Friday Fun Food Facts – March 20, 2015

Triangle Restaurant News

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

Somehow, even under my watchful eye, the latest rendition of Jasmin Mediterranean Bistro opened (without me noticing) at the corner of Franklin and Columbia Streets smack dab in the middle of downtown Chapel Hill. Thanks to the Daily Tar Heel for bringing that to my attention. This marks their 5th Triangle area location. Check them out here.

Saw on WRAL that a new ice cream shop is opening this spring (shooting for May) in City Market. Treat will be serving up hormone-free and antibiotic-free Maple View Farm ice cream and sorbet made in Hillsborough. Get a peek at them here.

Reader Pat Price tipped me off to the fact that a new fresh-Mex concept restaurant, Wicked Taco, is set to open on Western Boulevard in May. The restaurant, the first in the Triangle, will occupy the former KFC location across from Amedeo’s and next to Cook-Out. Check them out here.

We also learned on WRAL that Six Forks Cheese Shop in Lafayette Village has been purchased by Orrman’s Cheese Shop. Orrman’s is a family-owned business based in Charlotte. Get the details here.

Over in Cary, things continue to heat up in the Parkside Town Commons retail center. The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that a new Noodles & Company restaurant will be opening March 30. That will bring the total number of restaurants in that development to five, with Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar, Brixx Wood Fired Pizza, Chick-Fil-A, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Menchie’s Yogurt, Chuy’s, Panera Bread and Smallcakes all “opening soon.”

And got word from Twitter follower Cindy Brewbaker that Fuquay-Varina is on its way to getting a new Subway (I know, she admitted “the quay” is desperate for new options) at the corner of Hilltop and Hwy. 401. Thanks Cindy!

Reader Bart Cobert informed me that Chopsticks & More on W. Franklin St. In downtown Chapel Hill has closed. And the Daily Tar Heel is reporting that it will be replaced (this month, hopefully) by Ms. Mong, a Mongolian restaurant which will offer an innovative take on the traditional way of doing Mongolian BBQ.

Over in Durham it was announced that the new burger joint, Burger Bach is opening next Monday (March 23) on Ninth Street in Durham. Check them out here.

Also in Durham, Town Hall Burger & Beer is celebrating the expansion of their restaurant, with a new bar, from 12 to 8 on both Saturday and Sunday this weekend (March 21 & 22). Get all the details here.

Some sad news from Fuquay-Varina. First up, Joyce & Family Restaurant, a home-style cooking institution in downtown for 18 years, has closed its doors but hopes to reopen if it can raise enough crowd-sourced funds. Go here to help.

On a related note, drive-thru coffee kiosk Racin’ Java at 1013 East Broad Street reached its final finish line on March 14. Thanks to David McCreary for both bits of information.

My friend Greg Lewis over at Pittsboro Roadhouse & General Store informed me that the first Pittsboro Food Truck Rodeo of the year will take place on Saturday, March 21 from 5 to 8 p.m. directly in front of his restaurant. Get more details here.

Food Trucks and Flowers…sounds like a great, and fun, combination. The third annual Fairview Garden Center Flora and Food Trucks series will feature the Triangle’s most popular and delicious food trucks. These events will take place on spring Saturdays, March 28 through May 23, 11:30 AM until 2:30 pm at 8224 Holly Springs Rd. in Raleigh, North Carolina. Get all the details here.

Here’s a little something to get us through the dreary cold winter months…the schedule for the 2015 Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo Series. Check it out here and mark your calendars.

And not to be outdone by the bigger cities, Cary is jumping on the food truck rodeo bandwagon with their very own Chatham Street Chowdowns (they win hands down on the name!) scheduled for 2015. The first one is scheduled for April 19th. Feeling left out Chapel Hill? Get all the details and the full schedule here.

This sounds like fun. Rye Bar & Southern Kitchen in downtown Raleigh (500 Fayetteville Street) is hosting a Jack Daniels Tasting Event on Saturday, March 21 from 7- 9 p.m. A menu was created with each course of the gourmet dinner featuring a different Jack Daniels pairing. The cost of the dinner is $70 and Tickets can be purchased by calling Thais Pratt at 919.227.3370. Get more details here.

On March 31st, Lafayette Village’s Vinos Finos Kitchen and Wine Bar will host a pop-up wine dinner with guest chef Sarig Agasi. The dinner begins at 7 p.m. and will also feature live music. The cost is $70 per person, or $130 per couple. Get all the details here.

Triangle residents can experience many of the sights, sounds and flavors of Lebanon at the 17th annual Lebanese Festival. This free, open-air event will take place from noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 4 at City Plaza in downtown Raleigh. You can get all the details on the Triangle Lebanese Association website here.

This is kinda cool. I’m sure a lot of you are planning on attending the Southern Ideal Home Show when it hits Raleigh April 10-12. In a new tasty twist, each day breweries and wineries from around the area will partner with local restaurants and create unique food pairings for show guests to try in this Sip and Savor feature. Check them out on Facebook here.

Taste The Event 2015 is coming up, but it is really more a series of events, with the Grand Taste Experience being held on Thursday, April 23rd at the Armory in downtown Durham, where you’ll experience over 20 dishes created by the area’s top chefs. There are other events surrounding this event. Get all the details here.

Did you know that the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina plans to distribute between 50 and 52 million pounds of food this year? That’s more than 140,000 meals a day! They expect their fleet of 19 trucks to travel over 500,000 miles to serve their 800 partner agencies and maximize their food donor partnerships. To do that, they are aiming to raise over $8 million in revenue and work with over 15,000 volunteers to keep the Food Bank running and expand service where possible. Can you help? Check out their web page for how you as an individual, or your company, can be part of the success.