Friday Fun Food Facts – August 15, 2014

Triangle Restaurant News

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

Happy to announce that Boulted Bread, downtown Raleigh’s newest bakery, is officially open for business. They are located at 614 W. South Street. Congratulations to Fulton Forde, Sam Kirkpatrick, and Joshua Bellamy. Check them out here.

Got word this week from John Huisman, aka Triangle Explorer, that a new smokehouse called The Blistered Pig Smokehouse is coming to downtown Apex (225 N. Salem Street to be exact). It looks like they are shooting for a late October opening, but we’ll keep an eye on it. Get a sneak peek at them here.

Also in Apex, Ashley Mills tipped me off to the fact that Dohertys Irish Pub, with a location on High House Road in Cary, is opening a new location in Apex off Hwy 55 (at the intersection with Apex Peakway) in the old Sparks Wings & Ribs location. Check out Doherty’s here.

And if that is not enough good Apex news for you, I got a tweet this week from Nick Thomas that it looks like a fish and chips restaurant named Chippy’s is scheduled to open in the old Dixie Belle’s Smokehouse location at 1001 Davis Drive. No other information is available at this time, but we’ll keep an eye on it. Thanks Nick!

The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that the Tampa, Florida-based Burger 21, an upscale burger franchise, will soon be opening their second location in North Carolina this time in Morrisville. No word yet on an exact location, but they plan to be open by the summer of next year. We will keep an eye on this. Check them out here.

Alison Mecca, who recently opened a permanent brick-and-mortar location for her popular food truck, Iced Cupcakes, will hold a grand opening celebration on Thursday, August 21st from 6-9pm. The celebration will be held at Iced Cupcakes’ new location, 5911 Poyner Village Parkway, Suite 103, Raleigh, NC 27616. Get more details here.

Got a tweet this week from Rebecca Calhoun that there is a Firehouse Subs sign up in the old Cici’s Pizza spot in North Raleigh’s Bent Tree Plaza. No word yet on an open date.

Saw in Chapel Hill Magazine that Time-Out is officially closing their current home in University Square on September 1st, but only days later will open on the corner of Franklin and Henderson Streets (where East End bar used to be) with one location, and yet another, this one a Time-Out Express, inside the Time Out Sports Bar & Restaurant across from Eastgate Shopping Center. Glad to know this year’s UNC freshman class will not miss out on a Chapel Hill institution. Get more details on Time-Out here.

We were the first to tell you back in June that the Egg & I was taking over the space formerly occupied by Piola in Chapel Hill’s East 54. Got an update this week that they are looking to open before year’s end. Check them out here.

We also learned this week that the Egg & I is not the only new restaurant headed to Chapel Hill’s East 54. Durham’s very own Enzo’s Pizza will open their second location and will join the mix (in the 3000 building) at East 54. They are looking to open before year’s end as well. Check them out here.

Got a press release this week that the first North Carolina location of Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers restaurant opened on Wednesday in Durham at the intersection of 15-501 and Interstate 40. But their plans in North Carolina don’t end there. Plans are now underway to begin construction on a second location in Cary in the Searstone Retail Village at the corner of Davis Drive and High House Road. Check them out here.

And a Christina G. posted on a Yelp message board this week that a place called Heavenly Buffaloes (tagged as the wing joint you’ve been looking for) is going into the space on Markham Avenue in Durham that was formerly Sam’s Grill. Nothing much up on their website yet, but says it is coming in August. We’ll keep an eye on it.

The next food truck rodeo in Durham’s Central Park is scheduled for noon-4 p.m. on August 31. Bring a blanket and a lawn chair and gather at the farmers’ market pavilion at Durham Central Park. Get all the details here.

And if you like to run and you like food trucks (or if you run because you love food trucks) you won’t want to miss the 2nd Annual Bull City Race Fest and Food Truck Rodeo scheduled for Sunday, October 19th. Register for the race and get all the details here.

The word is out! Mark your calendars for one of the Triangle’s annual “can’t miss” foodie events – Terra Vita 2014. It will be held October 9 – 11 and tickets are on sale now! Lots of great folks involved this year. Follow @terravitafoodie twitter and Instagram for more updates. The website is here.

Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week starts Aug. 18 with more than 35 downtown restaurants participating during the event that ends Aug. 24. The venues will offer different packages, including a three-course prix fixe dinner and, at some places, beer or wine pairings. Reservations are recommended. For more information about the participating restaurants and available food packages, click here.

Derrick Minor turned me onto an event in September that you’ll want to get on your calendar. Mark your calendars now for September 27 for Beericana. What is Beericana? 50 breweries + 10 food trucks + 4 Americana bands + Awesome People = Beericana! The event will be held at Sugg Farm Park in Holly Springs. More details to follow. Keep up with details here.

And hold the date for an annual event held by The Ronald McDonald House over in Chapel Hill that features over two dozen of the triangle’s finest restaurants – A Tastefull Affair will be held on Sunday, October 26th in The Blue Zone at UNC’s Kenan Stadium. Get all the details here.

The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina is proud to announce that they will hold their 3rd Annual FoodBank24 New Media Telethon on September 26-27, 2014. The 24-hour event begins at noon on September 26th and continues for 24 straight hours of entertaining and enlightening activities as part of Hunger Action Month. Put it on your calendar and get all the details here. There are lots of ways to participate.