TRIANGLE FOOD BLOG

• The other big news in downtown Raleigh is that Standard Foods (2.0) opened back up yesterday under the guidance of chef Eric Montagne and master sommelier Fred Dexheimer. The well regarded restaurant closed this past June with the departure of Scott Crawford. Get the latest on their website here.

• Also in downtown Raleigh, the former location of the former Mo’s Diner, then Holly’s on Hargett and then Notte Urbana, will become The Outpost in two weeks. Owner Claudia Frady says it will be a Tiki bar, but also offer coffee, juices, smoothies and other drinks, in addition to a limited food menu. Check out the write-up on Raleigh Agenda here.

• The Triangle Business Journal reported that Giardino Gourmet Salads, well known in Florida, is coming to Harrison Square in Cary later this month near the Bass Pro Shop on Harrison Avenue. Get to know them here.

• Also in Cary, the Triangle Business Journal reported that the local franchise partners for Built Custom Burgers have signed a deal to open a second Triangle location at the new Whole Foods-anchored retail center on N.C. 55. In June, Built Burgers confirmed plans to open the first North Carolina location at the Streets of Southpoint Mall in Durham by early 2017. Check them out here.

• The Triangle Business Journal reported that the latest dinner/movie concept has opened in Holly Springs. Ovation Cinema Grill 9 will have its grand opening on October 13th, but now through October 11th they will show recently released films for $3 with proceeds going to the Meg’s Smile Foundation. Get a preview of them here on their Facebook page.

• A quick shout out to Charles Winston and Wil O’Neal and the celebration of the 30th year of a Raleigh landmark, Winston’s Grille. If you’ve never been before, do yourself a favor. Check them out here.

• We hinted at some rumors surrounding Heavenly Buffaloes last week, but WRAL filled us in on the details this week. Bull Durham Beer Co. is teaming up with Heavenly Buffaloes for a new beer garden called The Bullpen. It will be located in a 2,000-square-foot space on the ground floor of the American Tobacco Campus’ Diamond View III building. The Bullpen will operate year round and feature an outdoor patio. Lunch and dinner will feature selections from Heavenly Buffaloes and they will have eight rotating taps featuring Bull Durham Beer and other North Carolina beers. Look for them to open later this month. Check out Heavenly Buffaloes here and Bull Durham Beer Co. here.

• An update on the offerings coming to Eastgate in Chapel Hill. Reader Jason Klaitman notified me that Chipotle is also coming to Eastgate joining Chopt, Babalu’s and Zoe’s. Chipotle already has a location in downtown Chapel Hill, and just down 15-501 in Durham. No word yet on an official open date. Check out Chipotle here.

• The Cup-A-Joe at 120 West King Street in downtown Hillsborough has moved…but just down the street to larger digs at 112 West King Street. They made the successful move earlier this week. Check them out in their new expanded space! Congrats to Brooke Erceg and Ryan Creery. Get the latest on their Facebook page here.

• Got word from reader Chris Creighton that San Remo Italian Grill on Kildaire Farm Road in Cary has closed.

• Chris also informed us that Off Kilter Pub & Grille on Center Street in Apex has closed.

• The final Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo of the year is this Sunday, October 9 from 1-6 p.m. Hopefully all of the rain will be out of here, and all can enjoy some good eats! Get all the details here.

• If you are a golf nut you’re probably pretty excited about the SAS Championship golf tournament the weekend of October 11-16 at Prestonwood Country Club. But if you are more into food trucks (or perhaps both!), then don’t miss the free food truck rodeo taking place on Friday, October 14 featuring Cousins Maine Lobster, Chirba Chirba Dumpling, American Meltdown and Spanglish. More information and menus can be found here.

• The Raleigh Durham Mobile Food Association (RDUMFA) will hold a food truck rodeo in Carrboro on October 16th from 11 – 4 p.m. at the Carrboro Town Hall grounds. Get more information on their website.

• For a listing of ALL food truck events, head over to Art’s page, The Wandering Sheppard on all things food truck related here.

• The folks over at TROSA are holding a BBQ & Friends fundraiser on October 9th from 1 to 4 p.m. at 1820 James Street. Participating restaurants include Nana’s, Nanataco, Saltbox Seafood Joint, Foster’s Market, Rise and The Original Q Shack. Tickets are $25 and $10 for kids. Get all the details here.

• Also on October 9th, Raleigh City Farm (RCF) will be hosting its 4th annual Harvest Dinner at 6 p.m. with a special VIP reception beginning at 5 p.m. Chef Teddy Klopf of Provenance will be the featured chef. Both the dinner and VIP hour will take place on the farm property at 800 North Blount Street, located adjacent to Person Street Plaza. All proceeds from the dinner will benefit RCF and support its mission to grow new urban farms and farm entrepreneurs to strengthen sustainable, healthy food systems. All Harvest Dinner tickets can be purchased here.

• And we can’t help but remind you about the upcoming State Fair – October 13-23rd and their “Eat Lunch at the Fair” deal. Here’s how it works. Come to Gate 9 (only) after 11:30 a.m. on weekdays, pay $10 cash for a lunch card to get in, get your grub on at any fair vendor, and exit out the same gate by 1:30 p.m., and you get your $10 cash back. Sign me up! Get all the details here.

• The Root Cellar Cafe & Catering in Chapel Hill is holding its fifth annual Porkapalooza on Friday, October 14th at 6:30 p.m. The event will feature twelve small plate courses celebrating local pork, including roasted suckling pigs; beer cheese fondue with local sausages; fried green tomatoes topped with pimento cheese, beer-braised crispy pork belly and tomato jam; poutine with sweet potato fries, Seven Springs country gravy and Ashe County cheese; and bacon marshmallow s’mores. The dinner also includes Fullsteam beer pairings. Save $10 by ordering tickets by Aug. 31. Get all the information and tickets here.

• Saturday, October 15th and Sunday, October 16th are the dates for 3rd Annual Triangle VegFest this year in Raleigh. Saturday’s events will be at Nash Square in downtown Raleigh from 1-5 p.m., and Sunday’s events will be held at the McKimmon Center from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Get all the details here. Thanks to Holly Kahl for the heads up!

• On October 16th in Carrboro, grab a locally made pottery bowl, enjoy a hearty meal of soup, sandwiches and dessert and help TABLE provide food aid to area children all while enjoying live music and a silent auction at Weaver Street Market in Carrboro. Tickets: $15-$50. Visit here for all the details.

• Also on October 16th in Chapel Hill, A Tasteful Affair will take place at the Blue Zone at Kenan Stadium, to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill will have food and beverage purveyors like Chirba Chirba, elements and others competing for awards with judges like UNC’s Sean May and Miss North Carolina McKenzie Faggart crowning their favorites. Tickets: $75-$125. Get all the details here.

• The 12th Annual Garner Rotary Club OysterFest will be held the evening of October 20 at the Fidelity Business Park in Garner.  Monies raised at the event are used to fund college scholarships for area high school seniors. The menu includes “all you can eat” oysters, seafood bisque and clam chowder, catfish fingers, chicken fingers, popcorn shrimp, pulled BBQ, coleslaw, potato salad, French fries, dessert and drinks. A cash bar is also available. Tickets are $30 in advance from a Rotarian and $35 at the door. Get all the information here.

• Jennifer Noble Kelly sent me information about PICNIC, North Carolina’s newest whole hog barbecue joint, and its’ farm partner, Green Button Farm, hosting their inaugural NC Barbecue Revival at the farm this fall, October 28th – 30th. The three-day weekend will be chock full of classes, discussions, feasts and pig pickins’. Get a listing of all the events, ticket information and every last detail on the their website here.

• On November 6th, the folks over at Acme will bring back the fourth edition of Salt & Smoke Festival to beautiful Rock Quarry Farm on Highway 54 just outside of Carrboro. This is becoming quite the event, as over 500 people attended last year. Get all the details and ticket information here.

• Join the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina at the NC State Fair on Thursday, October 20th. Here is how it works. Bring five cans of Food Lion brand food to the NC State Fair and you get in free! And you’ve helped a great cause in the process. Everybody wins. 5 cans = free admission. Get all the details here.

Triangle Restaurant News

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

Featured Restaurant News

• The folks behind Crabtree’s Red Monkey Tavern and Brier Creek Beer Garden are bringing Crabtree Beer Garden to Crabtree Valley Mall according to the Raleigh Agenda. It will occupy the former Tomato Pie space which recently closed (and owned by the same folks). They also hinted at the fact that they are looking to open similar concepts in north Raleigh and Cary. The tentative open date for Crabtree is October 15. Keep up with them on Facebook here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• New Raleigh reported this week that Oak & Dagger Public House is now open at downtown Raleigh’s Seaboard Station. Their official tweet came out on September 25th. Check them out here.

• The News & Observer reported this week that Downtown Raleigh restaurateur and bar owner Jon Seelbinder has opened the first phase of Little City Brewing and Provisions Co. in Raleigh’s Glenwood South neighborhood. The project is the latest offering from Seelbinder’s Local Icon Hospitality, which also owns Architect Bar, Green Light, Virgil’s Original Taqueria Taco Bar, Level Up and Linus & Pepper’s. Keep up with Little City on their Facebook page.

• Metro Diner, a popular Florida restaurant chain that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week, is having their “soft opening” this weekend with the official open date of next Tuesday, October 4 at the Sutton Square shopping center in North Raleigh (former Aladdin’s Eatery location). Learn about Metro Diner here.

• Also this week in Raleigh, the first Triangle-area location of Grabbagreen opened in North Hills. This is the first of two planned Triangle locations, with a second slated to open in Cary next year. Check them out here.

• Got word from readers Michael Pocinki and Kathy Olson that Rock Harbor Grill, formerly of Apex, has just reopened in Fuquay-Varina at 132 S. Fuquay Avenue. Check them out here.

• And down in Benson, the News & Observer reported that Jerry Stephenson Jr., the pitmaster for the Redneck Scientific team, announced that he is opening a new barbecue restaurant, The Redneck BBQ Lab. It will be located at the intersection of Highway 210 and Interstate 40. They hope to open the restaurant by late fall. Visit their website here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

Closings

Food Trucks

• The final Chatham Street Chowdown of the year is in downtown Cary on Sunday, October 2 from 4-8:30 p.m. with more than 20 food trucks and a slew of wine and beer vendors. The event is held rain or shine. Get a full list of participating trucks and all the details here.

• The Raleigh Durham Mobile Food Association (RDUMFA) will hold a food truck rodeo in Carrboro on October 16th from 11 – 4 p.m. at the Carrboro Town Hall grounds. Get more information on their website.

• For a listing of ALL food truck events, head over to Art’s page, The Wandering Sheppard on all things food truck related here.

Events