Triangle Restaurant News
Triangle restaurant news…that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler.
Featured Restaurant News
- It all started on Mangum Street in Durham in 2012. A small little joint. Then a second location. First location closed due to development. And now, named Best Chef: Southeast in the 2022 James Beard Awards. A huge congratulations to Ricky Moore and his Saltbox Seafood Joint for the much deserved accolade. Could not have happened to a nicer, more deserving person in the industry. And the food…if you haven’t had it, you are missing out. Problem now is beating the crowds that will be there. Trust me, it is worth it. Check out Saltbox here. Congrats also to Cheetie Kumar of Garland and Shannon Healy of Alley Twenty Six for being finalists!
Wake County Restaurant News
- Altered State Brewing at 8471 Garvey Drive in Raleigh just opened their doors last weekend. Stop by and check out their continuously rotating selection of hazy IPAs, heavily fruited sours and decadent stouts. Might be best to follow along on Facebook here.
- Cary will get a new Dunkin’s store at 920 High House Road with their opening on Wednesday, June 22. The “new” Dunkin’ features the brand’s next generation design, with a modern atmosphere and innovative technologies. They will open at 5 a.m., awarding the first 50 guests in line with “Free Coffee for a Year” and will celebrate at 7:30 a.m. with a ribbon cutting with local dignitaries, the franchisee and crew, and guests. Visit them here.
- NC Triangle Dining shared that Honeysuckle Gelato has opened in Cary’s Fenton development. They have a couple of locations in Georgia and a location in Charlotte. This is their first location in the Triangle. Get to know them here.
Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News
- Glenn Gillen notified us that he saw signage at the former B. Good spot in downtown Durham (corner of Main and Corcoran streets) for La Mala, Mexican Inspired Cocktails. Their instagram page notes they will feature handcrafted margaritas, botanas, tequilla bar and mezcal. They come to us from the folks behind Raleigh’s La Santa Modern Mexican Food on Glenwood Avenue. Follow their progress and open date on Instagram here. Visit La Santa here.
- Also in Durham, the folks over at Bites of Bull City pointed out that the Triangle Coffee House, with a location on Ninth Street, will open their second location at University Hill (3109 Shannon Road) this Saturday, June 18th. The festivities run all day from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Get details on their Instagram here.
- Got word from my Twitter buddy Burgeoning Baker that Thai55 is moving to a new location just around the corner on Highway 54. No word yet on the timeline of the move, nor if there will be a name change with the move (Thai54 maybe?). Stay tuned. Keep up with them here.
- And down in Pittsboro, Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies group founder Carrie Brogren shared the news that The Chocolate Cellar Deux is now open at 119 Hillsborough Street next door to the book store. Follow them on Facebook here.
Closings / Cancellations
- Noticed on a recent visit to Morrisville that the Flying Mayan has permanently closed.
- We also got word this week that Jetplane Coffee in downtown Durham also closed.
Food Trucks
- The final Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo of 2022 will be on Sunday, September 25th. The rodeo is set up on downtown Raleigh’s Fayetteville Street featuring a half mile of food trucks and restaurants spread out over 10 city blocks. Details here.
- The remaining Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo 2022 schedule is as follows: September 4 and October 30. Mark your calendars. Get all the details here.
- 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
- This Sunday, June 19th is Father’s Day and every dad would be happy attending the Father’s Day Bourbon and Bacon Pairing at Clouds Brewing (905 W Main St., Durham). Beginning at 2 p.m., they are teaming up with Four Roses Distillery and the $35 tickets include a hand-selected flight of bourbon and bacon snack pairings as well as a presentation on the history of bourbon and Four Roses alongside tasting notes for each selection. Get tickets and all the details here.
- Beginning next Monday, June 20th, and every Monday after, Crave Hot Dogs and Barbecue on Oberlin Road in Raleigh will host karaoke nights from 6-10 p.m. with DJ Josh Sobel. Visit them here.
- The 18 Restaurant Group (think Cantina 18 in Raleigh and Harvest 18 in Durham) is back with their popular Brewery Dinners! They will be featuring a four-course menu at Cantina 18 on Wednesday, June 22 and Harvest 18 on Thursday, June 23, along with pairings provided by Fullsteam Brewery. Both events begin at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are $60 per guest (before tax and gratuity). Contact each restaurant for tickets. Visit Cantina here and Harvest here.
- Vidrio restaurant on Glenwood Avenue in downtown Raleigh will host a family-style Ukrainian Dinner on June 23rd from 6:30-9 p.m. to benefit World Central Kitchen’s efforts to feed people displaced by the Russian war in Ukraine. One hundred percent of the dinner’s proceeds will be donated. After watching the news coverage of the ongoing Russian incursion into Ukraine, Vidrio’s executive chef Saif Rahman was moved to turn one of the restaurant’s monthly Taste of the Mediterranean dinners into an event to support the Ukrainian people. Get all the details and reserve your spot here.
- The Crushable Craft Beverage Festival returns to the Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP on Saturday, July 16th from 5:30 until 9:30 p.m. The event highlights 13 different craft beverage makers featuring hard cider, hard seltzer, sour beers and live music – all hosted in the outdoor beer garden at the Glass Jug’s RTP location on Hwy 55 in Durham. Get tickets and all the details here.
- After a 2-year hiatus, Dinner in the Meadow will return as attendees will be gathering in the meadow again on Sunday, September 11th from 5:30-8:30 in the evening. The dinner sells out each year, so you are encouraged to get your tickets early. Get all the details here.
- The 15th Annual Pepperfest returns this year on Sunday, September 18th at The Plant in Pittsboro. The event is hosted outdoors with live music and pepper-themed food and drink made with locally-grown sweet, hot, and smoky NC peppers. Chefs and craft beverage makers will compete for awards. Guests can taste different dishes made from peppers grown in the Piedmont of North Carolina. Early bird prices are good through July 1st, when prices increase. Get your tickets and all the details here. Thanks to Neha Shah with the Pittsboro-Siler City Convention & Visitors Bureau for alerting me about this great event!
- Like beer? Excellent. Visit Raleigh has established a Raleigh Beer Trail that gives you a passport to get stamped at the 30+ breweries in the Raleigh area, from Wake Forest to Raleigh to Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina. Once you’ve filled up your passport with stamps, you send it in to receive prizes. Nothing like being rewarded for drinking! But as always, please drink responsibly. Get the details here.
Food Bank Corner
- With your support over the last year, the Food Bank distributed food to approximately 200,000 youth facing hunger in the 34 counties we serve. Unfortunately, we continue to see a devastating impact from COVID-19 for young people, who are left vulnerable to family and school changes. No child should have to worry when he or she will eat again, and no parent should have to skip a meal, so they can put food on the table for their children. Through agency distributions, targeted nutrition programs, education, and public policy work, the Food Bank is reaching young people with healthy and fun food options. Learn more here. #NoOneGoesHungry
