August 14, 2015 · 6:49 am
Triangle Restaurant News
Triangle restaurant news…that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler.
Featured Restaurant News
- Mark your calendar for next week’s Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week (August 17th – Sunday, August 23rd). It has expanded this year to include lunch menus and a Do-It-Yourself Progressive Dinner option. This option will encourage patrons to visit a different restaurant for each course on a tantalizing tour of downtown dining. Participating dining establishments will offer three-course prix fixe dinners for either $20 or $30 per person, $5 or $10 lunch menus, and/or a special appetizer, entrée, or dessert for the Progressive Dinner option, depending on the venue. Get all the details here.
Wake County Restaurant News
- I am proud to announce that my friend Vaughn Williams, owner of Urbana Catering Concepts, has bought out Holly’s on Hargett. It will continue to operate as Holly’s for the next three weeks, before Williams converts it to Notte | Urbana in September. Williams describes the concept as urban inspired Italian. Yumm!!! Congrats to Chef Vaughn! More details to follow.
- The Triangle Business Journal reported this week is that the Hibernian Irish Pub & Restaurant in Cary will close its doors after business tomorrow (August 15th) after receiving an offer on the building they couldn’t refuse. Moving in will be the Triangle’s first location of Newk’s Eatery. Look for Newk’s to open in late November. But don’t fret too much Cary, Hibernian is exploring multiple location options for a new location in downtown Cary. In the meantime, check out Newk’s here.
- Want to be one of the first ones to dine at Scott Crawford’s Standard Foods? Sign up to be there on August 30th as he welcomes author and James Beard Award winning chef Hugh Acheson for a special evening. Get all the details here.
- Thanks to a tip from WRAL, we learned that SmallCakes this week opened their second Triangle-area location in the Parkside Town Commons in Cary (1132 Parkside Main Street to be exact). Check them out here.
- The café in the ground floor of The Atrium building across from Rex Hospital will have a new tenant on Monday. Food truck KocinA Grill will begin operating their brick-and-mortar location there beginning this Monday according to the News & Observer. That location was most recently occupied by The Atrium Grille. Check out KocinA Grill here.
- Over in Cary, the Triangle’s newest location of The Egg & I announced their grand opening date of August 31st. They will have a “training” day on August 30th (reservations are required and donations to The Carying Place are appreciated). Get all the details here.
- And we have the official open date for the first franchise location of Rise Donuts and Biscuits. It will open on August 22nd in the Park West Village in Morrisville. Check them out of Facebook here.
- Saw in a tweet from Diane Pisano that Cary will get the first location of Ledo Pizza in Preston Corners. Ledo is known in the Northern Virginia and Maryland areas for their square pizzas. Check them out here.
- Got a tweet from Kathleen Donnelly that the space formerly occupied by Ciago’s (522 St. Mary’s Street in downtown Raleigh) will be replaced by a place called My Way Tavern. I can only assume it is linked to the My Way Tavern in Holly Springs. We will keep an eye on it.
- Belgian-Filippo’s, a Belgian eatery and beer bar, is scheduled to open tomorrow, August 15th in the former Quality Grocery space at 701 E. Lane Street in downtown Raleigh. Check them out on Facebook here.
- Got word through WRAL this week that Kababish Café is currently having a soft opening (open with a full menu), but their grand opening hasn’t been announced yet. It is located at 201 W. Chatham Street in the former UnVine’d Wine Bar space in Olde Cary Commons. Check them out here.
- Another slight change in the official opening date for MOD Pizza in Raleigh – Monday, August 17th (a day earlier than previously reported). And the coolest thing? 100% of sales on that day will be donated to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. Check out their Facebook page here.
- Thanks to reader Deborah Copeland who tipped us off to the fact that Gooey’s American Grille is opening soon in Wake Forest (950 Gateway Commons Circle). They are going in the location formerly occupied by Fire Pit. As the name implies, they are a gourmet grilled cheese restaurant featuring soups, salads and the soon to be famous s’mores grilled donut. Check them out on Twitter here.
Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News
- The big news in Durham this week is bitter sweet (pun intended). We got word from Carpe Durham that DaisyCakes will be closing their doors on August 21st, but will be replaced by Durham’s next location of Rise Biscuits and Donuts (401A Foster Street). Our best to Tanya Matta as she looks to open a dessert tasting room somewhere in downtown Durham.
- And the other news out of Rise is that they announced a 6th Triangle area location this week. This location will be in Carrboro at 300 E. Main Street. That is the building anchored by the Hampton Inn & Suites.
- Over in Chapel Hill, WRAL reported this week that food truck Captain Ponchos has announced the opening date of August 27th for their brick-and-mortar location in Chapel Hill’s Southern Village. Visit their site here.
Closings
- None to report. Keep eating local, folks!
Food Trucks
- Mark your calendar to be in Durham for Labor Day Weekend (September 6th) for their huge food truck rodeo at Durham Central Park. This one will be from noon until 4 p.m. Get all the details here.
- For a listing of ALL food truck events, head over to Art’s page, The Wandering Sheppard on all things food truck related here.
Events
- In my “great articles to read” pile, Andrea Weigl has put together a fantastic summary of the many “food celebrities” that are making their way to the Triangle over the next few weeks. If you are a “foodie” you will want to set aside some time to read this article. Great job Andrea!
- Carrboro Coffee Roasters reminded me of their next Barista Bash coming up on August 20th, with the competition beginning at 7:30 p.m. at their Pop-up Coffee Bar at Golden Belt (807 E. Main Street) in downtown Durham. The event is free and open to the public and limited to 24 baristas. Get more details here.
- Got word from my friend John Huisman (aka Triangle Explorer) that tickets are on sale now for Beericana, a craft beer & music festival in Holly Springs on September 12. Beericana is in its second year and all signs point to it being even better than last year. The festival will feature over 60 breweries from across the state and beyond, more food trucks than last year with at least 20 trucks. General admission tickets are $45 and VIP tickets are $75. Get all the details and information on tickets here.
- Speaking of beer, join the brewers of Wake County at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh on August 21st at 7 p.m. ($30; $25 for members) for a one-of-a-kind evening of beer and science. At the sampling session, a dozen brewers will offer unique creations fitting the Museum’s natural science focus. Sit in on discussions about fermentation, flavors and the engineering of beer. Get all the details here. Thanks to Deborah Copeland for the tip on this event.
- Midtown Grille executive chef Benjamin Harris came to Raleigh from Charleston, South Carolina. So the recent events there hit pretty close to home. So on Sunday, August 23rd he will host a chef collaboration event called North Cooks South to raise money for the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. Joining Harris will be Charleston’s Daniel Doyle (Poogan’s Porch), Charlotte’s Chris Coleman (The Asbury/Dunhill Hotel) and Raleigh’s Scott James (executive sous chef at The Angus Barn). The $150 dinner is limited to 100 people. Get more information and tickets here.
- You’ll want to go ahead and mark your calendar for the 2nd Annual Triangle Oktoberfest coming to Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre on October 3rd and 4th. There will be some great authentic German fare as well as some amazing breweries. Get all the details here.
- And if you are into eating healthier, you might want to go ahead and get this event on your calendar – the 2015 Triangle Vegfest which will be held at Moore Square and City Market in downtown Raleigh on Saturday, October 17th from noon until 5 p.m. Get all the details here.
Food Bank Corner
- The Food Bank of Eastern & Central North Carolina is thrilled to share that the long-awaited virtual food drive platform is now live! By following a few simple steps, anyone with a computer and an internet connection can create a personal page. Friends and family can browse through virtual grocery aisles, add items to a shopping cart, and check out by making a monetary donation. You can even add some competition and set up a team! You can browse the platform now.
August 7, 2015 · 8:11 am
Triangle Restaurant News
Triangle restaurant news…that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler.
Featured Restaurant News
- Downtown Durham’s newest hotel, The Durham Hotel (located at 315 E. Chapel Hill Street), announced this week that “the Rooftop” is officially open. With food and drinks by James Beard-award winning chef Andrea Reusing, the restaurant, garden patio and rooftop bar offer one-of-a-kind perspectives of the city. Check them out here.
Wake County Restaurant News
- This is pretty big news. Local food blogger David McCreary (aka Lunch Boy Says) informed me that Amedeo’s Italian Restaurant owner David Harris will open Amedeo’s Pizza at Beaver Creek shopping center in Apex in October, 2015. We will keep an eye on an exact opening date. In the meantime, visit Amedeo’s here.
- In case you were under a rock, the 2nd location of Big Ed’s has opened in north Raleigh’s Quail Corners shopping center. 180 seats and lots of parking; sounds like a win-win for Raleigh! Check them out here.
- Over in Morrisville, saw in the News & Observer that Bawarchi Biryani Point Indian Cuisine (9601 Chapel Hill Road) has opened simultaneously with an Indian supermarket called Spices Hut in the Park Place shopping center. Check them out here.
- Also in Morrisville, we will have one more Indian option by the end of the month, if all goes according to plan. Look for Masala Wrap, at 9825-F Chapel Hill Road. The counter service restaurant will offer a selection of wraps, salads and rice bowls with an East-West fusion twist that partner Kunal Prikh says will be an entirely new concept for the Triangle. Check them out on Facebook here.
- And if that is not enough Indian cuisine for you, the News & Observer also reported that Nazara Indian Bistro (which we first told you about back in June) has opened at 1945 High House Road in Cary. Friends Mangal Singh and Shatman Singh are the owners. They are shooting for an August 17 opening (pending inspections). Stay tuned. Check them out here.
- While reading Leo Suarez’s blog The Raleigh Connoisseur, I was reminded that now that the Charter Square building is open on downtown Raleigh’s Fayetteville Street, we need to start trying to figure out what G. Patel and Eschelon Experiences will bring us in the space they have leased on the ground floor of that building. Hmmmmm. Any guesses? In the meantime, check out Eshelon Experiences here.
- Got word this week through Yelp that The Belgian-Filippo’s, a Belgian eatery and beer bar, is scheduled to open August 15th in the former Quality Grocery space at 701 E. Lane Street in downtown Raleigh. Check them out on Facebook here.
- We’ve been talking about this for what seems like months now, but we have an official opening date for MOD Pizza in Raleigh – Tuesday, August 18th. And the coolest thing? 100% of sales on that day will be donated to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. Check out their Facebook page here.
- We told you about this last month, but got word from the Triangle Business Journal that Nashers Sandwich House has officially opened at 10630 Durant Road in north Raleigh, in the space formerly occupied by Butcher Block American Grill. Check them out here.
- And out in Brier Creek, the Triangle Business Journal reported that the area’s first location of Bar Louie has opened and will be celebrating their opening through August 9th. Founded in Chicago in 1990, Bar Louie features 34 signature martinis, mojitos and margaritas, as well as appetizers, flatbreads, salads, burgers and sandwiches. There are 20 beers on tap and 20 wines by the glass. Check them out here.
- Also in Brier Creek, we got word from friends Whitney and Eric vonHaam that Maggie Moo’s has gone local – with a new name, new look, new flavors, and a whole lot of homemade goodness! It is now called Mixx (btw, Maggie Moo’s no longer has any locations in North Carolina). Check them out on Facebook here.
- Over in Morrisville, got word from reader Nancy O’Melia that there is a new sign up at the corner of Airport Blvd and the old Morrisville Outlet mall at the location of the former Scholtzsky’s that a Los Tres Magueyes is coming soon. We’ll keep an eye on it. Thanks Nancy!
- Over in Apex, reader Michelle Fleer tipped us off to the fact that Rudino’s in Apex has closed and that a sign is up announcing that Rookie’s Sports Park is coming into that spot. We will keep an eye on it. Check out Rookie’s here.
Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News
- Got word from a reader that a new Guatemalan restaurant has opened over in Durham in the Oak Creek Village shopping center (4600 Durham Chapel Hill Blvd.) called El Chapin. Looks like the real deal! Check them out here.
- We first told you in May of this year about Luna, a restaurant focused on South American cuisine coming to 112 W. Main St. in Durham. And we just saw on the blog Bites of Bull City that chef/owner Shawn Stokes plans to open before the end of this month. Check out their website here.
- And we learned from the Triangle Business Journal and the Herald Sun that Beyu Caffee in downtown Durham is moving two doors down, from 335 W. Main St. to 341 W. Main St. The move is planned for January 2016 according to reports.
Closings
- None to report. Keep eating local, folks!
Food Trucks
- The Knightdale Food Truck Rodeo will take place tomorrow (August 8) from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Knightdale Station Park. Look for 9 trucks to be on hand. Get all the details here.
- And then on Sunday (August 9th), plan your evening dining with the next Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo that runs from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Fayetteville Street (and surrounding streets). That’s 11 city blocks of food trucks and restaurants for your dining pleasure. Get the truck lineup and all the details here.
- But if you can’t make it to either of those this weekend (or perhaps you can), plan on heading over to Durham Labor Day Weekend (September 6th) for their huge food truck rodeo at Durham Central Park. This one will be from noon until 4 p.m. Get all the details here.
- This is kind of cool. The new management of the Berkeley Cafe (Lisa Lewis, Alex Little and Shonna Greenwell) announced that they will be hosting “Takeover Tuesdays” where they will “hand over” the Berkeley to a food truck operator to take their shot at running a “brick and mortar” location. The fun starts this Tuesday (Aug. 11) with Sol Tacos offering their southern influenced gourmet tacos. The fun continues through August. Get more details here.
-
For a listing of ALL food truck events, head over to
Art’s page,
The Wandering Sheppard on all things food truck related here.
Events
- Make plans to head over to Sassool in north Raleigh on Saturday, August 8th (8/8) as Cecilia “Sassool” Saleh turns 88! Mounir, one of the Saleh brothers that brought us Neomonde, renamed his location after his mother last Mother’s Day. Saturday’s lunch will feature live music; dinner service will include specials such as lamb kebobs, complementary birthday cake and 88-cent baklava. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation in recognition of Cecilia’s enduring good health as a breast cancer survivor. Also note that Mounir has plans to open a second location of Sassool this fall in Cary! Check them out here.
- Got word from my friend John Huisman (aka Triangle Explorer) that tickets are on sale now for Beericana, a craft beer & music festival in Holly Springs on September 12. Beericana is in its second year and all signs point to it being even better than last year. The festival will feature over 60 breweries from across the state and beyond, more food trucks than last year with at least 20 trucks. General admission tickets are $45 and VIP tickets are $75. Get all the details and information on tickets here.
- Speaking of beer, join the brewers of Wake County at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh on August 21st at 7 p.m. ($30; $25 for members) for a one-of-a-kind evening of beer and science. At the sampling session, a dozen brewers will offer unique creations fitting the museum’s natural science focus. Sit in on discussions about fermentation, flavors and the engineering of beer. Get all the details here. Thanks to Deborah Copeland for the tip on this event.
- The Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Festival is back again this year at Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre July 31 through August 1. I think the title of this event gives you a pretty good idea of what it is all about, but if you need more details, check them out here.
- Go ahead and mark your calendar for Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week, which will be held August 17th – Sunday, August 23rd. It has expanded this year to include lunch menus and a Do-It-Yourself Progressive Dinner option. This option will encourage patrons to visit a different restaurant for each course on a tantalizing tour of downtown dining. Participating dining establishments will offer three-course prix fixe dinners for either $20 or $30 per person, $5 or $10 lunch menus, and/or a special appetizer, entrée, or dessert for the Progressive Dinner option, depending on the venue. Get all the details here.
- Midtown Grille executive chef Benjamin Harris came to Raleigh from Charleston, South Carolina. So the recent events there hit pretty close to home. So on Sunday, August 23rd he will host a chef collaboration event called North Cooks South to raise money for the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. Joining Harris will be Charleston’s Daniel Doyle (Poogan’s Porch), Charlotte’s Chris Coleman (The Asbury/Dunhill Hotel) and Raleigh’s Scott James (executive sous chef at The Angus Barn). The $150 dinner is limited to 100 people. Get more information and tickets here.
- You’ll want to go ahead and mark your calendar for the 2nd Annual Triangle Oktoberfest coming to Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre on October 3rd and 4th. There will be some great authentic German fare as well as some amazing breweries. Get all the details here.
- And if you are into eating healthier, you might want to go ahead and get this event on your calendar – the 2015 Triangle Vegfest which will be held at Moore Square and City Market in downtown Raleigh on Saturday, October 17th from noon until 5 p.m. Get all the details here.
Food Bank Corner
- Great news from the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina – We are delighted to share that the final results are in and, thanks to you, we’ve met the goal of providing 3.2 million meals through our Stop Summer Hunger food and funds drive. Your generosity, along with an outpouring of support from compassionate folks just like you, ensured that children had meals and families had groceries for the past several weeks and will continue to receive the support they need until school resumes again. Thank you for helping to provide relief to those we serve, thank you for your partnership, and thank you for your kind support. We are truly grateful!
