Friday Fun Food Facts – July 19, 2024

Featured Restaurant News

• And we have an open date! After extensive renovations to the former Cafe Carolina and Bakery (which moved just up the street) in Raleigh’s Village District, Postino announced on Facebook this week that their newest location will open on July 29th. If you are not familiar with Postino, they are self-described as an industrial winecafé offering unique wines and simply scrumptious food. They have locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Texas and Georgia. This will be their second North Carolina location, with one already open in Charlotte. Visit the Raleigh location here. (Pro tip: As always with an opening, follow their social media for any potential delays.)

Wake County Restaurant News

• On a recent trip up to the Wakefield area I noticed that the former Pickled Pub (14460 Falls of Neuse Road) is being transformed into a breakfast spot called Sunday’s AM Eatery. It is from the same folks behind the wildly successful Pickled Onions (three current locations with an announcement below on their fourth location) and former Pickled Pub. No word yet on an open date, but they are making quick progress and are already hiring. Look for them to serve breakfast and brunch from 6:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. daily. Oh, and be sure they will have cocktails for those morning buzzes! Might be best to follow them on Instagram for the pending announcement.

• Speaking of The Pickled Onion, I noticed on their site today that they are in the works to open a fourth location in 2025. Their next spot will be 701 Tarboro Road up in Youngsville. And if that is not enough Pickled Onion news for you, their location up on Louisburg Road in the Forestville Crossing Shopping Center just dropped a large outdoor service container on their back patio area (with a rooftop) that will open up a really cool, tree-shaded, outdoor dining area directly behind the current restaurant. Visit The Pickled Onion here.

• After originally announcing its Raleigh location in 2022, Axios reported this week that work has begun in Smoky Hollow for the next location of Chapel Hill’s cocktail bar The Crunkleton. This follows a highly successful opening of their second location in Charlotte in 2019. Look for this location to open in December. Get to know them here.

• And if you need another spot to grab a cocktail, Axios also reported this week that High Rail will open at Seaboard Station (11 Seaboard Ave.) on the 7th floor of the Hyatt House hotel (currently under construction). The bar will feature a 4,500 sq. ft. terrace with an outdoor bar, lounge seating, fire pits and a stunning view of downtown. Expect craft cocktails and small plates. Look for a fall opening. Get familiar with them here.

• Raleigh’s Otomi Comida y Cocteles, which took over the former Brookside Bodega spot in Historic Oakwood, celebrates their grand opening (albeit they are already, and have been, open) TONIGHT – Friday, July 19th from 6-9 p.m. Expect live music as well as menu and drink specials. Otomi is a collaboration between Irregardless’s owner Lee Robinson and Juan Carlos Lugo, the restaurant’s former executive chef who had worked there for 11 years. Visit Otomi here.

• Reader Bill Velto shared the news with us that Paris Banh Mi in Cary in the old Five Guys location (712 S.E. Maynard) had a soft opening on Sunday and are now open regular hours. They are known for serving traditional Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches, fresh-baked baguettes, croissants, a wide variety of handcrafted specialty drinks. This looks to be the chain’s third North Carolina location. Visit the Cary location here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• On a recent stroll down Franklin Street with the beautiful and talented Lori Bowers-Lennard, we noticed that 411 West Italian Cafe was temporarily closed. A little research on Chapelboro confirmed that they closed in July for some repairs and renovations and plan to reopen in August. Follow along on Instagram for a reopening announcement.

• Over in Carrboro, Alex Gates posted on the Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies Facebook page that Que Rico! is coming soon to Carrboro Plaza. They’ll be serving up Mexican-style ice cream, popsicles, and savory snacks. Looks like they already have a location in Raleigh at 4205 Fayetteville Road. No word on an open date. Check them out on Instagram here.

Closings

• A reminder that Glenwood South’s Plates Neighborhood Kitchen (301 Glenwood Ave.) will hold their last service on Sunday, July 28th. That location has been approved for two high-rise towers. They did leave the door open for a “new chapter” saying, “we just have to go away for a while and dream it all up again.” So…stay tuned!?!

Food Trucks

• Durham is now home to a permanent “food truck park” with the opening this week of The Can Opener – 205 S. Gregson Street, next to the Bull City’s infamous can opener bridge. This venture brings established food trucks Chick-N-Que, Gussys, Bulkogi and Queen Eggxpress together along with a new Andia’s Ice Cream Double Decker bus. The site includes plenty of indoor and outdoor seating plus a bar serving coffee, wine and 30 brews on tap. Best to check them out on Instagram here.

• The next Durham Foodie Faire food truck rodeo is TONIGHT, July 19th from 5:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. at Durham Central Park (501 Foster Street, Durham). This is a monthly foodie and art market featuring a food truck rodeo, 30+ local vendors, drinks, and more. Get all the details here.

• The Downtown Garner Summer Food Truck Rodeo and Artisan Market is TONIGHT, July 19th from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. at 120 E. Main St., Garner. Culinary delights on wheels, an artisan market, live music and a kid-friendly zone. Get all the details on their Facebook event page 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

• Join the Carolina Ale House as they celebrate 25 years of being in business at their 25th Anniversary Party. The parties will take place on Saturday, July 20th at all locations, including drink specials, giveaways, live entertainment, and activations. They now boast 24 locations throughout North Carolina (7 here in the Triangle) and spanning into South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee. To find a location near you as well as additional details, visit them here.

• Buddy Greg Lewis (39 West Catering and The Sycamore) shared with me that Welcome Chatham (the Chatham County Welcome Center) is introducing a new event called A Taste of Chatham on July 21st at 4 p.m. Guest will be able to enjoy tastes from numerous local restaurants, breweries, wIneries, local mead as well as enjoy local music. This is a fundraiser to support the county Welcome Center which sees over 3,000 visitors annually and is not supported through any government source. Just 500 tickets will be available for $50 per adult, $25 for ages 6 to 11, with under age 5 free. Day-of tickets will be $60 for adults. Get tickets and all the details here.

• On July 22^nd, join Ricky Moore as he welcomes Sammy Monsour and Kassady Wiggins, authors of “Salt & Shore,” for a family-style dinner at Saltbox Seafood Joint in Durham featuring their coastal recipes celebrating the Southeast. They’ll have communal seating and signed books will be available for purchase. Tickets are limited and can be purchased here.

• This is pretty cool. Catering Works and chef Rich Carter will hold a second exclusive Chef’s Table dinner on July 26th where culinary artistry meets cultural heritage at the North Carolina Museum of Art. In celebration of the exhibition To Take Shape and Meaning: Form and Design in Contemporary American Indian Art, this dining experience features sustainable practices inspired by Indigenous traditions. Start with a cocktail hour and gallery tour with exhibition guest curator Nancy Strickland Fields (Lumbee), director/curator of the Museum of the Southeast American Indian at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Then in East Café, enjoy a thoughtfully crafted menu that includes elk chili, bison short ribs, and a fresh corn salad highlighting the Three Sisters—corn, beans, and squash. This is an opportunity to savor flavors deeply rooted in Native American history, all while supporting sustainable cuisine. Get details and tickets here. (Just looked and only a few spots at 6 p.m. are available. Hurry!)

• The Durham is hosting its third annual Oyster Fest celebrating North Carolina oysters with special events and menus on The Roof and at The Restaurant from July 18-22. Oyster Fest will include three nights of events on The Roof from July 18-20 and a special oyster menu at The Restaurant from July 21-22. A special Oyster Fest room package at the downtown Durham hotel is also available all five nights. Get all the details here.

• Tickets are on sale now for the 9th Annual Dinner in the Meadow which will take place on September 15, 2024 on a grassy knoll atMeadow Lane Farm, in bucolic Franklin County, offering beautiful pastoral views and clear, starry skies. Some of the region’s most sought-after chefs will be preparing delicious dishes using ingredients from local farms and food artisans. It is an annual fundraiser for the Leonard-Mobley Small Farm Fund, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded in 2014 to support and cultivate small farms in our region of North Carolina. Get tickets and all the details here.

• USA Today Food & Wine Experience is coming back again to Raleigh on Saturday October 26th at the Big Field at Dix Park. Chef Jared Bobkin coordinates this event visiting approximately 12 U.S. cities annually. Get all the details here.

Food Bank Corner

• Picture this scenario: you have enough money to purchase food for the week, but not enough to cover your utility bills or transportation costs to work. Many of our neighbors in our own communities who face food insecurity struggle silently and have to make the difficult choice to go without meals to make ends meet. Every day at the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, they hear stories from grateful children, families, and seniors about the impacts of having access to nutritious food and especially fresh produce. Your generous gift, no matter the size, has the power to nourish countless lives, ignite hope, and pave the way for a brighter future. Give today if you can.