Triangle Restaurant News
Triangle restaurant news…that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler.
Featured Restaurant News
- The 30th Annual Triangle Food & Wine Experience to benefit the Frankie Lemmon School & Developmental Center is Feb. 2-4. The three-day foodie-foray will feature lavish dinners and tastings and a grand auction. Each experience will spotlight local and visiting chefs like Ricky Moore, Ashley Christensen, Cheetie Kumar, Caroline Morrison, Sunny Gerhart, Steven Devereaux Greene, Oscar Diaz, Jake Wood, Matt Kelly and many more! Get details on all the events over those three days and tickets here. Tickets sales close on January 25th, so don’t delay!
Wake County Restaurant News
- Glenwood South’s newest cocktail bar, Cuya, being brought to us (and upstairs from) the team at The Cortez Seafood + Cocktail, is holding their official Opening Celebration this Saturday, January 21st at 413 Glenwood Avenue. Both Cortez and Cuya will be hosting DJs this Saturday with salsa rhythms on the first floor by D3 and international beats by our resident DJ Micky Slicks & M3 at Cuya. Best to follow them on Instagram here.
- And staying with the drinking theme, RalToday shared this week that Wilmington’s New Anthem Beer Project will be opening a locaiton at downtown Raleigh’s Smoky Hollow. Originally from Wilmington, this brewery and taproom creates and serves flavor-distinct beers. An opening date has not yet been announced. Get familiar with them here.
- Up in North Raleigh’s Sutton Square, Kenan and Julie Barnes shared that there is a new tenant in the former Chubby’s Tacos spot – a place called Street Tacos Cantina. We don’t have an open date and not much else to share at this point. Choose to follow them on Instagram if you like.
- Also in North Raleigh, reader Gene Smith shared that the former Barrel Culture location at 13100 New Falls of the Neuse Road will soon be the first Triangle area location of Surf City’s Salty Turtle, a well-known neighborhood brewery. No opening date has been set yet. Get familiar with them here.
- And thanks to the keen eyes of blogger EatRaleigh, we learned that Google is showing that the newest Triangle-area locaiton of Bonchon, at 6320 Capital Blvd., will open on February 1st. Please note, this is according to Google searches. Check in with the restaurant before making plans. Do so here.
- And the Triangle is now home to two more Viv’s Fridges, bringing the current total to three in Raleigh and one in Durham. The previous two are at the respective Wine Authorities locations in Raleigh and Durham. The two newest locations are: Taylor’s Wine Shop (10005 Six Forks Rd., Raleigh) and North Hills (at Park Central in the breezeway near Vita Vite – 200 Park at North Hills, Ste. #130). If you are not familiar with these fridges, they are the creation of Vivian Howard and are stocked with her appetizers, entrees, sides, desserts and gifts. The restaurant-quality items are ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat. Get all the details here.
- Over in Clayton, we got word this week that a Eggs Up Grill, a rapidly growing breakfast, brunch and lunch concept, will open this spring at 805 Town Center Blvd., in the Clayton Town Center. It will be the first for franchise partner Donny Nobles, and the fourth Eggs Up Grill franchise to open in the Raleigh market. A fifth will soon open in Apex (joining Clayton, Garner, Fuquay-Varina and Holly Springs). Get to know them here.
Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News
- The News & Observer shared the news this week that a new sausage-centric bar will open in Downtown Durham’s Brightleaf District this year. Joe Schwartz will open Max Jr’s teaming up with The Federal owners Fergus Bradley and Josh Wittman. The project will be built in shipping containers in the parking lot space behind The Living Room bar. The restaurant looks to open as early as the spring or summer, but a food truck preview called Meyer’s Fine Foods & Good Times will hit the road in March or April.
- Also in Durham, Durham Magazine shared the news this week that a new cocktail bar Glori is slated to open early this year in the former Quarter Horse space beneath the Kress building (101 W. Main St.). Glori will offer speakeasy vibes and music in an intimate environment with no “vertical drinking,” meaning all guests are seated and served without the need to order at the bar. Walk-ins will be seated on a first-come, first-served basis, and reservations via Resy are strongly encouraged. Visit their website to stay posted on announcements and opening.
Closing / Cancellations
- Glenwood South’s The Rockford, named one of Raleigh Magazine’s Best Restaurants of 2022, has closed their doors after a nearly 30 year run.
- Michael DePersia with DePersia & Associates shared the news that Chapel Hill’s TOPO Distillery is closing permanently on January 31st. Top of the Hill Restaurant & Brewery remains open.
- And over in Carrboro, we heard from multiple sources that Mosaic Tapas Bistro and Wine Bar (formerly Provence) has closed their doors. Our best to chef/owner Baptist Knaven.
- Over in Durham, got news from multiple sources that J. Lights Market & Cafe in the Golden Belt Campus has closed.
- And in Apex, got word from Chris Creighton that the Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes & Fries location at 802 Perry Road has closed.
Food Trucks
- And it looks as if someone has been reading my diary again. On my home last evening, a trip that often takes me by Merritt’s Store & Grill at 1009 South Columbia Street, I saw a freshly minted food truck with the Merritt’s logo beautifully imprinted on the side. And it is a huge truck! Beautiful truck. Folks, BLT’s on wheels. No official announcement yet, but…I saw it! Stay tuned 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
- Hummingbird’s Coleen Speaks, Cheeni’s Preeti Waas, and sommelier Paula de Pano of Rocks + Acid are teaming up for the first Sunday Supper series of 2023 benefiting Now Serving (a nonprofit that pairs restaurants with community-based organizations to provide healthy meals to hungry residents, strengthening communities through food service). The four-course dinner on Sunday, Jan. 22 will also include wine pairings ($135). It will take place at Hummingbird at 1053 E Whitaker Mill Rd. Get all the details and purchase tickets here.
- Triangle Restaurant Week is back January 23 through January 29. So far, 38 eateries have signed on to participate in this semi-annual culinary event featuring specials like three-course lunches and dinners. Get all the details here.
- A’verde is hosting a five-course Top Chef Celebrity Dinner on Tuesday, Jan. 24. Chefs Katsuji Tanabe, Brittanny Anderson, and Brother Luck will collaborate to prepare creative dishes in their signature styles. Cocktail pairings are included in the $150 per person tab. Get all the details and tickets here.
- The next Flights & Bites is coming up on Sunday, January 29th where The Wine Feed will be teaming up with Plates Neighborhood Kitchen. The event takes place at The Wine Feed (602 Glenwood Avenue) and runs from 12 – 5pm, with 4 seating times (indoor and outdoor seating available) and costs $30 per person. It includes 3 pours of wine and 3 small servings of paired food items from Plates. Guests can expect to be there for an hour or so. The Wine Feed crew will be around to chat and answer questions about the wines and chef David Mitchell, head chef at Plates, will be there to talk about his dishes in more depth. Get all the details and tickets here.
- Lula & Sadie’s is joining Pour Taproom for a beer pairing dinner with 5 courses prepared by Lula and Sadie’s and paired perfectly with Fullsteam Brewery Beers on Tuesday, January 31 at 7 p.m. The cost is $75 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Get all the details and tickets here.
- As if you need another reason to eat at Cape Fear Seafood Company (2 locations here in the Triangle – Village District and North Raleigh, with a third on the way to Wake Forest), throughout the month of February they will donate $1 from the purchase of every Surf & Turf Chimichurri App to the Trawick Pediatric Cardiology Research Fund at Duke Children’s Hospital. The funds will be matched by CFSC’s founders for a total of $2 per appetizer sold going towards research. The fund was established to further the research for thousands of children born each year with congenital heart defects. Get more information here.
- The 30th Annual Triangle Food & Wine Experience to benefit the Frankie Lemmon School & Developmental Center is Feb. 2-4. The three-day foodie-foray will feature lavish dinners and tastings and a grand auction. Each experience will spotlight local and visiting chefs like Ashley Christensen, Cheetie Kumar, Caroline Morrison, Sunny Gerhart, Steven Devereaux Greene, Oscar Diaz, Jake Wood, Matt Kelly and Ricky Moore. Get details on all the events over those three days and tickets here. Tickets sales close on January 25th, so don’t delay!
- You can now buy tickets to the Reviving the Supper Club Chef Series’ virtual event on Feb. 7, 2023 featuring chef Saif Rahman of Vidrio in Raleigh. The fundraiser aims to address food insecurity in Wake County and eastern North Carolina. During the event, Rahman will show guests how to cook a Pan-Seared Chicken with Curried Sweetpotatoes, Carolina Gold Rice and Bengali Tomato Salad. Guests also will learn how to make — and enjoy — a special cocktail from Vidrio. There also will be a limited number of tickets to dine at Vidrio at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 7, watch the cooking class and enjoy the same amazing meal. Tickets cost $100 per person. Get all the details here.
- Everyone knows what April 15th is. Nope, that is April 18th this year. April 15th is the date for the 13th annual Cuegrass Festival which is returning to Fayetteville Street and will feature a large covered area with draft beer options, plenty of seating and extra beer stations throughout the event. Get all the details here.
- Looking to continue dining outside even with cooler temperatures? No problem. The Downtown Raleigh Alliance has compiled a list of restaurants in downtown Raleigh keeping you warm all-year long! Check out that list here.
Food Bank Corner
- Looking for an easy way for you and/or your office to make a HUGE DIFFERENCE in people’s lives this Holiday season? Host a VIRTUAL Food Drive! Forget the hassle of a trip to the grocery store for your next food drive… create a food drive without the heavy lifting using our Virtual Food Drive, and maximize your donation times five! For every $1 donated, the Food Bank can provide FIVE meals! You can make a difference in your community by hosting a Virtual Food Drive for your friends, family members, or coworkers. It is easy! Start here. #noonegoeshungry
