TRIANGLE FOOD BLOG

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

Featured Restaurant News

• Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week begins today, October 2 and runs through October 11 – and we could not ask for better weather for the kick-off weekend! That also means there will be TWO Saturdays during DTR Restaurant Week where the Downtown Raleigh Alliance will host Dine Out Downtown – two blocks of Fayetteville Street will be closed with socially distanced tables for you to safely enjoy your takeout while still dining out in downtown. Check out a list of participating restaurants and get all the details here!

Wake County Restaurant News

• Lonerider Brewing Company announced the newest location of their Hideout franchise at The Point in Five Points in Raleigh. This will be their first full restaurant and will feature pizza, wings, salads, and more under head chef Ron West, who had previous stints at Flemings, Mandolin, and MOFU. This is the second Hideout that Lonerider has opened in the last two years. Look for them to open in October. Read up on Lonerider and their Hideouts here.

• The folks over at Taste Carolina notified us that City Market Grill, the outdoor patio restaurant located in the downtown Raleigh’s City Market (former High Horse location), opened this past week. You can keep up with their menu and offerings on their Instagram page here.

• WRAL shared the news that on October 6, Noodles & Company will open their 14th North Carolina location in Cameron Village. Opening day happens to fall on National Noodle Day, and to celebrate, all Noodles Rewards members will receive 25% off of their order. Visit them here.

• Chris Thorpe with DePersia & Associates let us know that Bloomsbury Bistro in Raleigh is under new ownership after owner and chef of 25 years, John Toler, officially retired.  The new owners, Stephen and Ann Koster, invite you to visit their New American Bistro on Tuesday, October 6th for their grand opening. 

• Raleigh has gone to the cats. Well, sorta. RalToday shared that Purr Cup Cafe, a cat cafe and lounge opened yesterday at 210 Prospect Avenue, just off McDowell Street as you drive into downtown Raleigh. The menu is 100% vegan (pre-packaged and locally made) and they offer coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and kombucha (and beer and wine soon). While there you can spend time with free-roaming felines available for adoption from SAFE Haven for Cats. You can also book the care for private parties. Get all the details 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

• Bites of Bull City shared with us that Goorsha will soon be opening an expanded outdoor, covered space directly behind their current location. By day, GOJO will serve Ethiopian coffee and tea/lunch offerings; and evenings will be a lounge and bar: beer, cocktails, food and eventually hookah. Visit Goorsha here.

• Dashi in Durham – traditional ramen shop & izakaya (Japanese gastropub) – shared the news via Twitter this week that they re-opened this past week with take out and outdoor dining menus, plus new ramen provisions for your home and new frozen At Home Kits including ramen bowls, gyoza, edamame, and spicy miso chicken wings! They are open for dinner service every day except Tuesdays. You can order take out, frozen kits, and ramen provisions online for quick pick up, or dine at Dashi with frozen chuhais and cocktails in their new outdoor dining space. Check them out here.

• Cheers to Town Hall Burger and Beer in Durham as they celebrate 8 years this weekend with beer, $8 burgers, live music, Goose Island Bourbon County Raffle, a pumpkin patch, and good times. Check out their Facebook event page here for all the details. Congrats to David Sadeghi and his team! Visit the Town Hall Burger & Beer site here.

• Over in Chapel Hill, Deli Edison, the neighborhood deli known for handmade bagels, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, and gourmet provisions, is now open for dinner. All food and drink are served to-go, to be enjoyed at home or in the socially-distanced outdoor dining area dubbed The Porkyard. Check out their dinner menu here.

Closings / Cancellations

• The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that there are seven restaurants located at Raleigh Durham International Airport that have closed and will not reopen. See those here.

Food Trucks 

• Triangle on the Cheap shared the news that Food Truck Flix is a recurring event that combines drive-in movies with food trucks, for a safer entertainment experience just announced their schedule for the upcoming weekends (Friday and Saturday nights). The events will be taking place at Frontier RTP, 800 Park Offices, Durham, and at Focus Church, 7000 Destiny Drive, Raleigh. You can purchase tickets in advance for any of the drive-in movies. The price is $25 per car. Of course, you’ll also want to bring money for the food trucks. Get the movie schedule, purchase your pass and get all the details here.

• Here are a  couple of sites to find and stalk your favorite food trucks here and here.

Events

• Got word from the Lantern in Chapel Hill that they are doing their KFC Pop-Up again this weekend (Oct. 2 & 3, 5-8 p.m.), which simply means that if you missed out on Korean-style fried chicken and crispy wild catfish last weekend, you’re in luck. They will also be offering up more farmers market sides and salads, cold beer, pink wine and fig leaf sangria. You simply order online and pick up out front. You are welcome to grab a seat at their distanced outdoor patio or take it home along with wine and dessert. Order and get all the details here.

• Harvest Dinner, Raleigh City Farm’s annual fundraising event to celebrate a successful growing season, has a new format this year! Harvest Dinner “At-Home Edition” is a four-week series of take-home Sunday dinners featuring amazing local chefs: Cheetie Kumar of Garland on October 11; Coleen Speaks of Hummingbird on October 18; Caroline Morrison of Fiction Kitchen on October 25; and Andrew Gravens of A Place at the Table on November 1. The event series helps support the farm and local agriculture as well as the local restaurant community. For more information, visit here.

• On Saturday, October 17th Catering Works in Raleigh is blending two events (The State Fair and Halloween) into a covid-friendly, drive-thru experience called Carn-o-ween. Dress up (highly encouraged), drive-thru and pick up your deep-fried goodness cravings – all done with a Halloween flare. They have al la carte, family packs, and fun for two (including gluten-free options!). So, sign-up for a drive-thru time, get dressed up…and enjoy! Sign up for a pick-up time and get all the details here. A portion of proceeds will benefit The Judy Zelnak Center for Hope.

• TABLE, an organization that provides emergency hunger relief to children in Orange County, announces its 8th Empty Bowls annual fundraising dinner will take place on Sunday, October 25, with a “carry out” format from 4:00 – 7:30pm. Tickets will go on sale Friday, October 2nd (TODAY), at 12:00pm EDT and will be available for purchase here.

• Ashley Christensen Restaurants are now doing Picnic Pop-up at the Park at the North Carolina Museum of Art. You order your picnic (take-out breakfast, picnic boxes, snacks, and beverages) ahead of time and pick it up on Thursday and Friday 8 am til 2 pm and/or Saturday and Sunday from 9 am til 6 pm. Order ahead here and get contactless pick-up located along the walking path on the south side of the brick East Building at NCMA, behind the amphitheater, facing the sculpture park.

• Alley Twenty Six, one of Downtown Durham’s staple businesses, announced a weekly outdoor pop-up event titled “Alley Freezes Over” happening every Saturday and Sunday (weather permitting) from 12 pm to 8 pm. It continues throughout the summer and early fall. The pop-up includes new frozen cocktails and the choice of “boozy” or alcohol-free snow cones using their local, all-natural Alley Twenty Six syrups, plus a revamped food menu from chef Carrie Schleiffer. Seating will be available outside, in the namesake alley (26 Alley) located directly adjacent to the cocktail bar and will be following safety guidelines, including mask wearing, practicing social distancing, and sanitizing surfaces between guests. Visit them here.

• If there is any good to be found in the pandemic (there really isn’t!) it might be the resurgence of drive-in and outdoor movies! Some are your traditional drive-in/car venues, while others are outdoor spaces in the grass with market off “spaces” maintaining safe physical distancing and some even involve watching a movie with babygoats! (I’m serious) Our friends over at Triangle On The Cheap have a great list of drive-in and outdoor movie options for you and your family. Of course, bringing food or ordering food on site makes it that much better! Check out their complete listing of options here.

Food Bank Corner

• 2020 marks the Food Bank’s 40th anniversary of serving communities with food for daily nourishment, supplies during disasters, programs that serve families, and education. As our founders did in 1980, with just a card table and a telephone, we continue to work every day to ensure no one goes hungry. Today, we provide these resources and services in more than a third of our state. We are honored and humbled to be trusted stewards of the resources and relationships that allow us to operate, serving people facing hunger when they need it most. It is truly thanks to all of you- our partners in ending hunger– and the dedicated work of our staff that we’ve made progress in meeting people where they are to get the services they need. Together, we will continue the work of nourishing people, building solutions to hunger, and empowering communities to ensure that we won’t have to be doing this work 40 years from now. Visit this page to learn a little more about their 40 year history. #noonegoeshungry

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

Featured Restaurant News

• This is the best news since early March. The boys are back! That’s right, the entire crew behind Raleigh’s Stanbury is back and open after a much needed summer vacation. They are open Tuesday and Wednesdays from 2 – 8 p.m. for Snacks and Drinks on the porch and patio, and open Thursday, Friday and Saturday for dinner and takeout from 5-10 p.m. Walk-in only, no reservations. Visit them on Instagram for their dine-in and take-out menus. Welcome back! We’ve missed you!

Wake County Restaurant News

• Raleigh Convergence shared that Garland is now open with a new sidewalk patio and takeout options (including delivery!). You can make a reservation on their website up to 30 days in advance. Garland is helmed by Cheetie Kumar, a four-time James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef Southeast for her take on Indian and Asian meets Southern cuisine. Check it out here and make your reservations!

• Also in Raleigh, Jessica Rutti shared the news that the former Edwards Mill Bar and Grill has been completely renovated, redesigned and rebranded, reopening yesterday as Otra Vez, featuring crafted tacos, tortas and tequilla. Looks like their Facebook page might be the best way to keep up with them.

• Saw on Ashton Mae Smith’s weekly email that Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing has resumed their Sunday morning brunch, served from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. They have a very spacious dining room, as well as their huge patio with the best view of the downtown Raleigh skyline. Check them out on Instagram.

• NC State students will have another Hillsborough Street dining option when they return to campus next semester as Michael DePersia of DePersia & Associates shared with me that they have leased the former Jimmy John’s space (on the same block of Hillsborough St. as Chipotle) to David Huang of Hibachi & Co. They already have stores at Campbell, UNC as well as in Fuquay Varina and Garner. Visit them here.

• Over in downtown Cary, Raleigh Convergence also shared that Daybreak is now open, a new breakfast, brunch and tacos restaurant. On the menu are taco flights with eight options to mix and match; a three-meats Big Swanson Burrito; as well as pancakes, biscuits, other breakfast fare and a dedicated kids menu. People familiar with their sister restaurant, Crosstown Pub & Grill, will recognize some of the names behind Daybreak (Sheila, Sean and Brendan Ryan). The head chef is Juan Duartes. Daybreak is open 7 a.m.-2 p.m. daily at 154 E. Chatham St. in Cary. Visit them here.

• And just like that, there were nine. Well, not just like that, but on October 9th, Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken will open their 9th location here in in the Triangle, this one in Nichols Plaza in Apex (1107 Pine Plaza Drive). Visit Alpaca 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

• Carrie Brogren shared with the Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies Group that Bottle Rev Chapel Hill will move move across the way and into the space vacated by Tobacco Road Sports Cafe at East 54. Chapelboro shed a little more light on the matter with the news that the shop and taproom will rebrand to become Old East Tavern and will be bringing on Josh Coburn to be its executive chef to curate its menu. Coburn recently worked as the executive chef of the recently closed City Kitchen. Look for a 2021 opening. In the meantime, keep up with their progress on Facebook here.

• In Durham, WRAL’s Sarah Krueger uncovered and confirmed by the folks at Building Bull City that the former Papa John’s on Morgan Street is being renovated and will become a franchise location of a concept called Happy Pie. Not much on their website, so we will keep an eye on this one. Thanks Sarah!

• In Carrboro, Carrie Brogren shared the news that Iza Whiskey & Eats is coming soon to 370 E. Main Street where Tom & Che and One Fish, Two Fish used to be. Not much info on their Facebook page, but Japanese cuisine and whiskey….yes, please! Keep up with them on their Facebook page here.

Closings / Cancellations

• And it was confirmed last Friday, just after we published, that Chapel Hill’s City Kitchen has closed. Will miss that place.

• And it was also confirmed last Friday, that Carrboro’s Elmo’s (in Carr Mill Mall) has also made the difficult decision to close.

• And the Triangle Business Journal reported that Brio Tuscan Grille in Raleigh’s Crabtree Valley Mall which has been closed since March will not reopen.

Food Trucks 

• Triangle on the Cheap shared the news that Food Truck Flix is a recurring event that combines drive-in movies with food trucks, for a safer entertainment experience just announced their schedule for the upcoming weekends (Friday and Saturday nights). The events will be taking place at Frontier RTP, 800 Park Offices, Durham, and at Focus Church, 7000 Destiny Drive, Raleigh. You can purchase tickets in advance for any of the drive-in movies. The price is $25 per car. Of course, you’ll also want to bring money for the food trucks. Get the movie schedule, purchase your pass and get all the details here.

• Here are a  couple of sites to find and stalk your favorite food trucks here and here.

Events

• There is another Brewgaloo Drive Through on this Saturday, September 26 from 1 – 3 p.m. at the Lincoln Theater. You can help keep North Carolina breweries going by purchasing a 6 pack of your favorite style of beer or grab a Taste of NC mix pack to try 24 different brews from around the state. For this special Oktoberfest Edition of Drive Through Brewgaloo they have a mix pack of Fall seasonals and Oktoberfest releases available by the six-pack or case. You can also add on some delicious locally made pretzels to your order! Get all the details and order here!

• Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week is coming up – October 2 through October 11. And that means there will be TWO Saturdays during DTR Restaurant Week where the Downtown Raleigh Alliance will host Dine Out Downtown – two blocks of Fayetteville Street will be closed with socially distanced tables for you to safely enjoy your takeout while still dining out in downtown. Get all the details here!

• Ashley Christensen Restaurants are now doing Picnic Pop-up at the Park at the North Carolina Museum of Art. You order your picnic (take-out breakfast, picnic boxes, snacks, and beverages) ahead of time and pick it up on Thursday and Friday 8 am til 2 pm and/or Saturday and Sunday from 9 am til 6 pm. Order ahead here and get contactless pick-up located along the walking path on the south side of the brick East Building at NCMA, behind the amphitheater, facing the sculpture park.

• Alley Twenty Six, one of Downtown Durham’s staple businesses, announced a weekly outdoor pop-up event titled “Alley Freezes Over” happening every Saturday and Sunday (weather permitting) from 12 pm to 8 pm. It continues throughout the summer and early fall. The pop-up includes new frozen cocktails and the choice of “boozy” or alcohol-free snow cones using their local, all-natural Alley Twenty Six syrups, plus a revamped food menu from chef Carrie Schleiffer. Seating will be available outside, in the namesake alley (26 Alley) located directly adjacent to the cocktail bar and will be following safety guidelines, including mask wearing, practicing social distancing, and sanitizing surfaces between guests. Visit them here.

• Harvest Dinner, Raleigh City Farm’s annual fundraising event to celebrate a successful growing season, has a new format this year! Harvest Dinner “At-Home Edition” is a four-week series of take-home Sunday dinners featuring amazing local chefs: Cheetie Kumar of Garland on October 11; Coleen Speaks of Hummingbird on October 18; Caroline Morrison of Fiction Kitchen on October 25; and Andrew Gravens of A Place at the Table on November 1. The event series helps support the farm and local agriculture as well as the local restaurant community. For more information, visit here.

• On Saturday, October 3rd, chef/owner Scott Crawford will welcome the community to the cobblestone streets of City Market for an outdoor popup dinner featuring Crawford & Son’s “greatest hits” since opening. The charming backdrop of City Market’s old cobblestone streets provide space to serve guests in an open-air setting, in the safest way possible. There are a limited number of seats, and the dinner will take place under City Market’s covered eaves, rain or shine. Get tickets and all the details here.

• If there is any good to be found in the pandemic (there really isn’t!) it might be the resurgence of drive-in and outdoor movies! Some are your traditional drive-in/car venues, while others are outdoor spaces in the grass with market off “spaces” maintaining safe physical distancing and some even involve watching a movie with babygoats! (I’m serious) Our friends over at Triangle On The Cheap have a great list of drive-in and outdoor movie options for you and your family. Of course, bringing food or ordering food on site makes it that much better! Check out their complete listing of options here.

Food Bank Corner

• Covid 19 and the impact will be with us for a long time and the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina stands ready for the challenge – but they need your help! Here’s how you can help:

• DONATE FUNDS. As we shift our inventory and operations to meet the ever-changing need as well as prepare ourselves for Hurricane Season, funds are the resource we need most. Financial donations allow us to stay nimble, to change our operation as needed, and to reach new people with our efforts. 

• INVOLVE FRIENDS. Want to mobilize your neighborhood, church group, or other circle of friends? Holding a Virtual Food Drive is a great way to help – while practicing social distancing. We even re-launched our Virtual Food Drive platform. Visit foodbankcenc.org/vfd to set yours up today.

• USE YOUR VOICE. Research the policies that impact hunger and speak out! Contact your state, local, and federal representatives to let them know policies like SNAP, TEFAP, and WIC need to be strengthened in order to break the cycle of hunger and help relieve families of the burden of hunger. Visit foodbankcenc.org/advocacy to learn more.

• DONATE TIME. The Food Bank greatly relies on our volunteers, especially in times of crisis.If you are a healthy adult and want to volunteer, you can self-schedule a shift here. #noonegoeshungry