Friday Fun Food Facts – December 1, 2023

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

Featured Restaurant News

  • Looking for a unique holiday shopping experience along with fine dining? Well, head on over to North Hills where Bal Harbour Shops has brought a 17,000-square-foot pop-up retail experience in the form of 30 individually designed shipping containers, featuring a selection of iconic luxury brands. And lest we forget we are a food blog, it features a 150-seat restaurant called The Whitman with a full bar and lounge, an indoor-outdoor space and a Latin-inspired menu. It draws inspiration from The Whitman by The Sea – a luxury Miami Beach hotel owned by the Whitman family in the 1940s. This is the first time Bal Harbour, known for its luxury retail tenants, has taken its retail experience on the road. Visit The Whitman here. And Bal Harbour Shops here.

Wake County Restaurant News

  • The Triangle Business Journal shared the news that Estampa Gaucha, a traditional Brazilian steakhouse, is opening soon in the bottom floor retail space inside Raleigh’s new Westin hotel in Brier Creek. The new restaurant is slated to open in January, about a year-and-a-half after the closure of Brasa Brazilian Steakhouse, which was also in Brier Creek. This will be the third location for owner Ezequiel Manfrin. His other two locations are in Melbourne, Florida and Charlotte. Start getting familiar with them here.
  • Over on Raleigh’s Hillsborough Street, blogger Eat Raleigh shared that signage is up that indicates that Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken will open their newest location in the former IHOP building at 1313 Hillsborough Street. Great to see it looks like they will keep much of the original structure. Visit Alpaca here.
  • RalToday reminded us this week that Fiction Kitchen will open its new space at Gateway Plaza in early December. In case you missed it, the last service at the 428 S. Dawson St. downtown location was last Saturday. Probably best to follow along on Instagram as this point for updates and announcements.
  • Over off Wade Avenue in the Ridgewood Shopping Center next to the now-closed Bruegger’s is a sign up for a Jersey Mike’s. No word yet on an open date as it looks as if the build-out hasn’t begun yet. Thanks to reader Tom Hailey for passing this along.
  • Over in Cary, reader Lori Rice tipped us off to the fact that the new Korean fried chicken concept called bb.q chicken in the Bradford Shopping Center (corner of High House and Davis) has opened. This is their first location in North Carolina. Check them out here.
  • Also in Cary, Triangle Business Journal reported that Downtown Cary has attracted yet another new restaurant. Zest, a sushi, small plates and seafood restaurant (with a location in Roswell, Georgia), is planning to open next spring and will be the newest offering of the hospitality group Clean Plate Restaurants. It will be located at 175 E. Chatham St. on the ground floor of the The Rogers Building. Construction is expected to begin this month with an opening planned for April. Visit their Roswell location here.
  • And kudos to Cheetie Kumar and Paul Siler as their newest restaurant received national acclaim this week. The fashion magazine Esquire named Ajja as one of the 50 best new restaurants in America. Ajja is the only North Carolina spot included on the list. Visit them here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

  • The Triangle Business Journal shared the news this week that Honeygirl Meadery, a local mead maker, is moving its operations to the American Tobacco Campus and will operate as Ment Beverage Co. Honeygirl Meadery will be leaving its current Durham space at 105 Hood St. near the Golden Belt. The American Tobacco location off Blackwell Street will house both production and a tasting room. Follow along with their progress on their Instagram page here.
  • Over on Ninth Street in Durham, my Twitter buddy Burgeoning Baker shared that signage is up for Kiichi Ramen Izakaya right next to Durham Pack and Ship at 730 Ninth Street. No word yet on an open date. You can visit their online ordering site here.
  • In Chapel Hill, Boro Bodega announced their opening this week in their new location – it is now located at 422 W Franklin St. They will be offering a curated nonalcoholic bottle shop selection, fun grab-and-go snacks, baked goods, hot coffee, cold brew, booch (ofc) and lots of other little treats to make your day just a little brighter. They are having a Grand Opening celebration tonight (Dec. 1) from 5-8 p.m. at their new location. Visit them here.

Closings

  • It was announced this week that Ashley Christensen will close her Poole’side Pies concept in downtown Raleigh (428 S. McDowell St.) on December 24th. But don’t fret, she is working up another mouth-watering concept to fill that space. Can’t wait!
  • Over in Durham, WRAL’s Sarah Krueger was the first to share that Pompieri Pizza will close on December 10th.
  • Had several people share with me that the Bruegger’s Bagels in the Ridgewood Shopping Center off of Wade Ave has closed.
  • And reader Burke Williams shared that Papa Murphy’s in North Raleigh has closed, but did note that the Wake Forest location will remain open.

Food Trucks

  • 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

  • WRAL shared that December 2nd is Brunch with Santa, where kids of old and young can meet Santa at the Durham Food Hall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Take photos with Santa, play reindeer games, enjoy festive face painting, and grab some brunch and lunch from the vendors throughout the hall. Get all the details here.
  • Nothing kicks off the holiday spirit like Beer, Bourbon and Bacon. Amiright? Head on down to Fuquay-Varina this Sunday, December 3rd to Oaklyn Springs Brewery (2912 N. Main Street) from 3 – 6 p.m. to partake in the activities. Free bacon while supplies last. Get the details here.

Food Bank Corner

  • Think you can’t make a difference in someone’s life? Think you don’t have enough money to make a difference? Would you believe me if I told you that as little as $1 equates to 5 meals through the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina!?! It is true. Nearly 510,000 people face hunger across our 34-county service area. And thanks to your generosity, the Food Bank provided over 81 million meals to families and individuals last year! Make a donation today!

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