Friday Fun Food Facts – July 31, 2015

Triangle Restaurant News

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

Featured Restaurant News

  • Alright folks, let’s do this. So, USA Today compiled a list of what they think are the cities with the “best local food scene.” Now, they are counting on you to get the list in the right order. Currently Raleigh is in 6th place (behind Asheville – we can’t let that happen). Go here to vote…and vote often! Seriously, what are you waiting on? Why haven’t you voted (it is anonymous)?

Wake County Restaurant News

  •  Got word this week, and confirmed through several sources, that La Farm Bakery over in Cary is expanding into the space next to them. No word yet on a timeline or what changes the expansion might bring. Happy to see a local bakery enjoying so much success! Check out LaFarm here.
  • It is going to happen. Seriously, it really is going to happen. Saw in Ashton Mae Smith’s weekly email (and confirmed on Scott Crawford’s Twitter account) that Standard Foods Restaurant & Grocery (205 E. Franklin Street in Raleigh) will be training their staff toward the end of August and they are shooting for an early September opening. Keep up to date on their Facebook page here.
  • The News & Observer reported some of the retail tenants in the recently opened SkyHouse Raleigh apartment building located at the corner of East Martin and South Blount streets in downtown Raleigh. One of the spots will be filled with a dining concept called Provenance owned by chef Teddy Klopf. They are expected to open in mid-November. Larry’s Beans Coffee Company will occupy one of the other spots. They are looking to open in the first quarter of 2016.
  • WRAL reported this week that Virgilio’s Premium Vinegars, Oils & Edibles is moving from their current location on White Street in Wake Forest to a spot just down the street in The Factory, next to Lilly Mae’s. They will open there on September 1st. Until then, you can continue to visit their current location (but please note they will be closed Aug. 1 through Aug. 10). Get more information here.
  • Got word from Heather Black that Los Tres Magueyes is opening another location, this one in Apex in the former Pizza Inn spot at 1301 E. Williams Street. When it opens, it will be the 5th Triangle area location. Check out their website here.
  • This is pretty cool and another example of why we live in such a great spot for dining out. This Saturday The Chef’s Academy in Morrisville will award degrees to 72 graduates of its culinary arts and pastry arts programs, with many assuming positions in various kitchens throughout the Triangle. Congratulations graduates! Learn more about The Chef’s Academy here.
  • And speaking of The Chef’s Academy, Mike Santos is teaming up with Raleigh restaurant owner Jon Seelbinder to open Linus & Pepper’s, a pop-up sandwich shop in a downstairs area of Seelbinder’s Level Up Restaurant + Barcadium at 126 S. Salisbury Street. The pop-up will teach students everything they need to know about developing a menu and starting and operating a café, so the menu should be very interesting and fun. They plan to operate from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week until it closes Aug. 24, although that date might move, so stay tuned.
  • Got word that the Penn Station East Coast Subs in Cary has opened at 700 Cary Towne Boulevard in Cary. This marks the 4th Triangle area location. Learn more about Penn Station here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News 

  • Drove by this week and saw that the Guanajuato Mexican Restaurant has relocated and reopened within the same shopping center (undergoing major renovations) in Chatham County. The shopping center used to be Cole Park Plaza, but is now North Chatham Village. Visit them on Facebook here.

Closings 

  • The Triangle Business Journal reported that this past Monday Raleigh restaurateur Lou Moshakos and his team at LM Restaurants closed the company’s last remaining fast-food restaurant location, New Bern Subs in east Raleigh.
  • Heather Black notified us that the Rudino’s Sports Porch on Williams Street in Apex has closed their doors.
  • Got word from WRAL that the Baba Ghannouj at 14460 New Falls Of Neuse Rd has closed.
  • And saw on Triangle Explorer’s twitter feed that Big Apple Bagels in the Falls River Town Center in North Raleigh has closed.

Food Trucks 

  • Go ahead and mark your calendar for the next two big food truck rodeo’s in downtown Raleigh and downtown Durham. Raleigh’s next rally will be in the evening (4-9 p.m.) on Sunday, August 9th and Durham’s will be Labor Day weekend (September 6th).
  • For a listing of ALL food truck events, head over to Art’s page, The Wandering Sheppard on all things food truck related here.

Events

  • Got word from my friend John Huisman (aka Triangle Explorer) that tickets are on sale now for Beericana, a craft beer & music festival in Holly Springs on September 12. Beericana is in its second year and all signs point to it being even better than last year. The festival will feature over 60 breweries from across the state and beyond, more food trucks than last year with at least 20 trucks. General admission tickets are $45 and VIP tickets are $75. Get all the details and information on tickets here.
  • The Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Festival is back again this year at Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre July 31 through August 1. I think the title of this event gives you a pretty good idea of what it is all about, but if you need more details, check them out here.
  • Go ahead and mark your calendar for Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week, which will be held August 17th – Sunday, August 23rd. It has expanded this year to include lunch menus and a Do-It-Yourself Progressive Dinner option. This option will encourage patrons to visit a different restaurant for each course on a tantalizing tour of downtown dining. Participating dining establishments will offer three-course prix fixe dinners for either $20 or $30 per person, $5 or $10 lunch menus, and/or a special appetizer, entrée, or dessert for the Progressive Dinner option, depending on the venue. Get all the details here.
  • Midtown Grille executive chef Benjamin Harris came to Raleigh from Charleston, South Carolina. So the recent events there hit pretty close to home. So on Sunday, August 23rd he will host a chef collaboration event called North Cooks South to raise money for the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. Joining Harris will be Charleston’s Daniel Doyle (Poogan’s Porch), Charlotte’s Chris Coleman (The Asbury/Dunhill Hotel) and Raleigh’s Scott James (executive sous chef at The Angus Barn). The $150 dinner is limited to 100 people. Get more information and tickets here.
  • And if you are into eating healthier, you might want to go ahead and get this event on your calendar – the 2015 Triangle Vegfest which will be held at Moore Square and City Market in downtown Raleigh on Saturday, October 17th from noon until 5 p.m. Get all the details here.

Food Bank Corner   

  • We have less than two weeks of our summer campaign to provide 3.2 million meals to children and their families during the summer. For 300,000 kids in our region, no school means no meals. Let’s #StopSummerHunger together! Get more information or donate now.

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