TRIANGLE FOOD BLOG

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

Featured Restaurant News

• The closed Hickory Tavern location in Carrboro will have new life breathed into it just in time for the 2024 showdown between Carolina and Duke. Michael DePersia of DePersia & Associates shared the news with me this week that the folks behind Bru’s Public House in Raleigh will open their second location in that spot. The location is at 370 E. Main St. on the ground floor of the Hampton Inn & Suites in the East Main Square shopping center. Triangle Business Journal added that they will be adding technology to allow every seat in the Carrboro dining room to have a view of a television. Visit Bru’s here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• We learned this week that The Exchange Raleigh in Midtown will include a ground-level location of The Optimist – a full-service coffee shop and cafe and will open next year. This second location will be called WRK by The Optimist. For those not familiar, The Optimist, it is a popular coffee shop in Raleigh in Historic Oakwood/Mordecai at 1000 Brookside Drive near downtown. Visit them here.

• Triangle Business Journal reported this week that Glenwood Avenue is adding a new elevated cocktail bar called Nomad. Located near Plates Neighborhood Kitchen, they will offer indoor and outdoor seating with a menu featuring cocktails and small bites. Check them out on Instagram here.

• A few reminders. Chicken Salad Chick opened their newest location this past Tuesday in Raleigh’s Lake Boone shopping center. That will soon be followed by their neighbors opening the newest location of The Butcher’s Market on December 1st as well as a Duck Donuts to open soon after that. Visit Chicken Salad Chick, The Butcher’s Market and Duck Donuts. The Chick-fil-A in the same shopping center reopened yesterday after undergoing renovations.

• Two other openings occurred this week in Cary. Lon Bounsanga, the longtime executive chef at Bida Manda and Brewery Bhavana opened SAAP on the ground floor of The Walker (370 S. Walker Street). Get familiar with SAAP here. And the Flying Biscuit Café opened this week in Parkside Town Commons at 1103 Parkside Main Street. Visit them here.

• And one final reminder thanks to our friends over at RalToday – Fiction Kitchen’s last day at their current location on South Dawson Street is Saturday, Nov. 25. Take your last few bites at this plant-based restaurant’s downtown location before they move to Gateway Plaza. Berkeley Cafe will open in its place soon after. Follow Fiction Kitchen here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• Spoke with Saltbox Seafood’s Ricky Moore yesterday and he has extended the deadline to get his Lemon Punch Pie with Ritz Cracker Crust on your table this Thanksgiving! Pies are 9″ and are limited to two (2) per customer. You now have until Saturday, November 18th at 5 p.m. You can then pick up your pie(s) on Tuesday, November 21st between 10:45 a.m. and noon at Saltbox Seafood Joint. Order here.

• More “sweet” news over in Chapel Hill this week. Tonya Council has opened Tonya’s Cookies and Bakeshop at 400 South Elliott Road and has her Grand Opening today (Friday, November 17). The new concept centers around a “grab and go” experience, catering to busy individuals seeking quality treats that fit into their daily routines. There will also be a selection of holiday pies, cakes and baked goods available for purchase in store or online, just in time for Thanksgiving. Take it all in here.

• We learned this week that Flight Tea Bar & Lounge, a new pop-up tea bar, has opened for the holidays in Carrboro’s Carr Mill Mall. It offers a unique array of artisan teas sourced from farmers around the world including Japan, China, and Taiwan, as well as specialty baked goods and chocolates and a curated selection of teawares. It should also be noted that plans are underway for opening a full-time tea shop next year at the nearby historic Carrboro train station. Check them out on Instagram here.

• Over in Durham, reader Tom Viemont shared with me that Asian Kitchen has changed hands and is now being operated by the same folks that operate Chengdu7 in Cary. Viemont noted that their online menu is mostly Chinese American favorites like General Tso’s, but the dine in menu is much more interesting with hand pulled noodle dishes and more regional Chinese specialties. They are located at 1125 West NC Hwy 54 Suite 801. Visit them online here.

• And not far from us here in the Triangle in Harnett County, Triangle Business Journal reported this week that Cary’s popular burger shop Corbett’s Burgers and Soda Bar will open in Sanford at the Shoppes at Sanford retail center along Highway 87. Owner Corbett Shope grew up in Harnett County. The newspaper also noted that we should expect more locations of Corbett’s soon. Start getting familiar with them here.

• Adding to the Corbett’s news this week, Triangle Explorer John Huisman shared with me this week that he spotted new signage up for a Corbett’s Burger and Soda Bar on Wakefield off Falls of the Neuse in the old Sergio’s Pizza spot (13200 Falls of Neuse Rd.). So, sooner rather than later!

Closings

• Square Burger in downtown Raleigh’s Moore Square will serve its last meal in its current location this Sunday.

• And after 31 years, Capital Creations Gourmet Pizza on Wake Forest Road in Raleigh will close its doors next week on November 23rd.

Food Trucks

• 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 ninth-annual WRAL Voters’ Choice Awards voting is only open for a few more days! Celebrate the Triangle’s local businesses by voting for your favorites across over 140 categories. You can vote once per category through this Sunday, Nov. 19. Cast your votes here!

• Join Trophy Brewing (location at 656 Maywood Ave.) this Saturday, November 18th to help celebrate their 10th anniversary. From 12 to 6 p.m., there will be live music, bites from Locals Seafood and Lawrence Barbecue, a kid zone, and plenty of Trophy beer flowing. Get all the details on their calendar here.

• Carolina Brewery is hosting their Sixth Annual Oyster Roast on Saturday, Nov. 18th from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m at their Pittsboro location (120 Lowes Dr, Pittsboro). The event includes free admission with steamed or raw oysters available for purchase by the half-dozen or dozen. Pair those with Carolina Brewery’s special oyster stout. Carolina Brewery will also offer their full menu during the event. Visit Carolina Brewery here.

• On Tuesday, November 21st over at Saltbox Seafood Joint, chef Ricky Moore will hold his 10th Annual Lobster Roll & Crab Grits Social. This Pre-Thanksgiving tradition features Ragout of Lump Crab & Sherry with Creamed Garlic Grits $12 (served from 8:30 – 10:30 am or until they are sold out – Limit 4 orders). Followed by Warm Celery Buttered Lobster Roll $28 (served from 12:30 – 4:00 pm or until they are sold out – Limit 4 rolls). And finish the day off with “A Slice” of Lemon Punch Pie with Honey Ritz Cracker Crust $5 (served from 12:30 – 4:00 pm or until they are sold out – Limit 4 slices). Get all the details on Ricky’s Instagram here. Thanks to Wesley Pierce for connecting me with Ricky!

Food Bank Corner

• Think you can’t make a difference in someone’s life? Think you don’t have enough money to make a difference? Would you believe me if I told you that as little as $1 equates to 5 meals through the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina!?! It is true. Nearly 510,000 people face hunger across our 34-county service area. And thanks to your generosity, the Food Bank provided over 81 million meals to families and individuals last year! Make a donation today!

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

Featured Restaurant News

• Celebrate Durhamites! 2023 James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef in the Southeast, Preeti Waas, has brought her talents to the Bull City! Simply called Cheeni, this is the second location (although a unique menu) of her popular Cheeni Indian Food Emporium in North Raleigh. Initially, they will be open for dinner with reservations required until they get their feet underneath them. Eventually, they will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday through Saturday and brunch only on Sunday. It is in the space formerly occupied by Jack Tar and The Colonel’s Daughter at 202 Corcoran Street, Suite 100. The larger kitchen and space will allow her to really expand her offerings. Visit their Durham site here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• Big news this week out of North Hills. Co-owners Mike Kathrani and Tina Vora announced the forthcoming opening and chef appointment for Tamasha Modern Indian, opening soon in North Hills. They recruited chef Bhavin Chhatwani, a seasoned culinary professional with a wealth of exceptional experience in Indian cuisine from around the globe. Most notably in the United States, Chhatwani’s remarkable career took him to San Francisco’s Taj Campton Place as a senior sous chef, the world’s only Two Michelin starred Indian restaurant at that time. Tamasha Modern Indian is slated to open this winter in the Park District of North Hills on the ground floor of the new Advance Auto Parts Tower. Keep up with announcements here.

• Learned this week that Heirloom, a specialty coffee shop, premium tea house, and sake bar with Asian inspired aesthetics and menu, will begin dinner service this Friday (November 10). Joshua Young, previously the chef at Humble Pie, will be the new head chef. The menu will include Laotian, Taiwanese and Japanese dishes. Heirloom will offer dinner Wednesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Visit Heirloom here.

• As a reminder, yesterday saw the opening of Raleigh’s version of Shake Shack at Village District (next to Flying Biscuit and just down from Cape Fear Seafood). This is their 4th Triangle location (if you count the location in PNC Arena). Visit them here.

• Also in Raleigh, reader Nicole Cleveland brought it to our attention that the Raleigh location of New World Cafe is currently closed as they relocate from Pleasant Valley Promenade across the street to 6900 Duraleigh Road in Duraleigh Corners. In the meantime, you can visit their location in Durham at 701 W. Main Street until the new Raleigh location opens. Best to follow along on Instagram for updates.

• The much-anticipated opening of Chicken Salad Chick will occur with their grand opening on Tuesday, Nov. 14 in Raleigh’s Lake Boone shopping center. The first guest in line will receive one large Quick Chick of chicken salad per week for an entire year*. The next 99 guests in line receive one large Quick Chick of chicken salad per month for a year*. They will be hosting more giveaways throughout the week. That will soon be followed by the opening of the newest location of The Butcher’s Market on December 1st as well as a Duck Donuts to open soon after that. Visit Chicken Salad Chick, The Butcher’s Market and Duck Donuts.

• In that same shopping center, some may be happy to learn that the Chick-fil-A, after undergoing renovations, is slated to re-open next week on November 16th. The McDonald’s, which was demolished, will open their new store in January. Thanks to the Triangle Business Journal for those updates.

• A reminder that Lon Bounsanga, the longtime executive chef at Bida Manda and Brewery Bhavana, will open his own Laotian restaurant, SAAP, in Cary on Nov. 15 on the ground floor of The Walker (370 S. Walker Street). Start getting familiar with SAAP here.

• And speaking of Cary, Triangle Business Journal shared this week that a redevelopment project in downtown Cary is complete, with two local breweries now open. Vicious Fishes Brewery and South Line Brewing Company are the newest additions to Cary’s growing food and beverage scene. Dubbed West End, the project is located along the roundabout connecting Chatham Street, Old Apex Road and North Chatham Street. South Line Brewing Company is a newcomer to the brewing space, while this marks the 4th location for Vicious Fishes. Visit Vicious here and South Line here.

• Also in Cary, chef James Murdock over at Catering by Design shared with me that Silk Road Uzbek Cuisine Restaurant has opened in the space formerly occupied by Nice Bowls at 4224 NW Cary Parkway (intersection of Cary Parkway and High House Road). It is nestled between LaFarm and Bruegger’s Bagels. Check them out here.

• One final note in Cary, Flying Biscuit Café will open its newest location on Monday, November 13th. The Cary restaurant represents the 30^th location for the Southeast’s chain as it celebrates 30 years in business this fall. This is the 4th in the Triangle. It will be located in Parkside Town Commons at 1103 Parkside Main Street. Visit them here.

• And one final reminder thanks to our friends over at RalToday – Fiction Kitchen’s last day at their current location on South Dawson Street is Saturday, Nov. 25. Take your last few bites at this plant-based restaurant’s downtown location before they move to Gateway Plaza. Berkeley Cafe will open in its place soon after. Follow Fiction Kitchen here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• Our friends over at Bites of Bull City shared the news that chef Gamer Rawat has opened his second location of Saffron Indian Cafe. It is in the former location of Itaewon Grill on Erwin Rd in Durham (2608 Erwin Rd.). Saffron has a location in Cary, but the Durham location is more cafe style, serving additional fusion items for breakfast, but lunch and dinner will be authentic Indian flavors. Visit them here.

• Also in Durham, we learned recently that Canastas Chicken, a Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken concept out of Virginia, has opened in the New Hope Commons shopping center (intersection of 15-501 and Interstate 40). This is their first venture into North Carolina. Get to know them here.

• In Durham’s Falconbridge shopping center (anchored by Mardi Gras bowling alley) at the intersection of Hwy. 54 and Farrington Road, there is a new Starbucks going into the out parcel building directly behind Hardees. No word yet on an open date, but it does appear to have a drive-through. Good news for I 40 commuters. Get familiar with Starbucks…just kidding.

• And in the category of “This Sounds Amazingly Delicious,” we learned that chef Ricky Moore’s new Lemon Punch Pie with Ritz Cracker Crust will be available for purchase and could be on your table this Thanksgiving! Pies are 9″ and are limited to two (2) per customer. Order by Thursday, November 16th at 5 p.m. and you can then pick up your pie(s) on Tuesday, November 21st between 10:45 a.m. and noon at Saltbox Seafood Joint. Order here.

Closings

• None to report. Keeping eating local, folks!

Food Trucks

• 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 ninth-annual WRAL Voters’ Choice Awards is open for voting! Celebrate the Triangle’s local businesses by voting for your favorites across over 140 categories. You can vote once per category through Nov. 19. Cast your votes here!

• The second annual Triangle Vegan Week runs through November 11th at participating restaurants. During this week, participating restaurants will be offering exceptional vegan food for their customers. Visit their site here to see a list of participating restaurants and their offerings.

• Sola Coffee Cafe in North Raleigh will welcome Italian bluegrass group La Terza Classe (all the way from Naples, Italy) for a one-night-only concert at the cafe on Saturday, Nov. 11. This will be La Terza Classe’s fourth stop at Sola, and wine, beer and popcorn will be available to attendees. Details here.

• And related to the announcement above about The Cheese Shop and they’re upcoming new space, they are hosting an epic “We’re Nearly Neighbors Bash” at Belltree Cocktail Club on Sunday, November 12 starting at 3pm. It’s completely free to attend, plus they’ll have a beautiful cheese spread, cheesy giveaways, live music from Heat Preacher, and as always — great company. Visit their Facebook event page here.

• Carolina Brewery is hosting their Sixth Annual Oyster Roast on Saturday, Nov. 18th from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m at their Pittsboro location (120 Lowes Dr, Pittsboro). The event includes free admission with steamed or raw oysters available for purchase by the half-dozen or dozen. Pair those with Carolina Brewery’s special oyster stout. Carolina Brewery will also offer their full menu during the event. Visit Carolina Brewery here.

Food Bank Corner

• Think you can’t make a difference in someone’s life? Think you don’t have enough money to make a difference? Would you believe me if I told you that as little as $1 equates to 5 meals through the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina!?! It is true. Nearly 510,000 people face hunger across our 34-county service area. And thanks to your generosity, the Food Bank provided over 81 million meals to families and individuals last year! Make a donation today!