Featured Restaurant News
- And then there were four — locations, that is, not roosters. Confused? Stay with me. Two Roosters Ice Cream has announced a fourth location which will occupy the former WhichWich spot on Lake Boone Trail just down from Rex Hospital. They currently have locations in Raleigh’s Greystone Village and Person Street Plaza, as well as Durham’s Golden Belt campus. And did I mention their seasonal location at the Durham Bulls ballpark as well as their food truck? That’s a lot of ice cream! Keep up with them here.
Wake County Restaurant News
- Triangle Business Journal shared the news this week that The Roast Grill, known for the char-grilled hot dogs and glass-bottled Cokes since the 1940s, has reopened. Owners George and Katherine Poniros have been on the line for the past 30 years, taking over the spot his grandparents started. The Roast Grill is located at 7 S. West St. in downtown Raleigh. With only 12 seats, they have been closed since the start of the pandemic. Re-familiarize yourself with them here.
- RalToday shared the news that Peace & Saint, Raleigh’s newest trendy cocktail spot, opened this past weekend at 616 Saint Marys St. in Glenwood South. The bar offers both craft cocktails and hookah, plus delicious desserts. Book a reservation and/or check them out here.
- RalToday also shared this week that Texas-based Tiff’s Treats will open in Raleigh’s Village District this December. According to those in the know, they are best known for their warm cookie delivery service and have 65 locations across the country. The new spot will be located at 421 Daniels St. near Cantina 18. Get to know them here.
- And out in Brier Creek, Jennifer Buchholz shared another update on Crumbl Cookies – apparently you are going to have to wait even longer. Their opening date was adjusted from June 30 to July 9th. Guess that is how the cookie crumbles. Visit them here.
- Looking for all the outdoor dining options in Downtown Raleigh? The Downtown Raleigh Alliance has put together a great list of those options, and they even divided it up by district. Check out that list here.
Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News
- The new owners of Brightleaf Square in downtown Durham are nearing completion of major renovations to the popular destination and as part of that have announced a couple of dining tenants according to the Triangle Business Journal. First two up are Detroit-style pizza chain Emmy Squared Pizza and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream (which was started in 2002 by Jeni Britton Bauer, a James Beard Award winner). Start getting familiar with Emmy Squared here and Jeni’s here.
- Over on Chapel Hill’s Franklin Street there is some expansion going on according to an article this week in the Triangle Business Journal. Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews, an independent bookstore and Spanish-style chocolateria, opened in November 2019 at 109 E. Franklin St. And come September they will expand right next door adding 2,200 square feet of space. The spaces will be connected, but they will be differentiated in name to distinguish the concepts. Epilogue will continue to be the cafe and new book space while Prologue will house used, rare and collectible books alongside additional cafe seating. Keep up with Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews here.
- And here are a couple of wonderful resources for those looking to dine in downtown Durham or downtown Chapel Hill – Downtown Durham Inc. has an up-to-date listing of the status of each restaurant in downtown Durham. Check out the list here. And the Downtown Chapel Hill Partnership has put together a similar list for Chapel Hill here.
Closings / Cancellations
- Got word this week that bu•ku Global Street Food up in Wake Forest has closed their doors. They moved out of their downtown Raleigh location in 2018.
- Also, reader Burke Williams shared that Peño Mediterranean Grill off Falls of the Neuse Road in Raleigh in the old Chronic Taco’s spot has closed.
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
- For the month of July, Capital City Clauses is hosting Give Back Days leading up to their Jingle in July event on July 29th at the Raleigh Beer Garden. During the month of July you can enjoy great specials from the following establishments: Goodberry’s Frozen Custard, PDQ, DeMo’s Pizzeria & Deli, Two Roosters, Raleigh Beer Garden, Neuse River Brewing & Brasserie, and Barrel Culture Brewing and Blending. Get all the details on Give Back Days and each establishments deal here. Proceeds from both events go towards Capital City Clauses’ mission of enriching children’s lives with hope, cheer and joy.
- Downtown Durham Inc. announced that The Streetery will return Saturday, July 10 at Central Park with added outdoor seating and buskers. Join them from 1 – 9 p.m. to shop, carry out, dine in or dine out. The Streetery happens on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month. Get all the details here.
- Durham Summer Wine & Food Festival, a 4-day wine and food festival, is happening right now through July 4th. The event will showcase the contemporary cuisine, music, and independent arts in Durham. Tickets grant you 20% off participating restaurants, access to exclusive tasting and pairing events and all the entertainment. Visit their website to see a list of participating resturants and other activities here.
- RalToday shared that Raleigh’s International Food Festival is returning to City Plaza on Sat., August 28 from 12 noon -10 p.m. The festival features a variety of international food, beer and wine, as well as international performers. Admission is free. Get all the details here.
- You might want to go ahead and plan on spending your Labor Day weekend in Pinehurst for the inaugural Pinehurst Barbecue Festival – a three-day event, staged in and around the historic Village of Pinehurst from September 3-5, 2021. The event will offer a unique culinary sampling experience of various barbecue meats and traditional sides. Choose to experience the entire three-day festival, or attend just one signature event. A multi-ticket VIP package, as well as individual tickets for each event are available. The pitmaster lineup includes: Ed Mitchell, The Preserve (Raleigh); Christopher Prieto, Prime Barbecue (Knightdale); Adam Hughes, Old Colony Smokehouse (Edenton); Joe Lumbrazo, Backyard Bistro (Raleigh); and Ashley Sheppard, Pik N Pig (Carthage). Get tickets, schedule and all the details here.
- Our friends over at RalToday pointed out a few events you might want to go ahead and get on your calendar. So exciting to think of some of our favorite events actually happening in 2021! First up, Raleigh Veg Fest 2021 originally scheduled for April 4 has moved to October 31 in downtown Raleigh’s Moore Square. Details here. And Brewgaloo is now scheduled for September 17 & 18 in downtown Raleigh. Details here.
Food Bank Corner
- When school is out, the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina knows families struggle to keep food on the table. Budgets for so many families are already stretched thin from the pandemic, with job losses and hours being cut. Thankfully, our generous corporate and individual donors are matching gifts up to $132,000! Every $10 you give can help provide 100 meals… feeding twice as many kids, teens, and families in need. Can you chip in? Click here if you can!
