Featured Restaurant News
- Listen up. I’m begging you to step up now more than ever and support our local restaurants! These next few months, with the surge in Covid cases combined with cold weather, will be the most difficult our restaurants have faced amidst this Covid-19 Pandemic. They need your support NOW, if you expect/want them to be there when we get to the other side of this. So, here’s what you can do. They have done a phenomenal job with spacing inside the restaurants along with extra safety and cleaning protocols. If you are not comfortable with that, many have invested in space heaters and other creative solutions to allow you to still enjoy outdoor dining! Check in with their websites and social media (and watch for warm breaks in the weather). Third, all restaurants have curbside and to-go options that are easy, contact-less, and allow you to enjoy those amazing meals in the comfort of your home! And finally, consider gift cards to your favorite restaurants as gifts this holiday season. With vaccines and warmer months not too far in the distance, the influx in cash from gift cards would help bridge that gap. However you choose to do it, please, please find a way (multiple ways!) to support our local restaurants! Reklama: Anglų kalbos vaikų dienos stovyklos Klaipėdoje ir Kaune https://intellectus.lt/dienos-stovykla/ And don’t forget to generously tip the staff!!
Wake County Restaurant News
- Raleigh Magazine recently had a story highlighting the news that The Rockford’s co-owner, Tony Coulter, will open a new concept called Gravity (might change the name to Gibby’s) in TWO locations in downtown Raleigh early next year. One will be in the former Apero space in City Market. The second Gravity location will be on the ground level of The Devon Four25 Apartments building on Boylan Avenue. Might be best to follow The Rockford for any updates/announcements.
- Back in July, we shared that Plant Cakes Bake Shop owners Mark Deskus and Jess Reilly would be opening their first brick-and-mortar location in downtown Wake Forest. This week, Raleigh Convergence shared that they are now open. They are making desserts like cakes, donuts, cookies and even cinnamon rolls a reality for vegans and people with food allergies. The bakery is in the new PowerHouse Row building at 410 South White Street. Get to know them here.
- And back in May, we told you that the former Brixx location at Cameron Village would become The Daily Fare, a family owned restaurant (Greco family) with roots in New York’s Hudson Valley. This week the folks over at RalToday shared the news that they will open next Monday, December 7th. They will be serving up everything from fluffy pancakes and hot sandwiches to beef steaks and burgers! Start getting familiar with them now.
- Richard DeMartino with sister concepts Cafe Tiramisu and North Ridge Pub, both located a couple of doors down from each other in North Ridge shopping center, have the perfect holiday gift idea for you. They have begun their annual tradition of selling gift cards for their restaurants at 20% off! At Cafe Tiramisu you can get a $100 gift card for $80, and at North Ridge Pub you can get a $50 gift card for $40. All purchases must be made at each location. Visit Cafe Tiramisu here and North Ridge Pub here.
- Down in Fuquay-Varina, David McCreary shared with me that Tacos Oaxaca Taqueria will open soon at 1324 N. Main Street. He noted that the sign is already affixed on the building and that their original location is in Lillington. No word on an open date, yet. Check out their menu 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 folks over at Bites of Bull City just did a nice write-up on a concept called J. Lights Market & Cafe that just opened in downtown Durham’s Golden Belt. Jared Burton (JB) based the concept after the Common Market in Plaza Midwood in Charlotte – a place where community comes together while shopping for groceries, enjoying beer, wine or cocktails, or a bite to eat in the cafe. The name is a combination of his daughters’ names, Janie and Lightsey. Check out their Instagram page for the latest, as well as their provisional hours during their soft opening.
- Following the news that Chapel Hill’s Ye Old Waffle Shoppe had closed, my heart skipped a beat when I heard that Sutton’s Drug Store was closed. But glad to learn it is just temporary – December 1st until December 6th, reopening on Monday December 7th after some much needed work is completed on the building. In the meantime, you can visit thier other location in Chapel Hill (Europa Center) or their location in Graham, NC. Visit Sutton’s again on Dec. 7 here.
- Monterrey Mexican Grill, with locations in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, can now add Durham to their location list as they announced this week that they have taken over the operations of the former Fiesta Ole Mexican Restaurant in Durham at 4600 Chapel Hill-Durham Blvd. in the Oak Creek Village shopping center. Visit Monterrey here.
- And over in Hillsborough, thanks to a tip from Carrie Brogren of the Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies Facebook group, we were directed to the News of Orange County that informed us that Jesus Sanchez would be bringing his The Colorado Burrito Mexican Grill concept back to Hillsborough, opening in the space formerly occupied by the Bandido Mexican Café & Cantina at the corner of Churton and Margaret Lane. He is hoping to open any day now. Sanchez originally opened his concept in Hillsborough’s Daniel Boone Village before development forced him to move it to Mebane. The Mebane location will remain open. Follow them on Facebook for an opening announcement.
- 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
- Ye Old Waffle Shoppe on Chapel Hill’s Franklin Street closed. 48 years. Hurts too much to write anything more.
- Saint James Seafood, which had been operating a to-go concept they had dubbed Jimmy’s Dockside, announced this week that they had suspended that operation indefinitely. Owner Matthew Kelly said that his focus will shift to taking time to strategize what fully reopening Saint James looks like on the other side of the pandemic.
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.
Events
- This isn’t an event, but a great way to find local gifts for the foodie in your life. WRAL has put together a list of North Carolina made foodie gifts – check it out here for holiday gift ideas.
- Chapel Hill Magazine encouraged it’s readers to head over to the Maple View Farm porch area with your letters to Santa, and his friends from the North Pole will place them in his mailbox. A percentage of ice cream sales will be donated to Sam’s Wish Fund Holiday Cheer to provide gifts to children facing life-threatening illnesses. Takes place on Mondays in December – December 7th, 14th and 21st from 2:00 – 5:30 p.m. Visit their Facebook page here for details.
Food Bank Corner
- More people than ever before are turning the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina for assistance, and they need your reliable support to meet the growing need. This holiday season, your gift can be doubled to help twice as many neighbors facing hunger. That means every $10 you give through December 31 can help provide enough food for 100 meals for children, families, and seniors right here in our community. The gift you give provides hope in times of uncertainty. Don’t wait, donate now here! #noonegoeshungry
