TRIANGLE FOOD BLOG

Featured Restaurant News

• This week we learned more about the “next chapter” for downtown Durham’s Fullsteam Brewery. A pioneer in Durham’s craft beer scene, Fullsteam’s new taproom will be at the American Tobacco Campus, occupying approximately 9,000 square feet on the first floor of the historic Boiler Room (located between ATC’s iconic water tower and smokestack). The spot will boast a welcoming entrance, with a restaurant on one side and a casual bar on the other, creating both indoor and outdoor spaces. They will also introduce a new food concept, with more details to be announced soon. Fullsteam will wind down operations at its current Rigsbee Avenue location on October 31. The new taproom is expected to take about a year to build out. They will continue brewing beer and serving customers at its Boxyard RTP location and production will shift to Fortnight Brewing Company in Cary, enabling Fullsteam to scale its operations and meet growing demand. Keep up with all they have going on here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• RalToday shared the news this week that Willow House Coffee, previously a mobile coffee shop, will open a permanent location at the intersection of Lake Wheeler Road and S. Saunders. No word on a timeline. Might be best to keep up with their progress on their Instagram page here.

• Also in downtown Raleigh, Triangle NC Foodies on Facebook shared that El Toro Loco Taqueria has completed the successful transition from food truck to brick-and-mortar with their location across from Moore Square at 314 South Blount Street. They noted that it was started by the Barcenas brothers using generational family recipes. You’ll find flavorful Mexican street food like tacos, tortas, sopes, gorditas, burritos and more! Check them out here.

• Local wings joint Heavenly Buffaloes opened this past Tuesday in Raleigh in the former Hungry Howies spot at Haverty Square (6701 Glenwood Avenue). This is the restaurant’s fourth location in the Triangle (two in Durham and one in Chapel Hill). Get to know them here.

• Up in North Raleigh, reader Paul Prause brought it to our attention that the former Thai House on Hardimont Road off Wake Forest Road has a new sign up – Thai Twist Noodle House. Not many other details a this point. We’ll have to ask Prause to keep an eye on it for us! 🙂

• In downtown Raleigh, Good Day Good Night, located in The Casso Raleigh hotel at 603 W. Morgan Street, announced the appointment of Andres Felipe Cortes as the new Executive Chef. Cortes has 15 years of experience in prestigious hotels and restaurants, including Gonza Tacos y Tequila and Sassool Café. Check them out here.

• Really sad to share this, but you will want to make plans to get by one last time. Seaboard Cafe, which opened in the back of Logan’s Trading Company at Seaboard Station in 1991, will officially close on September 28th. Word has it that owner Rick Perales is working on a commemorative t-shirt that you can purchase as a keepsake. They are open 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Monday thru Saturday (closed on Sunday). Visit them here. (Pro tip: they will be extremely busy for the final month, so get by early)

• Down in Garner, Facebook page Garner Biz posted that White Oak Shopping Center (intersection of Interstate 40 and Highway 70) is getting a Nothing Bundt Cakes. They are shooting for an October opening. Get familiar with them here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• The News & Observer reported this week that meal delivery company, Redstart Foods opened a restaurant called Redstart Takeaway this past Monday next to their delivery operation (2025 N. Roxboro St.). The new restaurant and retail shop is open in the mornings for pastries, egg sandwiches and coffee, serve salads, bowls and sandwiches at lunch and run dinner services Friday and Saturday night, according to the N&O. Visit Redstart here.

• Oscar Diaz is at it again in Durham! Durham Downtown Community on Facebook shared that Tataco will be a taqueria on the ground floor of the GeerHouse apartments at 620 Foster Street. Diaz also owns the popular Little Bull in the Old Five Points neighborhood of Durham. No word on a timeline. Not much up on their Instagram page just yet.

• Over in Chapel Hill, the long awaited Chick-fil-A at University Place (241 South Estes Drive) opened this week in the footprint of the former K&W Cafeteria, complete with drive-thru service. This opening at University Place marks the first time the franchise has had a location on that side of town since the former location inside of University Mall closed in November, 2021. Visit them here.

• Also in Chapel Hill, Michael DePersia of DePersia & Associates let me know that he sold (the closed) Thaiphoon Bistro on the east end of Franklin Street next to Staples to Chari Kambara who owns Bharath Cafe located in Cary (716 Slash Pine Dr.). He will do a light remodel and open this second location of Bharath Cafe as soon as possible. In the meantime, get to know them here.

Closings

• None to report. Keep eating local, folks.

Food Trucks

• The next edition of Raleigh Foodie Fare at Raleigh’s Iron Works (2221 Iron Works Drive) is this Saturday, September 7th from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. The event features a food truck rodeo, 40+ local vendors, drinks, and more! Get all the details here.

• And the next Durham Food Truck Rodeo is this Sunday, September 8th from noon until 4 p.m. at Durham Central Park. This Sunday’s rodeo is a celebration of Latine Heritage. Get all the details here. The last one of the season will be on November 3rd.

• Jennifer Martin let us know that the last Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo of 2024 will take place on Saturday, September 21st from noon until 6 p.m. on Fayetteville Street in the heart of Downtown Raleigh. Whether you’re a fan of gourmet burgers, delicious tacos, or decadent desserts, this food truck rodeo promises to have something for everyone! Visit their Facebook event page 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

• Lakeside Kitchen will have a Kentucky Bourbon Dinner on Thursday, September 12th at 6:30 p.m. featuring Bardstown Origin Series KSBW, Woodford Reserve Wheat, Willett Family Estate Rye, Buffalo Trace Bourbon Whiskey and Willett Pot Still Reserve. They are located in the Park Alumni Center on NC State’s Centennial Campus. Tickets are $125. Get all the details here.

• The 6th Annual Sola Hot Mini 5k, dedicated to ending ALS, will be held on Saturday, September 14th at 8:30 a.m. featuring a 5k (walk or run), a 1-mile fun run and a virtual runner option (that sounds about my speed!). To date, the Sola community has raised over $600,000 to go directly to this severely underfunded disease. Kudos to the Sola community that has rallied around the fight to end ALS. Sign up and get all the details here.

• The Restaurant at The Durham is launching a series of monthly Sunday Suppers starting Sept. 15 with a Southern family-style feast. The menu includes Crispy Fried Chicken with Candied Jalapeño Hot Sauce, Creamy Mac and Cheese, Gus’s Slow-Cooked Beans, Summer Elote Salad and more. The dinner costs $45 for adults and $15 for children under 12. Other upcoming events include an Italian Sunday Supper in October, Friendsgiving in November and a Holiday Feast in December. The Durham is located at 315 E. Chapel Hill St. Get all the details and tickets here.

• Every September, restaurants and bars around the world celebrate Negroni Week. The Willard Rooftop Lounge is one of 17 Triangle restaurants and bars participating from Sept. 16-22. Negroni Week raises money for Slow Food, a global movement of local communities and activists across more than 160 countries seeking to change the world through food and beverage. The Willard is located at the AC Hotel Raleigh Downtown at 9 Glenwood Ave. Get all the details here.

• Scott Crawford, a renowned chef, five-time semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation, will hold an exclusive seated, family-style dinner on October 20 at Healing Transitions called Freedom Harvest: an Evening with Scott Crawford. Healing Transitions is a nonprofit organization in Raleigh dedicated to providing long-term recovery services and overnight shelter for individuals who are homeless, underserved and uninsured. This event holds special significance as it marks Crawford’s 20th year of recovery. Attendees can look forward to experiencing Crawford’s culinary expertise while supporting a vital cause. Get 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

• Kids are heading back to school. And with that, the effects of hunger reach well beyond the classroom — influencing health, well-being and earning potential well into adulthood. The Food Bank operates programs like Weekend Power Pack, Youth Pantries and Kids Cafés. With the support you provide, the Food Bank is able to connect more kids and teens with the resources they need to succeed and thrive. Help kids get the nutritious support they need to be successful by donating today!

Featured Restaurant News

• Raleigh Magazine shared the exciting news this week that next summer Lawrence Barbecue will be moving from their Boxyard RTP spot to a new brick and mortar location in downtown Cary at 150 E. Cedar Street (near Scratch Kitchen & Taproom and Zest Sushi and Small Plates). The new spot will bring together all three of Jake Wood’s concepts – Lawrence Barbecue, Lagoon Bar and Leroy’s Taco Shop – and will also feature a patio, smokehouse, full bar and merchandise. Congrats to Jake on all his success and hard work (and his team)! Follow along on Instagram here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• Word spread quickly this week that acclaimed Dominican chef Luis Zouain will open LaGana in the former Prospects space at 911 N. West Street sometime this fall. LaGana’s menu will consist of elevated wagyu-blend burgers, with one rotating “burger of the month.” In addition to the burgers, guests can enjoy “Mr. Thick,” a massive french fry topped with parmesan, chives and spices, as well as decedent layer cakes for dessert. The drink menu will boast a carefully curated selection of bubbles, beer and wine. Will be best to keep up with their progress on their Instagram page here.

• Got word this week that local wings joint Heavenly Buffaloes will open next Tuesday, September 3rd in Raleigh. They are located in the former Hungry Howies spot at Haverty Square at 6701 Glenwood Avenue. This will be the restaurant’s fourth location in the Triangle (two in Durham and one in Chapel Hill). Get to know them here.

• Raleigh Magazine shared that North Carolina will soon land its first location of Timber Pizza Co. in Raleigh as they move into the former Ladyfingers Catering spot on Whittaker Mill Road at High Park Village (627 E. Whittaker Mill Road). Look for them to open towards the end of September. Start getting familiar with them here in Instagram.

• Union Station Deli & Catering from Rocky Top Catering, located inside the iconic Raleigh Union Station at 510 W Martin Street in downtown Raleigh opened yesterday (yes, I was there!). Touted as a true New York-style deli, they are serving up breakfast bagels, deli sandwiches, and hot pressed sammies – with toppings like house-smoked pastrami, corned beef and chicken cutlets — as well as black-and-white cookies. They have weekday service (6 a.m. until 3 p.m.) initially, with weekend service to start in January. The concept is managed by Sean Degnan, known for his outstanding restaurant portfolio including bu•ku, so•ca and kō•än. Follow along on Instagram here.

• The News & Observer reported this week that an all-day Colombian restaurant is expanding to the Triangle. Cali Colombian Restaurant, which was founded in Charlotte a year ago, will open at 5601 Atlantic Ave. in Raleigh in September. The company that owns Cali, Andi Valentino Investments, is also behind Raleigh’s Pollo Campero, located on Litchford Road. The N&O also noted that they are looking to open two other Cali locations in Raleigh. Get familiar with them here.

• We first told you about this back in December, but an update this week confirmed that Raleigh’s “doughnut guy” – aka Alejandro Contreras – will open a brick and mortar location of Tepuy Donuts next month! Located in a small shopping center where Capital Boulevard and 440 meet (2820 Capital Blvd.), the new spot will lean toward grab-and-go doughnuts and coffee, with some indoor seating and a spacious patio. Check them out here. (warning, visiting the site will make you drool)

• Really sad to share this, but you will want to make plans to get by one last time. Seaboard Cafe, which opened in the back of Logan’s Trading Company at Seaboard Station in 1991, will officially close on September 28th. Word has it that owner Rick Perales is working on a commemorative t-shirt that you can purchase as a keepsake. They are open 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Monday thru Saturday (closed on Sunday). Visit them here. (Pro tip: they will be extremely busy for the final month, so get by early)

• Out in Brier Creek, reader Jennifer Buccholz shared that Golden Krust, a Caribbean bakery, is coming to the former CycleBar location. No word on an open date. Visit the chain here.

• And up in Wake Forest, got word from reader Rebecca Taylor that a concept called Jeff’s Bagel Run is coming to 12534 Capital Blvd. No word on an open date. Looks like this is their second location in North Carolina and the first in the Triangle. Get familiar with them here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• Thanks to the keen eyes (and a little internet snooping) of reader Shelley Colbert, she shared that a concept called Xolo Tacos + Tlayudas will open soon in Southern Village in Chapel Hill – possibly as early as November, 2024. The concept will be Mexican with a Oaxacan touch, according to their Instagram page. I share in Shelley’s excitement about this discovery. Follow along on their Instagram for updates.

• In Chapel Hill it is time to ‘eat mor’ chickin’ as the long awaited Chick-fil-A at University Place (241 South Estes Drive) announced that they will open on September 5th according to our friends over at Chapelboro. They are located in the footprint of the former K&W Cafeteria, complete with drive-thru service. This opening at University Place marks the first time the franchise has had a location on that side of town since the former location inside of University Mall closed in November, 2021. Visit them here.

• The Daily Tar Heel reported that Max’s Tin Can opened this week on Franklin Street. They are located at 201 E. Franklin St., beneath Time-Out in the former Downtime nightclub space. Congratulations to owner Michael Rosenbacher. Visit them on Instagram here.

• And a little further up Franklin Street, the good folks over at Zayka Indian Grill & Bar posted on Facebook that they are now open at 105 E. Franklin Street – just in time for the return of the students! They moved into the former Base Camp spot. They also have a location in Raleigh. Check them out on Instagram here.

• Over in Durham, after almost 20 years on Erwin Road, Nosh has completed their relocation and are now open in their new digs (but same great nosh!) at 717 Broad Street, complete with rooftop dining as well. They are open daily from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Visit them here.

• Also in Durham, Indy Week brought it to our attention this week that the local popsicle shop, LocoPops is launching a second location called LocoShop. Located on Foster Street in downtown Durham, it will carry just about everything that LocoPops does, including popsicles, ice cream, cakes, and sweet and savory pies as well as local and specialty pantry items and prepared meals, beer and wine, and sundries. Visit them here.

• Looking for a good dive in Durham? Buddy Glenn Gillen shared that High Dive bar is now open (where Glori and Quarter Horse used to be) at 101 W Main Street. They tout themselves as a stylish “dive” with games, beers, spirits, a vintage jukebox, pool, darts, foosball, pinball a great vibe and more. Best to follow along on Instagram here.

Closings

• Cary Magazine shared the sad news that after 43 years, Dallas Famous Chicken n’ Biscuits at 1101 East Williams Street in Apex will close for good on August 31. Thanks to David McCreary for passing that information along.

• And over in Raleigh, WRAL shared that Cousins Maine Lobster is closing their location at Morgan Street Food Hall. The restaurant’s last day open will be Aug. 31. Their trucks continue to thrive and roll all over the Triangle!

• Also in Raleigh, The Goat Bar announced that they have closed. They were located at 5111 Western Blvd. (pro tip: watch their Facebook page as they are still selling The Goat Bar swag).

Food Trucks

• Jennifer Martin let us know that the last Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo of 2024 will take place on Saturday, September 21st from noon until 6 p.m. on Fayetteville Street in the heart of Downtown Raleigh. Whether you’re a fan of gourmet burgers, delicious tacos, or decadent desserts, this food truck rodeo promises to have something for everyone! Visit their Facebook event page 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

• Lakeside Kitchen will have a Kentucky Bourbon Dinner on Thursday, September 12th at 6:30 p.m. featuring Bardstown Origin Series KSBW, Woodford Reserve Wheat, Willett Family Estate Rye, Buffalo Trace Bourbon Whiskey and Willett Pot Still Reserve. They are located in the Park Alumni Center on NC State’s Centennial Campus. Tickets are $125. Get all the details here.

• Alley Twenty Six and Night School Bar, two of Durham’s most cutting-edge cocktail destinations, are excited to announce their collaboration on a four-part monthly series titled Cocktails 101. Starting Tuesday, Sept. 3, Shannon Healy, owner of Alley Twenty Six, a 2022 James Beard Award finalist for Outstanding Bar Program, will lead the class. Participants can join either online or in person at Night School Bar, a venue known for blending academics with an unforgettable bar experience, having gained national recognition for offering college-level humanities courses in a bar environment. Get all the details and purchase tickets here. Individual class tickets can also be purchased, but are subject to availability.

• 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

• Kids are heading back to school. And with that, the effects of hunger reach well beyond the classroom — influencing health, well-being and earning potential well into adulthood. The Food Bank operates programs like Weekend Power Pack, Youth Pantries and Kids Cafés. With the support you provide, the Food Bank is able to connect more kids and teens with the resources they need to succeed and thrive. Help kids get the nutritious support they need to be successful by donating today!