TRIANGLE FOOD BLOG

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

Featured Restaurant News

• Just six days (but who is counting) until the 2022 edition of the NC State Fair! And what does that mean???? Guilt-free indulgences and all calorie-free! Check out this year’s line-up of palate-pleasing “fair food” – like frozen banana pudding tacos, chicken pot pie biscuits, Oreo crumble cookie dough on a stick and deep fried piggy tails (yes, deep fried bacon topped with cinnamon and powdered sugar, drizzled with syrup). Check out the line-up at this year’s State Fair which runs October 13 through the 23rd. And don’t forget the “lunch pass” option to enjoy for weekday lunches. All the details here on their Facebook page. Oh, and they have rides and games too.

Wake County Restaurant News

• The folks over at Raleigh Magazine shared the news that La Terrazza, a new concept by Raleigh restaurateur Samad Hachby (think Mulino Italian Kitchen & Bar), is opening on The Dillion’s rooftop in downtown Raleigh in the spring of 2023. The interior dining room will feature floor-to-ceiling glass walls and will seat over 100 people. It will also host two bars — one inside and another in an enclosure on the patio. The menu will place a large emphasis on Mediterranean and Italian offerings to include fresh seafood, crudi, handmade pastas and artisanal pizzas. Keep up with developments and progress at Hachby’s Umbria Hospitality Group site here.

• We have great news for those up in the North Raleigh/Wake Forest/Rolesville area. We learned this week that The Pickled Onion will be opening its third location (and fourth spot counting the The Pickled Pub) at 8440 Louisburg Road in the Forestville Crossing Shopping Center where The Buried Hatchet was. They will open by year’s end. One of the coolest features of this location will be an outdoor “container bar” and their own Picked Onion Food Truck in the courtyard behind the new location. Stay tuned for updates here.

• Over at Smoky Hollow the folks at RalToday tipped us off to a new tenant announcement and provided an update on the status of the other dining/drinking concepts. The newest addition to be announced this week was that New Anthem Beer Project, a craft beer brewery and taproom, will be opening their first location outside of Wilmington. And here is a quick update on the other projects: J. Lights will be the next spot to open, as early as this month. Milklab is under construction + opening by the end of 2022; Madre is under construction and opening in early 2023; Midwood Smokehouse is under construction and opening in early 2023; and finally, The Crunkleton is waiting for permits, with no opening date announced just yet. Keep up with updates here.

• RalToday shared that Tiff’s Treats is now open in the Village District. The cookie spot will host its Grand Opening on Saturday, November 5th and the first 100 customers in line at or before 8:45 a.m. will receive a $50 gift card. Get to know Tiff’s here.

• Want to support a local success story. Between now and October 24th, you can vote for Brewgaloo, NC’s largest craft beer festival, for USA Today’s Best Beer Festival Readers’ Choice award. Vote for them here. You can vote once a day. (Editor’s Note: As of this morning, they were in 5th place….let’s go!)

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• Due to the weather last weekend, Chef Chick’s Bakery has moved their Grand Opening celebration to this Saturday, October 8th. They will be hosting a raffle for a chance to win a delicious sample box! Follow along on Facebook here.

• Over in Chapel Hill, as we continue to wait for the much-anticipated re-opening of Crook’s Corner, we get to be teased by another of their infamous menu items. This Saturday, October 8th from 12-5 p.m. they will be selling their Persimmon Pudding. Each container is $15 and is enough for two servings. Pro tip: it won’t last until 5 p.m. Heck, you’ll be lucky if they still have any at 12:30. In other words, get there early! Follow along on Instagram here.

Closing / Cancellations

• Got word this week that after a 26-year run, the Red Hot & Blue location on Raleigh’s Falls of the Neuse Road has closed. That’s the bad news. The good news is that they just opened a brand new location in Morrisville’s Park West Village Shopping Center. Visit them there.

• Also got word from a reader that Jeddah’s Tea in Durham has closed.

Food Trucks

• The final Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo is Sunday, October 30. Mark your calendars. Get all the details 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

• The eighth-annual WRAL Voters’ Choice Awards presented by M&F Bank is here! Nominate your favorite local businesses today and help them make it to the voting round in October. Nominations close this Sunday, October 9th. The top five finalists in each category will go on to the voting round October 17 through November 20. Winners will be announced in January 2023 at an event in downtown Raleigh. Vote here.

• The Raleigh Beer Garden will hold their Oktoberfest party this Saturday, October 8th from 11 a.m. until close. The day will feature live music with the Little German Band, a DJ and a brat eating contest. Oh, and beer. Get details here.

• The 6th Annual Oak and Smoke Festival, a beer, bbq and bluegrass festival, will take place this Saturday, October 8th from 12 noon until 8 p.m. at Oak City Brewing Company at 616 North First Avenue in Knightdale. Attending the event itself is free. Don’t like BBQ? Food trucks will also be on site. Get all the details, as well as regular and VIP tickets, here.

• This Saturday and Sunday (October 8th and 9th) A Taste of Greece will take place at Durham’s St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. each day. They are located at 8306 NC Hwy 751 just 1/2 mile south of I-40 Exit 274, near the Streets at Southpoint Mall. Visit their site for all the details.

• After a two year hiatus, the 30th annual A Tasteful Affair, the tasting event of the season and fundraising event for the Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill, returns. This year’s event will feature samples from some of the area’s very best from the food and beverage industry, exciting silent auction, incredible live entertainment, and more! The event will take place at at The Carolina Club from 5:30-8 pm on Sunday, October 23. Pro tip: Use code: SOCIAL for a discount on your tickets! Get all the details here.

• The Bull City will be celebrating Oktoberfest in Durham Central Park on Friday, October 28 this year, thanks to The Glass Jug Beer Lab. The event is scheduled for 4 until 10 p.m. and includes a live interactive performance by The Little German Band & Dancers, as well as a “kids zone” hosted by Bull City Inflatables. And, of course, there will be beer. The Glass Jug will be serving several German-style lagers both from their taproom and from a rolling mobile beer trailer inside the park. Food will be available from several food trucks on site as well as in the Durham Food Hall. Get all the details here on their Facebook event page.

• On Saturday, October 29 beginning at 5 p.m., Durham’s Vin Rouge will throw a 20th Anniversary Fête celebrating two decades! Trays of hors d’oeuvres, tabletops filled with oysters, house pâté, beautiful cheeses, and so much more. Bars inside and out for Champagne, a glass of Muscadet, or a cold martini! And… live Gypsy Jazz throughout the night from the ONYX CLUB BOYS!!! Ticket covers admission and food – cash bars upon entry. Cost is $60 per person. Get all the details on their Facebook events page here.

• Also on October 29th, The Optimist and Brookside Bodega will be hosting their first ever Fall Fest from 2-6 p.m. featuring plenty of family fun, including food trucks, music, trick-or-treating, and games. Vendors interested in setting up a booth can still apply. Get all the details on The Optimist Instagram page here.

• On Thursday, November 3rd at 7 p.m., the NC Museum of Art, Vitis House, and Catering Works present “The Art Inside the Bottle” – a very special evening to explore the history, tradition, and process of winemaking.As you foster new insights that await you in the galleries, be immersed in a sensory experience of fabulous wines, specially curated food pairings and eye-opening works of art! Tickets are $150. Get tickets and all the details here.

Food Bank Corner

• The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina will hold their first ever Volunteer Festival September 24th from 10am-2pm at the Raleigh branch location. This festival is free entry, open to the public and come and go as you please. If you are one of the first 120 people to make a $10 donation to the Food Bank, you will receive a FREE beer from Mordecai Beverage Company. They will have an inflatable slide and obstacle course for ALL ages, a balloon twister and face painter will be on site and a variety of food trucks on site for your convenience including a nonprofit the Food Bank often teams up with, Inter Faith Food Shuttle Food Truck! For all you potato sorting lovers, they will have their signature potato sorting outside to meet your volunteering needs! Bring your family, friends and your neighbors to the Food Bank for their day of fun on September 24th 10am-2pm!! 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

• James Beard-nominated chef Victor Albisu announced this week the expansion of Taco Bamba, his popular D.C.-based chain of taquerias, to Raleigh. This will be their first location outside the D.C. metro area where he has seven locations. They are slated to open in the Ridgewood Shopping Center at 3540 Wade Avenue next spring. Start getting familiar with them here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• The Fenton development in Cary is not done yet adding new restaurant concepts to their lineup. This week Triangle Business Journal shared that Doc B’s Restaurant will open their first location in North Carolina in the spring of 2023. The Chicago-based restaurant chain will fill a 6,000-square-foot space and serve its made-from-scratch fare. Menu items include Danish barbecue ribs, tuna salad and various salads and sandwiches. The spot will also serve craft beer, wine and signature cocktails. Get to know them here.

• And if that is not enough Fenton news, neighborhood watering hole Dram & Draught opened there this week. This marks their third Triangle-area location, fifth overall since they first opened in 2016. They now have locations in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Greensboro and Wilmington. Their current hours of operation in Cary are 3-10 p.m. The highlight of this location is their rooftop patio! Stop by this weekend and enjoy one of their crafted cocktails. Visit them here.

• Over in Wake Forest, reader Mark McEachin notified us that Fortnight Brewing opened their new taproom in the heart of Heritage on Franklin Street (1894 S Franklin St.) at Rogers Road. The new spot features a large outdoor covered patio (heated). Stop by and check out their newest location here.

• Want to support a local success story. Between now and October 24th, you can vote for Brewgaloo, NC’s largest craft beer festival, for USA Today’s Best Beer Festival Readers’ Choice award. Vote for them here. You can vote once a day. (Editor’s Note: As of this morning, they were in 5th place….let’s go!)

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• A quick update. Due to the weather this weekend, Chef Chick’s Bakery has moved their Grand Opening celebration to October 8th. They will be hosting a raffle for a chance to win a delicious sample box! Follow along on Facebook here.

• This is not officially a closing yet, but the date has been set for the last day of service at St. James Seafood in Durham, It is October 8th. There are still chances to get reservations (I just booked mine!). Visit them here.

Closing / Cancellations

• None to report. Keep eating local, folks!

Food Trucks

• The final Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo is Sunday, October 30. Mark your calendars. Get all the details 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

• The eighth-annual WRAL Voters’ Choice Awards presented by M&F Bank is here! Nominate your favorite local businesses today and help them make it to the voting round in October. Nominations close on October 9. The top five finalists in each category will go on to the voting round October 17 through November 20. Winners will be announced in January 2023 at an event in Downtown Raleigh. Vote here.

• This Saturday, October 1 Iris Coffee Lab + Cafe is holding their first ever Open Art Studio where they are moving the coffee and cafe outside and basically turning over the inside to a bunch of their favorite artist friends. Both Saturdays should be a ton of fun. They are located at 725 Tucker Street in downtown Raleigh. Visit them here.

• Just a heads up. The Taste of China Festival that was scheduled this Saturday in Cary has been postponed due to the weather. A new date has not been set yet. Keep up with any announcements on their Facebook page here.

• Vidrio’s chef Saif Rahman will cook a Bangladeshi pop-up dinner at North Raleigh’s Cheeni Indian Food Emporium from 5-7 p.m. October 2. Rahman, who won Chef of the Year from the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association in 2021, will cook the food of his homeland, Bangladesh. Tickets cost $100 per person. Only 50 tickets are available. Buy tickets here.

• Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week is back October 3rd through October 9th. Participating eateries will offer three-course prix-fix meals or limited-time lunch, dinner, and drink specials. Participating restaurants will be announced later today. Check it out here.

• Did you know that October 4th is National Cinnamon Roll Day? The folks over at Morning Rolls in Raleigh Quail Corner Shopping Center know. And they will be offering $2.50 cinnamon rolls all day (limit 4) as well as prizes and giveaways. Plan to stop by and celebrate a holiday that makes this country truly great! Visit them on Instagram here.

• After a two year hiatus, the 30th annual A Tasteful Affair, the tasting event of the season and fundraising event for the Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill, returns. This year’s event will feature samples from some of the area’s very best from the food and beverage industry, exciting silent auction, incredible live entertainment, and more! The event will take place at at The Carolina Club from 5:30-8 pm on Sunday, October 23. Pro tip: Use code: SOCIAL for a discount on your tickets! Get all the details here.

• The Bull City will be celebrating Oktoberfest in Durham Central Park on Friday, October 28 this year, thanks to The Glass Jug Beer Lab. The event is scheduled for 4 until 10 p.m. and includes a live interactive performance by The Little German Band & Dancers, as well as a “kids zone” hosted by Bull City Inflatables. And, of course, there will be beer. The Glass Jug will be serving several German-style lagers both from their taproom and from a rolling mobile beer trailer inside the park. Food will be available from several food trucks on site as well as in the Durham Food Hall. Get all the details here on their Facebook event page.

• On Saturday, October 29 beginning at 5 p.m., Durham’s Vin Rouge will throw a 20th Anniversary Fête celebrating two decades! Trays of hors d’oeuvres, tabletops filled with oysters, house pâté, beautiful cheeses, and so much more. Bars inside and out for Champagne, a glass of Muscadet, or a cold martini! And… live Gypsy Jazz throughout the night from the ONYX CLUB BOYS!!! Ticket covers admission and food – cash bars upon entry. Cost is $60 per person. Get all the details on their Facebook events page here.

• On Thursday, November 3rd at 7 p.m., the NC Museum of Art, Vitis House, and Catering Works present “The Art Inside the Bottle” – a very special evening to explore the history, tradition, and process of winemaking. As you foster new insights that await you in the galleries, be immersed in a sensory experience of fabulous wines, specially curated food pairings and eye-opening works of art! Tickets are $150. Get tickets and all the details here.

Food Bank Corner

• The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina will hold their first ever Volunteer Festival September 24th from 10am-2pm at the Raleigh branch location. This festival is free entry, open to the public and come and go as you please. If you are one of the first 120 people to make a $10 donation to the Food Bank, you will receive a FREE beer from Mordecai Beverage Company. They will have an inflatable slide and obstacle course for ALL ages, a balloon twister and face painter will be on site and a variety of food trucks on site for your convenience including a nonprofit the Food Bank often teams up with, Inter Faith Food Shuttle Food Truck! For all you potato sorting lovers, they will have their signature potato sorting outside to meet your volunteering needs! Bring your family, friends and your neighbors to the Food Bank for their day of fun on September 24th 10am-2pm!! Get all the details here.