids meals during spring break (school closures vary by county) please complete this participation form or email [email protected] for more information. #noonegoeshungry

Featured Restaurant News

• What is better than pizza? Answer: pizza and beer! To that end, Ponysaurus Brewing Co. and Raleigh’s Oakwood Pizza Box have partnered to bring Pizza Box pizza to the brewery’s Durham taproom (219 Hood St.) starting in the spring. Pizza Box will cook and serve pizzas on site in the taproom where guests will have the option for take-out or dining in the brewery’s beer garden. To accommodate this partnership, they are roofing their second story patio. Everything else, including the Beer Drive-Thru, will remain the same.  Check out all the details here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• According to the Indy, Ashley Christensen’s fried chicken sandwich concept, BB’s Crispy Chicken, is back on schedule for three openings this year. The Midtown East location in Raleigh (out in front of Wegmans) is slated for a mid-May opening, while Durham’s University Hill and Cary’s Parkside Town Commons locations will shoot to open sometime this summer. Visit them here.

• We got a few more details this week on the partnership between Catering Works and the North Carolina Museum of Art. Catering Works will reopen Sip Coffee Bar in the Museum’s West Building in February (already open), along with the Exhibition Café in the East Building in conjunction with Museum’s special exhibition Golden Mummies of Egypt, opening March 6th. Follow Catering Works here for future announcements.

• Got word from Michael DePersia, of DePeria & Associates, that a new location of Los Tres Mexican Restaurant is coming to Cary at 1400 Boulderstone Way in the Stone Creek Village shopping center at the corner of Davis and High House. Look for them to open next month. They already have locations in Apex and Durham. Visit them here.

• Out in Brier Creek Commons, thanks to the watchful eyes of reader Jeanette Hauser, we discovered that a new restaurant called Inchin’s Asian Bistro is heading that way. We can’t find a web presence for them, just the directory listing here. Stay tuned.

• Looking for all the outdoor dining options in Downtown Raleigh? The Downtown Raleigh Alliance has put together a great list of those options, and they even divided it up by district. Check out that list here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• Over in Durham, the Triangle Business Journal reported that The Melting Pot in the Southpoint Crossing shopping center at N.C. Highway 54 and Fayetteville Road was reopened by new owners Matt, Mike and Pat Daley, who also own the Raleigh location. The Melting Pot has 95 locations across 31 states including the two in the Triangle as well as locations in Charlotte and Wilmington. Stop by soon to check out some of the updates and changes the new ownership team has made. Visit them here.

• The Triangle Business Journal also reported this week that Farmside Kitchen, a new place to grab hearty grains and greens bowls, is set to open in Durham this spring in Churchill Commons at 5431 Page Road (former space of Gusto Farm to Street). A specific opening date has not yet been announced. Follow their progress and announcements on Instagram here.

• Thanks to a tip from Carrie Brogren, we learned that The Trophy Room has opened inside the Graduate hotel (formerly The Franklin) at 311 W. Franklin Street giving Chapel Hillians and visitors a new watering hole to enjoy a beverage and a bite to eat. It offers a fun and whimsical menu giving you a chance to reminisce back to your college days. Check them out here.

• And here are a couple of wonderful resources for those looking to dine in downtown Durham or downtown Chapel Hill – Downtown Durham Inc. has an up-to-date listing of the status of each restaurant in downtown Durham. Check out the list here. And the Downtown Chapel Hill Partnership has put together a similar list for Chapel Hill here.

Closings / Cancellations

• After 32 years in business the El Rodeo in Brightleaf Square in downtown Durham announced via Facebook that they will be closing that location at the end of March (March 28 is listed as the last day). So you still have time to get by! They also did indicate that they would be looking for a new location. So keep your fingers crossed!

• Learned from my friend Michayla Moore that Otro Vez, which was a concept from Eschelon Experiences that opened a few months back in the former Edwards Mill Bar & Grill space, has closed permanently.

• Also, learned via Facebook that BREW Coffee Bar location at Gateway Plaza closed last Sunday. That is the bad news. The good new is their Cary and McNeill Pointe locations are still open. Visit them here.

Food Trucks 

• The folks over at RalToday provided us an update on a truck we told you about a few weeks ago. So•Yuh, a gluten-free kitchen, will roll starting Saturday, Feb. 20 at 4310 S. Miami Blvd. in Durham. Get familiar with them 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

• Forbes Travel Guide unveiled this week its annual Star Rating list, naming Herons restaurant (along with The Umstead Hotel and The Umstead Spa) as Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star award winners, the highest ranking achievable by the rating. The Fearrington House Restaurant (along with The Fearrington House Inn and the Spa at Fearrington) received a 4-star rating. And The Fairview Dining Room (along with the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club) received a recommended rating from the travel guide. Kudos to all of them! See all the winners here.

• Over in Chapel Hill, Giorgios Bakatsias has launched a Market Monday at his newly reopened Kipos Greek Taverna in Eastgate Crossing. Every Monday, beginning next Monday, you can pick up pre-ordered items from a weekly market featuring signature specialty Greek foods. Authentic Greek items like tzatziki and taramosalata, classic Kipos’ entrees like Moussaka and Olga’s famous spanakopita, along with side dishes and house-made Greek desserts. All items must be pre-ordered online by Sunday at 8pm for pick up every Monday, beginning February 22^nd, from 12-4pm. View the menu and order online here.

• Looking to spice up your Tuesday nights? Well Bites of Bull City has launched their new weekly dining out/take out event called Tuesday Night Bites. These are special deals offered by some of the best local restaurants in Durham. Not only will these offers give you a sweet, delicious deal and help you fulfill the #durhamtakeoutpledge (to dine/take out at least twice a week to support our local restaurants), but it will also help these establishments thrive on a slower night and survive the winter during a pandemic. Get all the details here. What are you doing next Tuesday night?

Food Bank Corner

• Own a restaurant, food truck or catering company and want to help feed kids this summer? Well, the Food Bank’s Programs Team is gearing up to resume free kids meals across the Food Bank’s service area, and is recruiting Meal Vendors (paid). They’re also recruiting community Meal Sites locations to serve and distribute the meals. Interested folks can learn more by signing up for the February 25^th information session here. #noonegoeshungry