TRIANGLE FOOD BLOG

•  Here is an event you are definitely going to want to get on your calendar for 2014. Two words: Beer. Bacon. That’s right, a Beer and Bacon Festival is coming to Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheater featuring at least 75 craft beers and 10 varieties of bacon (who knew?). The event will be held on March 29 from noon until 6 p.m. Get all the details and ticket information here.

Wake County Restaurant News 

•  The N&O’s Andrea Weigl reported that Vincent Barresi (Vincent’s in North Raleigh and Cucina di Milano in Morrisville), has signed a lease for the old Bogart’s space on Glenwood South. While the chef hasn’t been announced, Barresi is targeting a February opening for the speakeasy-style bar and restaurant with a menu centered around steaks and seafood. We’ll keep an eye on it.

• I’m not sure when this guy sleeps (or stops), but downtown Raleigh restaurant and bar owner Niall Hanley is switching from Irish to German in his latest venture in the Glenwood South district according to the Triangle Business Journal. Hanley will convert the space, which is an office building located at 614 Glenwood Avenue next to Harry’s Guitar Shop, into a two-story restaurant and bar, or Bier Garten. We will continue to keep an eye on this one.

• While we cannot confirm this at this point, but New Raleigh suggested this week that the much-anticipated Gringo A Go-Go may be opening this weekend. Gringo is the creation of Ben Shelton, the chef who started Lilly’s Pizza in Raleigh. It is located in the former Ruben’s Downtown Diner spot at 100 N. Person Street. Keep up with the latest here.

• Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar has opened in Morrisivlle in the Park West Village Shopping Center according to their website. This marks their 7th location and the second in the Triangle (the other is in Seaboard Station in downtown Raleigh). Check them out here.

• Right after our last post just before Thanksgiving reporting that Cameron Village’s Café Caturra was closing, we were able to confirm that Tazza Kitchen, a wood-fired cooking concept out of Henrico, Virginia was moving in. Check them out here.

• The News & Observer reported that Happy + Hale, a fresh juice and salad delivery service and cart in downtown Raleigh, is opening a quick-service restaurant in early March. It will be located at 443 Fayetteville St., in one of those free-standing “pods” which was the former Collectors Gallery space in front of Bank of America. Check them out here.

• Also just before the holidays we got tipped off to the fact that a place called Despina’s Café, which offers homemade baked pastries, sandwiches, soups, salads, and desserts with a European influence, will open in early January at 8369 Creedmoor Road in Raleigh. Check out their Facebook page here.

• In our last issue, we reported that City Barbeque, a chain based out of Ohio, has begun renovation of the former Cinelli’s Ristorante building at 1305 Kildaire Farm Road in Cary. Turns out they completely tore down the Cinellis’s building and are starting from scratch. Thank goodness!

• The News & Observer is reporting that another location of Denny’s has opened in the former O’Charley’s spot at 4380 Fayetteville Road in Raleigh. Also on Fayetteville Raod (4205 Fayetteville Road), a Chinese restaurant called Hibachi Buffet has opened in the former Mayflower Seafood building.

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News 

•  Zinburger Wine & Burger Bar, which took over the Rockfish Seafood Grill space, is opening at The Streets at Southpoint on Dec. 10. Zinburger is an upscale burger restaurant that sells gourmet burgers paired with wine selections. With locations up and down the east coast, this is the first North Carolina location. Get a sneak peek at them here.

• We got word last week that Gregoria’s Kitchen will be re-opening in their new location – 2701 Hillsborough Road in Durham – in early 2014. Keep up with the latest developments here.

• Things are taking shape over in Durham at Straw Valley Café. They are closed through December 9th to undergo renovations. According to their Facebook page they will be installing a new design, food, coffee and juice menu by day w/ fresh juice cocktails and wines! Follow them on Twitter to get the latest updates.

• The Triangle Business Journal is reporting that the burger joint Smashburger will be opening early next year across from Duke University’s campus in the Pavilion East at Lakeview complex on Erwin Road. This will be the chain’s second North Carolina location, and the first in the Triangle. Check them out here.

Closings 

•  None! Keeping eating local, folks!

Food Trucks 

• Mark your calendar for 6 p.m. on December 11th when Chapel Hill’s Il Palio restaurant at The Siena Hotel offers up a five-course dinner with beer pairings from Durham’s Fullsteam brewery. The cost is $55 per person. For a reservation, call 919-918-2545. Get more information here.

• And next Thursday, December 12th, Cary’s An Cuisines will host a Winter Wine Social where you can enjoy a variety of wines paired with sushi and hors d’oeuvres prepared by Chef Steven Greene beginning at 5:30 p.m. With an opportunity to taste over 20 wines (which will be available for sale), the cost is just $25. To reserve a spot, call 919.677.9229.

• Congratulations to Neomonde Café & Market in North Raleigh as they celebrate their 2-year anniversary on Saturday, December 14th. As part of the celebration, they will have wine, bread and food sampling, live Christmas music and Middle Eastern music and will donate 5% of their proceeds to Note in the Pocket. They will also give out a FREE piece of walnut baklava to every customer with their purchase! Get all the latest here.

• And the Angus Barn is cooking up two very unique and special dining experiences this holiday season – a Christmas Dinner featuring the wines of the Biltmore House on December 23rd and a New Year’s Eve celebration on December 31st. Get information on the Christmas Dinner here and the New Year’s Eve Celebration here (early seating) and here (late seating).

Food Bank Corner   

• If you are looking for a truly meaningful way to make a direct impact on someone’s life this holiday season, consider donating to the annual Holiday Food Drive being conducted by the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. Their goal is $350,000, or 1.7 million meals before December 31st. Get all the details on how you can help here.

Featured Restaurant News

• This is exciting news. I was reading a national food blog this week called Eater and learned that Andrea Reusing, owner of Chapel Hill’s Lantern restaurant, has plans to open a second establishment in downtown Durham. With nothing set in stone just yet, she did suggest that it is about a year out and will be completely different than the Lantern. We will keep you posted.

Wake County Restaurant News 

•  The much-anticipated addition to the North Hill’s dining scene, Chuy’s Raleigh, will open this Tuesday, November 26. Check out their Facebook page here.

• Exciting news for downtown diners this week as Niall Hanley opened The Station Restaurant and Bar yesterday in the old Rosie’s Plate location on North Person Street. Check them out here.

• In a pretty quick turn of events, Raleigh’s Brookside Market & Deli (1000 Brookside Drive) changed ownership over the past week and has re-opened as Brookside Pizzeria.

• The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that City Barbeque, a chain based out of Ohio, has begun renovation of the former Cinelli’s Ristorante building at 1305 Kildaire Farm Road (think Trader Joe’s) in Cary. They plan to open next April. We’ll keep an eye on it.

• We saw this week on the Chowhound blog that Café Soo (on Hillsborough Street across from the Bell tower) has found a new home. They will be moving into the old Fortune Palace location in Capital Boulevard’s Stonybrook Shopping Center. Look for them to open there in December. Until then, stop by for a little Korean Fried Chicken at their current location.

• Got word from John Huisman (aka Triangle Explorer) that Dickey’s BBQ has opened another location in North Raleigh in the former Spinners Grill location at 14460 New Falls of Neuse Road next to the Wakefield movie theater. Check out Dickey’s here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News 

• The News & Observer is reporting today that The Pit, Durham’s version of the popular Raleigh restaurant, will open next Tuesday – at least partially. Located at the corner of West Geer Street and Rigsbee Avenue (next to Fullsteam Brewery), you’ll only get access to the ground floor of the restaurant. The upstairs, which features a rooftop patio, won’t be accessible for another month. Check them out here.

• The News & Observer is also reporting that across the street from The Pit, Motorco Music Hall has started serving food from its kitchen space, Parts & Labor. Chris Holloway, a local chef and entrepreneur involved in two other restaurant ventures in Durham County, has set an initial menu with global street food offerings. Check them out here.

• The folks behind Triangle Brewing Company will swing open the doors to Pint & Plate today (Nov. 22) at 4 p.m…minus the plate. Several unexpected delays will keep it a beverage stop for a couple more months, with an anticipated January completion of the dining end of the establishment. They are located at 802 W. Main Street where The Roxy used to be. Get more details here.

• The News & Observer also reported that 118 Got Soul recently opened their doors in downtown Durham. Look for barbecue turkey ribs, fried, smothered or roasted chicken, smothered pork chops and the like.
  Check them out here.

• We continue to keep an eye on the mobile coffee bar called Caffe Bellezza over in Durham. They announced this week that very soon you’ll be able to enjoy their goodness at Sam’s Quick Shop in the mornings. Sam’s is located at 1605 Erwin Road in Durham. In the meantime, check them out there.

Closings 

• We learned this week that last Saturday, Cameron Village’s Café Caturra closed their doors. There are some early rumors swirling around about what the space will become, but it is too early to comment at this point. Suffice it to say, that is too hot of a location to remain closed for long. We will keep an eye on it.

• On November 23rd from 5-8 p.m. the folks behind Chirba Chirba Food Truck and the folks over at Aviator Brewing Company are teaming up for a one-night pop-up dining experience at the Belt Line Station in Durham. The cost is $28. Reserve your tickets and get all the details here.

• Triangle Family Services’ will hold their annual Gingerbread Benefit on Thursday, December 5 at the Umstead Hotel & Spa in Cary. Attendees will have a chance to view beautiful gingerbread houses designed by nearly 30 local chefs and support Triangle Family Services’ mission to help families in crisis. Get more details here.

• Mark your calendar for 6 p.m. on December 11th when Chapel Hill’s Il Palio restaurant at The Siena Hotel offers up a five-course dinner with beer pairings from Durham’s Fullsteam brewery. The cost is $55 per person. For a reservation, call 919-918-2545. Get more information here.

Holiday Menus, Turkeys & Holiday Gifts!   

• Ordering a “Holiday Lunch” for your office? We’ve made it simple for you. Check out these great holiday menus from A Catered Affair, The Picnic Basket, Catering By Design, We Cook For You Catering, Neomonde Cafe and Green Planet Catering. As an added bonus, all orders off any of these Holiday menus (now through the end of the year) will earn you double points!! Order away and happy holidays!

• Don’t want to cook on Thanksgiving? Here are some options for you. Both The Q Shack in North Hills and Neomonde in North Raleigh will have your turkey and all the fixings ready for you to pick up. For The Q Shack click here and for Neomonde just email Noelle here.

• Also, if you are so lazy that you don’t want to even do that (I get it), Andrea Weigl over at the News & Observer has put together a list of restaurants that will be open on turkey day. However, we recommend you get your reservation in early. Here’s the list.

• If you are looking for holiday gift ideas, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance has created the perfect option – a Shop Downtown gift card that, among other retail options, gives you access to over 37 downtown restaurants. Get your gift card(s) here.