Featured Restaurant News
- The News & Observer shed some additional light on news we initially shared with you back in the middle of June. We had shared that the owners of City Market Sushi will open a new spot in former Kaiju and The Darby location (170 E Davie St.) next to former Oak City Meatball Shoppe on Davie Street. At the time we knew that they would be offering fast casual ramen and sushi. Thanks to the News & Observer, we now know it will be called Daijoubu, which takes its name from a Japanese expression for “It’s alright.” The menu will focus on various Japanese noodles, specifically bowls of porky, tonkotsu style ramen and brothless mazeman ramn. Look for them to open later this summer, possibly in August. Might be best to follow City Market on Instagram for upcoming announcements from owner Jin Chang.
Wake County Restaurant News
- Have some good news to share. A little while back we shared that Papa’s Pizza in Raleigh on Leadmine Road (Greystone Village in between Gonzas and Bottle Rev) is closing at the end of the month when their lease runs out. Michael DePersia of DePersia & Associates just shared the good news with me that Johnny’s Pizza has signed a lease there and will fill the space after a few months of renovations. Visit Johnny’s on Instagram here.
- Raleigh’s Otomi Comida y Cocteles, which took over the former Brookside Bodega spot in Historic Oakwood, will celebrate their grand opening (albeit they are already, and have been, open) on July 19th. Otomi is a collaboration between Irregardless’s owner Lee Robinson and Juan Carlos Lugo, the restaurant’s former executive chef who had worked there for 11 years. The grand opening celebration will be 6-9 p.m. on Friday, July 19 with live music as well as menu and drink specials. More details to come. Visit Otomi here.
- The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that the owners of the popular Osteria G restaurant (5160 Sunset Lake Rd., Apex) are planning a new two-level steakhouse in Holly Springs complete with event space and private cigar lounge. Called OG Prime Steakhouse, it will be located at the corner of Linksland Dr. and Holly Springs Road. They described it as a fine dining restaurant with “old New York Gatsby” style. Look for them to open in the fall of 2025. In the meantime, visit Osteria G here.
Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News
- And some big news out of Chapel Hill’s Franklin Street on what everyone kinda guessed once it was announced that the Starbucks, located next to Raising Cane’s, would move across the street. Yes, Raising Cane’s will “spread out” into the Starbucks space. Starbucks should be in their new space by the time the students return this fall, and then the expansion work will begin.
- Out in the RTP portion of Durham, Margaret “Gosia” Szewczyk of Chef Chick’s Bakery has started a GoFundMe page to help take her bakery to the next level by creating funds for additional equipment and staff. If you feel so inclined to help a locally-owned, woman-owned business, read more about it and donate here.
Closings
- After a more than 10-year run, Glenwood South’s Plates Neighborhood Kitchen (301 Glenwood Ave.) is closing after service on Sunday, July 28th. That location has been approved for two high-rise towers. They did leave the door open for a “new chapter” saying, “we just have to go away for a while and dream it all up again.” So…stay tuned!?!
- Out in RTP, after nearly three years, Beyu Caffé is winding down operations at its Boxyard RTP location with the last day being July 16.
- Got word this week that Trolly Stop Hot Dogs at 104 W. Franklin Street in Chapel Hill has closed. Wester Auction & Realty is holding an auction of the contents of the restaurant. The auction closes on July 15.
Food Trucks
- The NC Food Truck Fair will take place next weekend Satruday, July 13th (5-9 p.m.) and Sunday, July 14th (noon-6 p.m.) at Durham Central Park (501 Foster Street). Expect food trucks (obviously), vendors, inflatables, a water slide, a DJ and more! 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
- Join the Carolina Ale House as they celebrate 25 years of being in business at their 25th Anniversary Party. The parties will take place on Saturday, July 20th at all locations, including drink specials, giveaways, live entertainment, and activations. They now boast 24 locations throughout North Carolina (7 here in the Triangle) and spanning into South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee. To find a location near you as well as additional details, visit them here.
- Buddy Greg Lewis (39 West Catering and The Sycamore) shared with me that Welcome Chatham (the Chatham County Welcome Center) is introducing a new event called A Taste of Chatham on July 21st at 4 p.m. Guest will be able to enjoy tastes from numerous local restaurants, breweries, wIneries, local mead as well as enjoy local music. This is a fundraiser to support the county Welcome Center which sees over 3,000 visitors annually and is not supported through any government source. Just 500 tickets will be available for $50 per adult, $25 for ages 6 to 11, with under age 5 free. Day-of tickets will be $60 for adults. Get tickets and all the details here.
- Back by popular demand! Join the team at Mandolin in Raleigh as they celebrate everyone’s favorite summer ingredient — tomatoes! Mandolin has created an exquisite, 5-course tomato menu, with each course capturing the beauty and variety of tomato season here in North Carolina. The dinners will be held on July 21, 22 and 23. They’ll be featuring 8-10 different varieties from Mandolin Farm and other local growers. The 5-course menu is $95 per person. Wine, Beer & Tomato Cocktails will be available, too! This event will sell out quickly so snap up yours! Visit them here to book your tickets!
- On July 22nd, join Ricky Moore as he welcomes Sammy Monsour and Kassady Wiggins, authors of “Salt & Shore,” for a family-style dinner at Saltbox Seafood Joint in Durham featuring their coastal recipes celebrating the Southeast. They’ll have communal seating and signed books will be available for purchase. Tickets are limited and can be purchased here.
- This is pretty cool. Catering Works and chef Rich Carter will hold a second exclusive Chef’s Table dinner on July 26th where culinary artistry meets cultural heritage at the North Carolina Museum of Art. In celebration of the exhibition To Take Shape and Meaning: Form and Design in Contemporary American Indian Art, this dining experience features sustainable practices inspired by Indigenous traditions. Start with a cocktail hour and gallery tour with exhibition guest curator Nancy Strickland Fields (Lumbee), director/curator of the Museum of the Southeast American Indian at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Then in East Café, enjoy a thoughtfully crafted menu that includes elk chili, bison short ribs, and a fresh corn salad highlighting the Three Sisters—corn, beans, and squash. This is an opportunity to savor flavors deeply rooted in Native American history, all while supporting sustainable cuisine. Get details and tickets here.
- The Durham is hosting its third annual Oyster Fest celebrating North Carolina oysters with special events and menus on The Roof and at The Restaurant from July 18-22. Oyster Fest will include three nights of events on The Roof from July 18-20 and a special oyster menu at The Restaurant from July 21-22. A special Oyster Fest room package at the downtown Durham hotel is also available all five nights. Get all the details here.
- Tickets are on sale now for the 9th Annual Dinner in the Meadow which will take place on September 15, 2024 on a grassy knoll atMeadow Lane Farm, in bucolic Franklin County, offering beautiful pastoral views and clear, starry skies. Some of the region’s most sought-after chefs will be preparing delicious dishes using ingredients from local farms and food artisans. It is an annual fundraiser for the Leonard-Mobley Small Farm Fund, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded in 2014 to support and cultivate small farms in our region of North Carolina. Get tickets and all the details here.
- USA Today Food & Wine Experience is coming back again to Raleigh on Saturday October 26th at the Big Field at Dix Park. Chef Jared Bobkin coordinates this event visiting approximately 12 U.S. cities annually. Get all the details here.
Food Bank Corner
- Picture this scenario: you have enough money to purchase food for the week, but not enough to cover your utility bills or transportation costs to work. Many of our neighbors in our own communities who face food insecurity struggle silently and have to make the difficult choice to go without meals to make ends meet. Every day at the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, they hear stories from grateful children, families, and seniors about the impacts of having access to nutritious food and especially fresh produce. Your generous gift, no matter the size, has the power to nourish countless lives, ignite hope, and pave the way for a brighter future. Give today if you can.
