Friday Fun Food Facts – August 7, 2015

Wake County Restaurant News

• This is pretty big news. Local food blogger David McCreary (aka Lunch Boy Says) informed me that Amedeo’s Italian Restaurant owner David Harris will open Amedeo’s Pizza at Beaver Creek shopping center in Apex in October, 2015. We will keep an eye on an exact opening date. In the meantime, visit Amedeo’s here.

• In case you were under a rock, the 2nd location of Big Ed’s has opened in north Raleigh’s Quail Corners shopping center. 180 seats and lots of parking; sounds like a win-win for Raleigh! Check them out here.

• Over in Morrisville, saw in the News & Observer that Bawarchi Biryani Point Indian Cuisine (9601 Chapel Hill Road) has opened simultaneously with an Indian supermarket called Spices Hut in the Park Place shopping center. Check them out here.

• Also in Morrisville, we will have one more Indian option by the end of the month, if all goes according to plan. Look for Masala Wrap, at 9825-F Chapel Hill Road. The counter service restaurant will offer a selection of wraps, salads and rice bowls with an East-West fusion twist that partner Kunal Prikh says will be an entirely new concept for the Triangle. Check them out on Facebook here.

• And if that is not enough Indian cuisine for you, the News & Observer also reported that Nazara Indian Bistro (which we first told you about back in June) has opened at 1945 High House Road in Cary. Friends Mangal Singh and Shatman Singh are the owners. They are shooting for an August 17 opening (pending inspections). Stay tuned. Check them out here.

• While reading Leo Suarez’s blog The Raleigh Connoisseur, I was reminded that now that the Charter Square building is open on downtown Raleigh’s Fayetteville Street, we need to start trying to figure out what G. Patel and Eschelon Experiences will bring us in the space they have leased on the ground floor of that building. Hmmmmm. Any guesses? In the meantime, check out Eshelon Experiences here.

• Got word this week through Yelp that The Belgian-Filippo’s, a Belgian eatery and beer bar, is scheduled to open August 15th in the former Quality Grocery space at 701 E. Lane Street in downtown Raleigh. Check them out on Facebook here.

• We’ve been talking about this for what seems like months now, but we have an official opening date for MOD Pizza in Raleigh – Tuesday, August 18th. And the coolest thing? 100% of sales on that day will be donated to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. Check out their Facebook page here.

• We told you about this last month, but got word from the Triangle Business Journal that Nashers Sandwich House has officially opened at 10630 Durant Road in north Raleigh, in the space formerly occupied by Butcher Block American Grill. Check them out here.

• And out in Brier Creek, the Triangle Business Journal reported that the area’s first location of Bar Louie has opened and will be celebrating their opening through August 9th. Founded in Chicago in 1990, Bar Louie features 34 signature martinis, mojitos and margaritas, as well as appetizers, flatbreads, salads, burgers and sandwiches. There are 20 beers on tap and 20 wines by the glass. Check them out here.

• Also in Brier Creek, we got word from friends Whitney and Eric vonHaam that Maggie Moo’s has gone local – with a new name, new look, new flavors, and a whole lot of homemade goodness! It is now called Mixx (btw, Maggie Moo’s no longer has any locations in North Carolina). Check them out on Facebook here.

• Over in Morrisville, got word from reader Nancy O’Melia that there is a new sign up at the corner of Airport Blvd and the old Morrisville Outlet mall at the location of the former Scholtzsky’s that a Los Tres Magueyes is coming soon. We’ll keep an eye on it. Thanks Nancy!

• Over in Apex, reader Michelle Fleer tipped us off to the fact that Rudino’s in Apex has closed and that a sign is up announcing that Rookie’s Sports Park is coming into that spot. We will keep an eye on it. Check out Rookie’s here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News 

• John Huisman (aka Triangle Explorer) tweeted this week that Gray Squirrel Coffee Company is now open in Carrboro inside the Yester Years Brewery at 300 E. Main Street. You can check them out here.

• Got word from a reader that a new Guatemalan restaurant has opened over in Durham in the Oak Creek Village shopping center (4600 Durham Chapel Hill Blvd.) called El Chapin. Looks like the real deal! Check them out here.

• We first told you in May of this year about Luna, a restaurant focused on South American cuisine coming to 112 W. Main St. in Durham. And we just saw on the blog Bites of Bull City that chef/owner Shawn Stokes plans to open before the end of this month. Check out their website here.

• And we learned from the Triangle Business Journal and the Herald Sun that Beyu Caffee in downtown Durham is moving two doors down, from 335 W. Main St. to 341 W. Main St. The move is planned for January 2016 according to reports.

Closings 

• None to report. Keep eating local, folks!

Food Trucks 

Food Bank Corner   

•  Great news from the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina – We are delighted to share that the final results are in and, thanks to you, we’ve met the goal of providing 3.2 million meals through our Stop Summer Hunger food and funds drive. Your generosity, along with an outpouring of support from compassionate folks just like you, ensured that children had meals and families had groceries for the past several weeks and will continue to receive the support they need until school resumes again. Thank you for helping to provide relief to those we serve, thank you for your partnership, and thank you for your kind support. We are truly grateful!