Friday Fun Food Facts – October 4, 2019

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

Featured Restaurant News

•  The State Fair is coming up Oct 17-27 in Raleigh so go ahead and load up on Pepto-Bismol and coat your stomach before you go. Yes they will have all the food classics, but new this year includes delights like: JoCo HoHo (basically a jalapeno popper on a stick with brisket); Neomonde’s Loaded Lamb Nachos (complete with shawarma spiced ground lamb simmered with onions on a bed of pita chips and topped with fresh pico, feta cheese and harissa yogurt sauce); Cookie Dough on a Cone; Reese’s Donuts; Pumpkin Spice Hushpuppies; and The Chickenator (a fried chicken sandwich served inside a cinnamon bun). And don’t forget the Weekday Lunch Pass Program – on weekdays only, enter Gate 9 off Trinity Road, or Gate 1 off Hillsborough Street after 11:30 a.m., pay $10 cash, stuff yourself silly, return before 1:30 pm and get your $10 back. Remember, weekdays only and only at those gates. Get ALL the details at their website here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• If you find yourself out in Wendell, do yourself a favor and pay a visit to the newest dining option out that way. It is called Farmhouse Cafe and is the creation of chef Patrick Cowden and Daniel Whittaker who also own and operate downtown Raleigh’s Pharmacy Cafe and Green Planet Catering. The cafe features Smørrebrød,’ which is a type of Danish open-face sandwich. The cafe is in a large community center building at the Wendell Falls development and is open to the public. Even if you don’t find yourself in Wendell, I’d suggest it is worth the drive. See for yourself here.

• Reader Mike Brown shared with us via Twitter that Fogata Brava Grill and Tequila at Plantation Point shopping center in Raleigh near the intersection of US1 and 540 has re-opened as Mariscos Nayarit, featuring seafood dishes. Visit them on Facebook here.

• And got word via Ashton Mae Smith’s weekly email that Ashley Christensen’s Poole’side Pies is now open 7 days a week, from 5 pm until 11 pm. Pizza every day? It doesn’t get better than that. Get to know them here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

•  Reader J. Norris shared with us that with a fresh coat of paint and a new sign above the door, Moe’s Original Bar B Que looks poised to open in the former Blu Seafood building at 2002 Hillsborough Rd. in Durham, just west of Ninth Street and elbow-to-elbow with Vin Rouge. Moe’s sprung up in Tuscaloosa in the late ’80s, and now has about 60 locations – mostly in the Southeast, but as far-flung as Maine, California, and Mexico City. Looks like probably counter service, with a menu featuring pork, chicken, turkey, ribs, shrimp and catfish. Norris also noted they may be a ways from opening and they aren’t even listed on the restaurant website here.

• The News & Observer delivered the difficult news this week that the downtown Durham, Southpoint and Carrboro locations of Rise Southern Biscuits and Righteous Chicken had discontinued with doughnuts altogether. The new menu focuses on the savory side of breakfast, with biscuit sandwiches, many featuring a boneless piece of fried chicken. There are a few sweet biscuits, with blueberries, strawberries or cinnamon, but no doughnuts to be found. There is a new build your own biscuit section of the menu. Visit their site here.

• And a reminder from our friends over at Bites of Bull City that this weekend is the grand opening of Crafts and Drafts NC in North Durham at 3117 Guess Road from noon until 10 pm. They will have $5 off all craft kits and will have Pancho’s Tacos Y Tortas there on Saturday from 3:30 to 10 pm. This is the perfect spot to meet up for fun, causal D.I.Y. crafting projects while enjoying a local beer, glass of cider or wine. Get all the details on their Facebook event page here.

• And speaking of Bites of Bull City, they reminded us that we forgot to give a very well-deserved congratulations to Sister Liu’s and M Tempura for having been nominated for Bon Appetit’s “Best New Restaurants 2019.” A well-deserved honor for two of Durham’s (once) hidden gems. Visit Sister Liu’s here and M Tempura here.

Closings

• Got word from the folks over at Offline Raleigh that Cocoa Forte has sadly closed their cheesecake stand at Morgan Street Food Hall. But, they still have their truck. Keep up with them here.

Food Trucks 

• The next Wake Forest Food Truck Rodeo happens Sunday, October 27th from 12-4pm at 405 S. Brooks St. downtown Wake Forest! Just about everything and anything that is served from the back of a truck will be featured from savory food and dessert vendors. In addition, a beer tent will be provided by Brooks Street Bowl, live music, a variety of craft vendors, and a Kid’s Zone. Get all the details on their Facebook page here.

• The Knightdale Food Truck Thursdays are held the third Thursday of the month through October at Knightdale Station Park for lunch AND dinner. Get all the details, truck schedule and more here.

• The last 2019 Durham Food Truck Rodeo is November 3! Get all the details here. And the remaining two dates for the 2019 edition of the Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo are: THIS Sunday Oct 6th – 12-6pm; and the make-up date on November 10th. All are held along Fayetteville Street. Get all the details here.

Events

• It is that time of year again…time to nominate your favorite people and businesses for the 2019 WRAL.com Voters’ Choice Awards. There are a ton of areas/categories, but of course our favorite is the Food & Drink category where you can nominate everything from your favorite deli to your favorite watering hole. You can also nominate things like your favorite Twitter personality (cough, cough) your favorite blogger (again, cough, cough) or your favorite caterer (boy, this cough is bad). Nominations will close on the morning of Oct. 14. The finalists will be revealed on Oct. 21 and voting will be open through Dec. 1. Winners will be announced on Jan. 9, 2020, at a cocktail event for finalists. Start your voting here.

• The Root Cellar Cafe & Catering will host the 8th annual Porkapalooza Festival at its Chapel Hill restaurant on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 6:30 p.m. The eagerly anticipated porktastic farm dinner will offer eight small plate courses, featuring locally raised pork from Burnette Ranch in Pittsboro and handcrafted beers from Fuquay-Varina’s Mason Jar Lager Co. This is the 8th anniversary of what has become one of the signature food events in North Carolina. Tickets for Porkapalooza include all food and drink and are $69. Get tickets and all the details here.

• October 5th is the second annual Festa Italiana Raleigh from 12 to 8 p.m. It is a celebration of Italian culture, wine and food! Location: 609 Tucker St (corner of Tucker and N. Boylan). Get all the details here.

• St. Ann Church in Clayton will host their 11th International Food Festival on October 5th from 11-6 p.m. featuring foods from 20 countries prepared by parishioners. The family friendly event also includes live international entertainment on stage, children’s games and a silent auction. Admission and parking are free. Get all the details here.

• Also on October 5th, Big Boss Brewing Company will host the 9th Annual Casktoberfest, a mashup of old world beer cultures where European style festival traditions collide and the brewery is transformed into a traditional beer hall while serving a variety of specialty cask ale. This is a pay as you go event, no advance purchase or ticket is required. Taproom opens at 3pm,  “Beer Hall” opens at 5pm. Big Boss is located at 1249 Wicker Drive in Raleigh. Get all the details here.

• This Saturday at Dix Park (Flowers Field) is the Raleigh Tamale Festival from 2 ’til 6 pm. The event is free and open to the public with activities such as authentic performances from local groups, games and inflatables for the kids, Latin dance lessons and local art exhibits along with informational and retail vendors. As for the tamales, there will be a food truck & amateur tamale competition to crown the ‘best tamale in Raleigh’ and, of course, a wide variety of tamales available to purchase representing many different Latin American countries! The food trucks that will be present are Beli’s Sazon, Poblanos Tacos, The Corner Venezuelan Food, La Republica, Crazy Tamales, Sweet Escape, Mexiarepa Grill, Charlie C’s hotdogs on wheels, Pupusas Y tacos Marina, TW’s Italian Ice, Holy Mole, and Tacos Mama Chava. Get all the details here.

• And if that is not enough for one day, the folks over at The Beltline Buzz reminded us that The Tacos N Taps Festival will take you south of the border for some foodie fun. This all-you-care-to-taste beer and tequila festival is Saturday, October 5 from 1-5pm at Cary’s Booth Amphitheatre and offers up some of the Triangle’s best tacos and Mexican food, the best dancing music from the Triangle area DJs, margaritas, piñata punching, contests and many other surprises. Get all the details here.

• On October 6, TROSA will hold their 5th Annual Foodie Fundraiser for TROSA co-presented by Sysco Raleigh. This fun, family-friendly event will feature music, games, crafts with The Scrap Exchange, and an amazing sampling of food from some of the Triangle’s best chefs and restaurants. The current list includes: Foster’s Market, Guglhupf, J. Betski’s, Linda J’s Cupcakes, Local 22, Mateo, Parizade, Rise, Rue Cler, Sage & Swift Gourmet Catering, Saltbox Seafood Joint, Scratch, Talullas, and Vimala’s Curryblossom Cafe and more. Tickets are limited and on sale now for $30/Adult; $10/Children ages 5-12. Children 4 and under free. Get tickets and event info here.

• On Tuesday, October 8th, chef Greg Goldberg will host a Hungarian Wine Dinner at Uninhibited Tapas along with Rooted Selections. Tickets are $95 for the 5 course meal. Get all the details on their Facebook event page here.

• On October 9th. Locals Seafood and Locals Oyster Bar are hosting a special four-course dinner benefiting Ocracoke Seafood. Ocracoke Seafood was badly damaged as floodwaters from Hurricane Dorian rushed across the island. As the last fish house on the island, Ocracoke Seafood is critically important to the livelihood of local fishermen and their families. Proceeds from this event will be donated to Ocracoke Foundation’s efforts to repair Ocracoke Seafood. In addition to the dinner, we’re running a special Ocracoke Platter until October 9th. The platter features fried fish, shrimp, hushpuppies, and slaw and is available all day. $10 from each platter sold will be donated to Ocracoke Foundation’s efforts to repair Ocracoke Seafood. This is a joint fundraising effort by Locals Oyster Bar and Locals Seafood. Get tickets to the dinner here and the website for Locals Oyster Bar here and Locals Seafood here.

• John Huisman, aka Triangle Explorer, recently shared via Twitter that the annual Beericana festival is scheduled for Saturday, October 12th at Sugg Farm Park in Holly Springs. The event is from noon until 6 p.m. and features nearly 70 breweries (count at this point). It is a craft beer and music festival that brings great beer from breweries from across the state of North Carolina (and some from beyond) for attendees to enjoy. Tickets are $45, or $75 for VIP (2 hour early access). Get tickets and all the details here.

• Also on October 12th, Durham Bowls, a project pairing local chefs with school nutrition managers to develop new, delicious, and “school food”-compliant recipes for school lunch, are hosting their 2nd annual Durham Bowls Food Fest on October 12th at the Scrap Exchange in Durham. Tickets ($6 and $3) include a tasting of each of the 10 new recipes, a chance to vote for the People’s Choice award, live music, lots of great organizations tabling, and more. It’s super fun, and people leave full! Get your tickets and all the details here.

• On Tuesday, October 15th Katie Parla is traveling to Coronato in Carrboro for a special collaborative pizza party with chef-owner Teddy Diggs. Parla is a Rome-based food and beverage educator and journalist who came out with a cookbook earlier this year, “Food of the Italian South.” In her book, 85 authentic recipes and 100 stunning photographs capture the cultural and cooking traditions of the Italian South, from the mountains to the coast. During the upcoming dinner, Parla and Diggs will be serving delicious dishes from her book or inspired by the Italian South. Get the menu and all the details here.

• This is it. Your last chance. I’ve been touting this amazing event that Colleen Minton dreamed up 10 years ago and now we are at the 10th and FINAL Terra Vita Food & Drink Festival in Chapel Hill October 16-19, 2019. Yep, you read that right. This is the grand finale. There will be no more. And heed my last (and final) warning – tickets will not last. If you’ve never been – GO! If you’ve been, don’t miss the last one. If you don’t know, it is a multi-day celebration that brings together top chefs, food artisans, sommeliers, baristas, brewers, educators, distillers, cookbook authors and industry luminaries from across the Southeast to celebrate culinary excellence and sustainability in food and drink. Get tickets and details here on all the events that week.

• Triangle Oktoberfest, a two-day beer, food and music festival celebrating German culture and benefiting local and international charities, will hold its 6^th annual event on Friday, October 18, from 5 to 10 p.m., and Saturday, October 19, from noon to 9 p.m. at Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre. The festival is organized by Apex Sunrise and Cary MacGregor Rotary Clubs in collaboration with the Town of Cary. Get all the details here.

• On Wednesday, October 23rd, Walter Magazine will host Taste of the Wild in Transfer Co’s brand new event space honoring the outdoors with a locally-sourced dinner. Locals Oyster Bar and Longleaf Swine BBQ are joined by Fullsteam Brewing and Wye Hill Brewery to discuss sustainability, wild-foraged ingredients and the importance of eating local. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, a three-course dinner, beer and wine pairings, along with signature cocktails. Get all the details and sign-up for the event here.

• On Sunday, November 3rd, more than 30 of the Triangle’s finest restaurants will be paired with world-class wines at the third annual Sip + Savor – A Wine, Food and Music Experience.  Sip + Savor will showcase 30+ culinary all-stars, sommeliers, on-stage experience with live music, VIP lounge, and more. Get all the details and tickets here.

• The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation will hold their Brewer’s Ball on November 8, 2019 from 6:30-10pm at The Rickhouse in Durham. The Ball  is an evening celebrating the Triangle’s “finest” young professionals and features food, beer, live music, live and silent auctions, and a chance to mingle, all while being a part of a great cause: helping move us closer to a cure for cystic fibrosis.  This one-of-a-kind beer tasting event has grown each year with the 2018 event hosting over a dozen different vendors including local craft breweries, and food from several Triangle area restaurants. The event will be capped at 300 people and tickets have sold out every year! Get tickets and details here.

• If you are looking for the recipe for a perfect fall day, here’s a tip: Salt & Smoke VII presented by chef Kevin Callaghan and his team at ACME on Saturday, November 9th from 1:30 to 6:30 pm. Join the nearly 300 people who’ve already bought their tickets to the seventh annual celebration of southern food and drink and music at the beautiful Rock Quarry Farm in Orange County. Visit their Facebook events page here and get tickets here. Isn’t it time you #GetYourSouthOn? Thanks to the folks over at Taste Carolina for the reminder.

• Sunday, November 10th from 12 to 2 p.m. is the annual Triangle Chili Challenge that brings out some of the best restaurants, food trucks, caterers, businesses and organizations as they compete for the title of “Best Chili in the Triangle”. Triangle Chili Challenge will donate a portion of this year’s proceeds to Special Olympics North Carolina. Get all the details on their Facebook event page here.

Food Bank Corner

• We mentioned the NC State Fair above, but don’t forget that Food Lion Hunger Relief Day at the N.C. State Fair is Thursday, October 24. Bring six (6) cans of Food Lion brand food to the N.C. State Fair on Thursday, October 24, and exchange them at any gate for one (1) free admission ticket. Since 1993, more than 5 million pounds of food have been donated by fairgoers to feed neighbors in need. Get all the details here on their Facebook events page.