Friday Fun Food Facts – September 20, 2024

Featured Restaurant News

• Big news on Chapel Hill’s Franklin Street! Próximo, a Spanish-style tapas restaurant from the team behind Hawthorne & Wood and Bluebird, opens this Saturday, Sept. 21 in the former iconic Ye Olde Waffle Shoppe space at 173 E. Franklin Street. While Ye Olde is missed, this is a tremendous addition to Franklin and I’m betting they will match Ye Olde’s nearly 50 years in that spot! Congratulations to Brandon and Elizabeth Sharp! Get to know Proximo here.

Wake County Restaurant News

• Crawford’s Genuine, the latest concept from Scott Crawford, opened last week in a prominent spot in RDU International Airport’s Terminal 2 just beyond the security checkpoints. The restaurant seats 95, including 20 at the full bar, and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus pastries, sandwiches and salads to go from 4 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. daily (both for seated dining as well as their “grab&go” section). The venture is a collaboration between Crawford Hospitality and Miami-based Grove Bay Concessions. View the menus here.

• Axios reported this week that Jon Seelbinder, owner of Local Icon Hospitality, the group behind bars like The Merchant and The Architect, is opening a bar (made out of shipping containers) called Embargo at the top of Glenwood South at 701 Glenwood Ave (top of hill where the former gas station is across from Mellow Mushroom and MoJoe’s Burger Joint) by early next year. The containers will create a three-level dining and gathering space, with room for lounges and covered seating, as well as spots for food trucks. Visit Local Icon Hospitality here.

• The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that The Bomb Bar is opening a new Raleigh shop this November in Gateway Plaza (2409 Crabtree Blvd. – think Union Special, new location of The Fiction Kitchen, etc.). The menu includes a variety of smoothies, as well as smoothie bowls, toasts and coffee drinks. The Raleigh shop will serve Boulted Bread in its toasts, as well as Jubala Coffee products. Look for them to open this November, with additional locations in Durham and Chapel Hill in the future. Get to know them here. Congratulations to owner Mandy Landaas!

• The News & Observer shared this week that Captain Cookie & The Milk Man is opening a second Raleigh location in North Hills on Saturday, Oct. 5. The shop will offer freshly baked cookies, ice cream and unique flavors. Opening day will feature giveaways and a chance to win free cookies for a year. Check them out here.

• The newest location of Mellow Mushroom is opening in Holly Springs next Monday, September 23 at 128 Collins Crossing Road. This location will be open 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. and has a disco inspired theme. In addition to a great dining space, this local, family-owned restaurant offers catering services and has a dedicated gluten free prepared space. Visit the newest location here.

• Up in North Raleigh, reader Paul Prause let us know that the former Thai House on Hardimont Road off Wake Forest Road is now Thai Twist Noodle House. Prause noted they are now in soft-open mode. You can get to know them here.

• Up in Wake Forest, reader Katie Page shared with us that Jeff’s Bagel Run has opened at 12534 Capital Blvd. Looks like this is their second location in North Carolina and the first in the Triangle. Get familiar with them here.

• Owner Eric Reyes shared with us the Crave Hots Dogs & BBQ formerly on Oberlin Road in Raleigh, is now available for delivery and pickup at their commissary at the Flavor District in Wake Forest. They are excited to be one of the many great food vendors there and excited about the new venture.  Follow along on Facebook here.

• Really sad to share this, but you just have one week left! Seaboard Cafe, which opened in the back of Logan’s Trading Company at Seaboard Station in 1991, will officially close on September 28th. Word has it that owner Rick Perales is working on a commemorative t-shirt that you can purchase as a keepsake. They are open 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Monday thru Saturday (closed on Sunday). Visit them here.

• And we’ll end this section on a positive note: The News & Observer shared the news this week that the food magazine Plate named Raleigh’s Bhavin Chhatwani to its Chefs to Watch list, highlighting 15 up-and-coming restaurant leaders across the country. Chhatwani, the chef of North Hills Indian restaurant Tamasha, is the only North Carolina cook in this year’s list. Visit Tamasha here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• Big news on Chapel Hill’s Franklin Street! Próximo, a Spanish-style tapas restaurant from the team behind Hawthorne & Wood and Bluebird, opens this Saturday, Sept. 21 in the former iconic Ye Olde Waffle Shoppe space at 173 E. Franklin Street. While Ye Olde is missed, this is a tremendous addition to Franklin and I’m betting they will match Ye Olde’s nearly 50 years in that spot! Congratulations to Brandon and Elizabeth Sharp! Get to know Proximo here.

Closings

• None to report. Keep eating local, folks!

Food Trucks

• Jennifer Martin let us know that the last Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo of 2024 will take place THIS Saturday, September 21st from noon until 6 p.m. on Fayetteville Street in the heart of Downtown Raleigh. Whether you’re a fan of gourmet burgers, delicious tacos, or decadent desserts, this food truck rodeo promises to have something for everyone! Visit their Facebook event page here.

• The final Durham Food Truck Rodeo of the season will be Sunday, November 3rd from noon until 4 p.m. at Durham Central Park. Get all the details 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

• The tenth-annual WRAL Voters’ Choice Awards will be back this fall. The new and improved ballot will make it easier than ever to nominate and vote for the best. With over 100 categories, this is your chance to help businesses, people and services in central North Carolina get the recognition they deserve. From now through October 9 you can submit nominations here.

• The Town of Morrisville is holding their annual International Festival this Saturday, September 21st from 2 to 6 p.m. on Town Hall Drive. The event brings together the community for a day of food, music, dance, art, and fun. The festival includes food vendors representing culinary traditions from around the world; performers entertaining the crowds with traditional music and dance performances; and “International Alley,” featuring artisan vendors and cultural groups with a global perspective. Get all the details here.

• Also this Saturday (September 21) downtown Raleigh’s Moore Square will host the Raleigh Tamale Festival from 2 to 6 p.m. Attendees will enjoy a variety of food trucks, vendors, exciting activities, and performances, plus a competition for the best tamale in Raleigh! You’ll also be able to experience live entertainment including a performance by youth musicians from the Raleigh Music Collective, Mariachi Viva Mexico, vibrant dance performances by Venezuela es Danza, and Grupo Folklorico Ixmucane, and a set by Laura Gonzqui, who blends jazz, soul, and Latin fusion. Get all the details here.

• Durham’s Oktoberfest in Durham Central Park is this Saturday, September 21st from 5 until 11 p.m. This family-friendly event will feature a stein hoisting contest, a corn hole tournament, festive food options, food trucks, tons of yard games, an art markets and more! Get all the details here.

• The Taste of Lebanon Festival takes place this Saturday and Sunday (September 21 & 22) at Saint Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church at 600 Mt. Vernon Church Road in Raleigh. The event runs from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Saturday and 12 noon until 6 p.m. on Sunday. Get all the details here.

• Lakeside Kitchen will have their next Whiskey Wednesday on Wednesday, September 25th from 4-8:30 p.m. featuring High West Double Rye. They are located in the Park Alumni Center on NC State’s Centennial Campus. Drinks are just $8. Get all the details here.

• On Sunday, September 29th, peppers are returning to Pittsboro at the 17th Annual PepperFest at The Plant (220 Lorax Lane). There will be pepper dishes, pepper cocktails, a pepper sauce competition, a chili cookoff, and more. The event runs from noon until 6 p.m. Get all the details on their Facebook events page here.

• Mandolin in Raleigh is inviting guest to join them on September 29th or October 2nd as they take a culinary trip through Mexico with a six course dinner featuring food from different regions of the country. Chef Josh Heinz has created a menu with each course representing an elevated take on flavors from a particular State of Mexico. Explore the regional cuisines of Mexico, interpreted in Mandolin fashion, through the seasonal ingredients of North Carolina. $95/person. Get tickets here.

• Market and Moss, an award-winning restaurant focused on seasonal new American cuisine in Chapel Hill’s Southern Village, will celebrate its Fourth Anniversary with a series of special events in the month of October. The month-long anniversary celebration kicks off with a Cider Dinner with Botanist & Barrel on Wednesday, October 2nd. The dinner includes an amuse bouche followed by five carefully crafted courses from Market and Moss Executive Chefs Danny Vacca and Chuck Jones, each complemented by a distinct cider from the South’s only natural cidery. Deric McGuffy, Partner and Cider Maker at Botanist & Barrel, based in Cedar Grove, NC, will guide diners through each selection of natural and Pét-Nat cider. Make your reservations here.

• After the October 2nd Cider Dinner, Market and Moss will host an event each week in October: Wednesday, October 9: Anniversary Toast – Market and Moss will be toasting to its 4 years in business at 6p and 8p, with complimentary bubbles provided to all diners that evening. Thursday, October 17: Live Music & Half Off Wine by the Bottle Live music from Tea Cup Gin on the patio from 5:30p to 8p, plus Half Off Bottles of Wine normally priced under $100 for all diners. Wednesday, October 23: Free Gift Bags – All dinner guests will receive a free bag of goodies from the kitchen. Sunday, October 27: Benefit Brunch for Compass Center – 20% of all brunch sales will be donated to Compass Center, which helps people navigate their journey to stability, safety, and health with services that include domestic violence crisis and prevention programs, education, assistance with legal resources, and youth health programs.  Get details and reservations/tickets on all their events here.

• Families Moving Forward (working to end family homelessness in Durham) is kicking off their eighth annual fundraising, food-centric series. Their Fall Harvest Mixer is Thursday, Oct. 3rd, at 6 p.m. at The Rickhouse. The theme is Small Plates, Big Impact! They’re showcasing delicious creations from four chefs/chef teams: Billy & Kelli Cotter of Toast, Seth Gross & Cece Lopez of Bull City Burger and Brewery, Chris Garrett of Seraphine Durham, and Aaron Louv of NanaSteak. The evening also features fun, interactive games, lots of networking, a prize drawing, and remarks by Mayor Leonardo Williams. Tickets are $100 and can be purchased here.

• Turn up the heat because Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week is back October 5th–13th! Throughout the week, participating restaurants downtown will offer 3-course prix-fixe meals or limited-time lunch, dinner, & drinks specials. Support your favorite spots or try somewhere new, Restaurant Week is your excuse to skip the grocery lines and go out to eat instead. Look for the list of participating restaurants to be released soon. Get all the details here.

• The 12th Annual Empty Bowls Fundraiser, where our community – local artists, chefs, and musicians – comes together to help feed local children, will take place on Sunday, October 6th from 3 – 6 p.m. at the Carrboro Town Commons. Enjoy a delicious dinner of soup, freshly baked bread, and cookies donated by local restaurants, live music and more! And, of course, the choice of a bowl from a variety of beautifully crafted bowls from local artists. There are a lot of ticket options including Soup-er Star VIP, Bowls & Bites, Simply Soup, and Tiny Tasters. Help them continue to feed our kids and expand their reach! Visit their Facebook events page here.

• Pure Vegan Café is welcoming the season with a festive (and vegan-friendly) Fall Tea Party on October 13 from 2-5 p.m. at the café’s Durham location at 2812 Erwin Rd. Guests can enjoy a delicious assortment of fall-inspired bites, including finger sandwiches, flatbreads, pastries and fresh fruit skewers. Of course, no tea party would be complete without the beloved brew, so there will be plenty to go around, including black, fall-flavored and iced varieties. Tickets are $30 per person and include all food and drinks. Guests may contact [email protected] or 919.251.9694 to reserve their seats. Visit Pure Vegan here.

• Scott Crawford, a renowned chef, five-time semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation, will hold an exclusive seated, family-style dinner on October 20 at Healing Transitions called Freedom Harvest: an Evening with Scott Crawford. Healing Transitions is a nonprofit organization in Raleigh dedicated to providing long-term recovery services and overnight shelter for individuals who are homeless, underserved and uninsured. This event holds special significance as it marks Crawford’s 20th year of recovery. Attendees can look forward to experiencing Crawford’s culinary expertise while supporting a vital cause. Get 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

• Kids are heading back to school. And with that, the effects of hunger reach well beyond the classroom — influencing health, well-being and earning potential well into adulthood. The Food Bank operates programs like Weekend Power Pack, Youth Pantries and Kids Cafés. With the support you provide, the Food Bank is able to connect more kids and teens with the resources they need to succeed and thrive. Help kids get the nutritious support they need to be successful by donating today!