Friday Fun Food Facts – October 3, 2014

Triangle Restaurant News

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

Eschelon Experiences announced this week the opening of its newest restaurant, Faire in Raleigh’s Cameron Village. The planned open date is October 13th. Faire, a midcentury-modern steak and seafood restaurant, marks Eschelon Experiences‘ fifth restaurant in the Triangle area. You can check them out here.

The Triangle Business Journal revealed this week that Trophy Brewing Co. of Raleigh is opening a new bottle shop in downtown Raleigh named after the brewers’ radio show, State of Beer. According to co-owner Chris Powers, “It’s on the 400 block of Hillsborough Street, by Second Empire and the Holiday Inn … We’re going to do 12 different drafts, growlers and bottles to go. And you can sit there and enjoy a draft and we’ll have sandwiches and salads. The goal is to be open by the beginning of January.” In the meantime, check them out here.

And speaking of beer (I’m a sucker for beer), we got word this week that Bottle Revolution has officially opened its second location, located at 10970 Chapel Hill Rd. in Morrisville. The new location features 12 rotating drafts, a large tasting room and a growing inventory of bottled beer. Tastings/Tap-takeovers will be a regular weekly staple and there will be a Bottle Revolution run-club as well. The shop is located inside The Market at Perimeter Park near Brunch Box. Check them out here.

T.MAC, a casual neighborhood restaurant that is known for its award-winning wings and large selection of craft beer (40 of which area are brewed in the Triangle and North Carolina) is opening this Sunday, October 5th. T.MAC’s newest restaurant will be located in Waverly Place in Cary. Get a peek at them here.

Got word this week that the first b.good location in North Carolina will open on October 18th (original date was 10/13) in North Hills (the Midtown Park side). They tout themselves as fast-food made by people, not factories. Check out their local Facebook page here.

I was reading the blog Raleigh Public Record this week and noticed a number of restaurants making their way through the permitting process. Here is the quick low-down on four.

First up was the replacement of the Kentucky Fried Chicken on Duraleigh Road just off of Glenwood Avenue with a Steak ‘N Shake. It made its way closer to fruition this week.

Also making its way through the approval process was the addition of a Wingstop to Alexander Place, also off Glenwood Avenue in the Brier Creek area. This will be the third Wingstop location in the Triangle. Check them out here.

Over in North Raleigh the Falls Village shopping center, off Falls of the Neuse Road, will be getting the latest edition of Smashburger. This will be the Triangle’s second location of Smashburger, but the first in Raleigh (the other one is in Durham). Check them out here.

And back in July we told you that that the old Lucky 32 restaurant building on Spring Forest Road in north Raleigh has been sold to a new restaurant group called Kamado Grille. And now Raleigh Public Record is reporting that the former Lucky 32 restaurant will become Bistro 832. We will keep an eye on this one.

Today is the last day to get free coffee at the recently remodeled Market Street Café in Meadowmont in Chapel Hill that just reopened after a very nice remodel. And when I say coffee, I mean ALL coffee drinks – meaning mochas, cappuccinos, pourovers – everything! Check them out here.

The Herald Sun reported this week that Tootie’s, a Durham-based food truck and catering business, has launched an IndieGoGo campaign to open a bar with food and live music on Rigsbee Avenue. Throw them some love here.

The final Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo of the year will be held on Sunday, October 12th from 1 – 6 p.m. on Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh. Think ½ mile of food trucks and restaurants spread out over 11 city blocks! 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.

This weekend is the IBMA Wide Open Bluegrass Festival taking over downtown Raleigh. As WRAL points out, the weekend is not just about music, but also food. Check out this great summary of what your taste buds can look forward to!

This Sunday is the 7th Annual Pepper Festival hosted by Briar Chapel community in Chapel Hill from 3-7 p.m. The event celebrates local food, beer and North Carolina culture in a spicy new way. Top chefs across North Carolina compete to create dishes–from beer to chocolate–using the locally bred and grown N.C. pepper. Get all the details here.

Raleigh City Farm’s Annual Harvest Dinner will be held this year on Sunday, October 5 and will feature Chef Scott Crawford of Standard Foods. The dinner begins at 6 p.m. Raleigh City Farm is located at Person Street Plaza at 800 North Blount Street. Tickets can be purchased here beginning next month.

For the 19th year in a row, The World Beer Festival will be held in Durham on Oct. 11 in the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The festival, produced by All About Beer Magazine, has reduced tickets available by 35 percent and raised the price to relieve crowding. General admission tickets are $55 and include a tasting glass to sample from over 200 international beers. VIP tickets are $70 and offer a private air-conditioned hospitality area with private bathrooms and a bonus selection of beers. Get all the 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 Tasteful Affair will be held on Sunday, October 26th in The Blue Zone at UNC’s Kenan Stadium. Get all the details here.

And got word that the 3rd Annual Red & White Food and Beverage Festival will be held on Tuesday November 4th at The State Club from 6-9pm. And for our readers, receive $5 off admission by entering promo code “foodguy” when you purchase tickets here.

The next big event for the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina is the Food Lion Hunger Relief Day at the State Fair on Thursday, October 23! Food Lion Hunger Relief Day is one of the largest one-day canned-food drives in the state. Here’s how it works: Bringfive cans of Food Lion brand food to the State Fair on Thursday, October 23, and you get in for free (and a good feeling that you helped some folks in need)!

Get all the details here.