TRIANGLE FOOD BLOG

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

Featured Restaurant News

• One of my most reliable sources, Kenan Barnes, shared some insider information this week. He got word that The BBQ Lab at North Hills will open their doors next Wednesday, October 26th in the space formerly occupied by Tom Meyer’s Q Shack. Best to follow along on Facebook for the official announcement. The BBQ Lab is brought to us by the same folks behind Johnston County’s Redneck BBQ Lab. Find them here.
  
  UPDATE: Please check with their social media for an opening date announcement. Hiring adequate staff has been an issue. Jerry will officially announce their opening.

Wake County Restaurant News

• And arguably more reliable than Kenan, Julie Barnes shared that Sneaky Penguin Brewing Company, located at 7449 Six Forks Rd., is in soft-open mode through tonight (6-9 p.m.) with guest taps. Their own stuff, and regular hours, start next week on Tuesday, October 25th. Visit their site for all the details.

• Five years after opening the doors to their first retail shop in West Cary, Andia’s Ice Cream has announced its third location in the brand new Raleigh Iron Works – a mixed-use development connecting Raleigh’s history to its future through innovative, curated, and dynamic spaces. They plan to open their doors to their Raleigh location in early spring of 2023. Visit them here.

• Over in Morrisville, Piada Italian Street Food opened this week. It is a fast-casual Italian restaurant, featuring custom-rolled Italian-style street wraps, as well as salads, pastas, and street sides. This is their third location in North Carolina, with the other two in the Charlotte area. Get to know them here.

• The Triangle Business Journal shared this week that Kimchi, offering Korean cuisine in a casual setting, will be opening soon at The Arboretum at Weston in Cary (2025 Renaissance Park Place at the corner of Harrison and Weston). Look for them to open in early 2023. They also noted that Cary’s third location of First Watch and Sanford’s offshoot of Fonda Lupita, La Victoria Cocina Mexicana, are also slated to open in the same shopping center.

• Up in Wake Forest, John Huisman, aka Triangle Explorer, shared that he spotted Summer Moon, a new coffee shop coming into the Heritage area at 3600 Rogers Branch Rd. The shop features wood fired coffee over Texas oak. Their grand opening (including free swag to the first 50 folks) will be next Saturday, October 29th. This will be their first location in North Carolina. Get familiar with them here.

• Want to support a local success story. Between now and October 24th (that’s next Monday), 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: At last check, they were in 4th place….let’s go!)

• Here is one more local success story that could use your support/vote. Funguys Brewing in Raleigh has been nominated for USA Today’s 10 Best New Breweries in competition with breweries younger than 4 years old around the country!!! Voting is active now until October 24th! Give them a vote (or two) here!

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• In Durham, Mezcalito Durham opened this week at 706 Ramseur Street. They are self-described as a unique take on Mexican cuisine with a Tex-Mex heart. This marks their fifth location, with a sixth location planned for Apex. Check them out here.

• Also in Durham, La Recette Patisserie will hold their grand opening on Saturday, October 22nd at 9 a.m. offering specialty pastries, savory items, espresso drinks, Algerian mint tea. There will be complimentary cupcakes for all the kids and the first 20 people will receive a house coffee and linzer cookie! They are located near the intersection of 54 and 55, behind the Cookout (4823 Meadow Dr., Suite 115). Get all the details on their Facebook event page here.

• Over in Chapel Hill, Downtown Chapel Hill shared the news that Beer Study is moving across the street into the former Mint location at 504 W. Franklin St. The time frame is not set in stone, just “hopefully mid-November.” Follow along on Facebook for updates.

Closing / Cancellations

• Lesley Stracks-Mullem from Taste Carolina shared the unfortunate news that The Honeysuckle Tea House will no longer have regular open hours for the public. They will shift to focusing on farming and providing unique experiences at the farm.

Food Trucks

• Pure Soul is hosting a Food Truck Rally featuring all your favorite vegan food trucks this Sunday, October 23rd from noon until 4 p.m. at their location at 4125 Durham Chapel Hill Boulevard in Durham. The event will feature the following trucks: Epic Vegan; Soul Cocina; Alkaline Bites; Meatless Grease; The Vegan Ice Cream Man; The Vegan Spot; and Natural High Smoothies. The food trucks will also be joined by local breweries Glass Jug and Ponysaurus. Expect music and local artists as well. Get all the details on their Facebook events page here.

• 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.

• 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.

• On October 27th, from 5-8pm, the Ardbeg Smoker will be rolling up to Whiskey Kitchen in downtown Raleigh for the first annual Ardbeg Wee Beastie “Sauce Boss” contest! The very talented team at Whiskey Kitchen will be mixing up specialty cocktails featuring Ardbeg Wee Beastie, as well as some unique Ardbeque sauces — and you get to vote for which one you like best! Come sample and enjoy some delicious Ardbeg Wee Beastie cocktails and BBQ. Admission is FREE, however sign up will help ensure space. Get all the details and register 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

• Looking for an easy way for you and/or your office to make a HUGE DIFFERENCE in people’s lives this Holiday season? Host a VIRTUAL Food Drive! Forget the hassle of a trip to the grocery store for your next food drive… create a food drive without the heavy lifting using our Virtual Food Drive, and maximize your donation times five! For every $1 donated, the Food Bank can provide FIVE meals! You can make a difference in your community by hosting a Virtual Food Drive for your friends, family members, or coworkers.  It is easy! Start here. #noonegoeshungry

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

Featured Restaurant News

• Big news this week out of Durham. Durham chef and restaurateur Matt Kelly (Vin Rouge, Mateo Bar de Tapas, Mothers & Sons and the now-closed Saint James Seafood, but hopefully re-openng) has purchased Nana’s, a beloved North Carolina fine dining destination from chef-owner Scott Howell. Kelly, a four-time James Beard semifinalist, plans to renovate the restaurant but keep the name Nana’s and offer a menu inspired by what Howell served for more than 25 years: Southern cuisine executed and influenced by European cooking techniques. Nana’s is located at 2514 University Drive in Durham. Learn more about Kelly’s restaurants here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• It is here! 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 through October 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.

• Up in Wake Forest, John Huisman, aka Triangle Explorer, shared that he spotted Summer Moon, a new coffee shop coming into the Heritage area at 3600 Rogers Branch Rd. The shop features wood fired coffee over Texas oak. Their grand opening (including free swag to the first 50 folks) will be on Saturday, October 29th. This will be their first location in North Carolina. Get familiar with them here.

• And then there were three. BB’s Crispy Chicken announced this week that they will open their third Triangle location in Parkside Town Commons at 1147 Parkside Main Street in Cary with a three-day grand opening celebration October 21-23. They will have fun fall festivities all weekend including live music, giveaways and more planned – including the chance to win free chicken for an entire year! Get all the details on the weekend festivities by visiting their Facebook event page here. BB’s has other locations in Raleigh as well as Durham. Visit BB’s here.

• If you head to the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh this weekend you will find things pleasing to the eye as well as your palette. While you’re exploring the newly reimagined collection galleries and special exhibition A Modern Vision: European Masterworks from The Phillips Collection, be sure to fuel up at Catering Works reimagined culinary collection from East Café! With new features like Chef Rick’s shrimp & grits, deviled eggs, primary color salad, and pimento cheese BLT. East Café will be open at 10 a.m. offering specialty drinks and craft coffees. Food service will begin at 11 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Take a peek at the menu here.

• Got word from readers Burke Williams and Katie Page that Pollo Campero at 8300 Litchford Rd. in Raleigh will open on Tuesday, October 18. This is their third location in North Carolina, first in the Triangle area. Get familiar with this concept 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 before8:45 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 4th place….let’s go!)

• Here is one more local success story that could use your support/vote. Funguys Brewing in Raleigh has been nominated for USA Today’s 10 Best New Breweries in competition with breweries younger than 4 years old around the country!!! Voting is active now until October 24th! Give them a vote (or two) here!

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• Over in Durham, reader Glenn Gillen shared that according to Bar Brunello’s Instagram account, they are having a grand re-opening of their wine bar on October 20 at 123 Market Street. That looks like the former site of Jeddah’s Tea. Best to follow along on their Instagram account here.

Closing / Cancellations

• Carrie Brogren, founder of Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies Facebook Group, shared that the Just Salad location on Elliott Road in Chapel Hill has closed. They still have a location in Raleigh on Lake Boone Trail.

Food Trucks

• The 10th Annual Bull City Race Fest and Food Truck Rodeo is this Sunday, October 16th. The half-marathon kicks off at 7:30 a.m., the 5 Mile Run at 8 a.m. and the Family Run at 8:05 a.m. Once you are done, that’s when the real fun/reward begins with a Food Truck Rodeo. The event is around the American Tobacco Campus. Register and get all the details here.

• And Pure Soul is hosting a Food Truck Rally featuring all your favorite vegan food trucks on Sunday, October 23rd from noon until 4 p.m. at their location at 4125 Durham Chapel Hill Boulevard in Durham. The event will feature the following trucks: Epic Vegan; Soul Cocina; Alkaline Bites; Meatless Grease; The Vegan Ice Cream Man; The Vegan Spot; and Natural High Smoothies. The food trucks will also be joined by local breweries Glass Jug and Ponysaurus. Expect music and local artists as well. Get all the details on their Facebook events page here.

• 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.

• RalToday reminded us that Raleigh’s community-focused fall market and festival is back this Saturday, October 15. This year’s Falling for Local (hosted by Shop Local Raleigh, Dix Park, and Dix Park Conservancy) is an autumnal celebration at Dix Park featuring dozens of eateries, live entertainment, fall activities, local makers, and NC craft breweries. Get all the details 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.

• 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

• Hunger Relief Day began at the N.C. State Fair in 1993 and since then, fairgoers have donated over 5.3 million pounds of food to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina and its partners. It has become one of the largest one-day canned-food drives in the state. Smithfield Foods Hunger Relief Day will take place on Thursday, Oct. 20th. Fairgoers can bring six cans of food to the fair gates to exchange for free admission. Get all the details here. Or if you want to help volunteer at the N.C. State Fair, go here.