Triangle Restaurant News
Triangle restaurant news…that not everyone knows. Impress your co-workers at the water cooler.
Featured Restaurant News
- Unless you were under a rock this week, you are sure to have heard that after 18 years downtown Raleigh’s Irish pub/restaurant Tir Na Nog will be closing on November 22nd. That’s the bad news. The good news is that Van and Vanvisa Nolintha, the brother-and-sister team behind the Laotian restaurant Bida Manda next door, plan to fill the Tir Na Nog space with Plenty, a brewery serving room with a focus on food pairings and communal gathering. The fare will be Chinese dim sum, and the space’s concept will additionally feature flowers and a library. Read more about the changes in the Indy here.
Wake County Restaurant News
- And more big news out of Raleigh, this time on Hillsborough Street. The News & Observer has reported that the former Varsity Theater spot is being converted into a restaurant concept and it involves some big names from the Triangle restaurant scene. The effort is being led by Gary Bryant, who most will remember for bringing us the Bear Rock Cafe concept. But more notable (I think) is that he is bringing on chef Adam Rose (Jujube, Elaine’s, Il Palio, Straw Valley) as his culinary director. The concept will open next year and will feature “American fare done well.” We will, no doubt, keep an eye on it.
- And if that is not enough big news for you, we learned this week that the former Cafe Helios building on Glenwood South has been purchased and there are plans (obviously) to open something in that space. While the “official” word is that it will be some sort of coffee/cafe concept, every early indication we are getting suggests that it will actually reopen as Cafe Helios! So, stay tuned on this.
- Up in north Raleigh, WRAL shared that Rise Biscuits & Donuts will open its second franchise location on November 14th in the Sutton Square shopping center at 6325 Falls of Neuse Rd. According to the press release, free donuts will be given away from 12-2 the day before (Nov. 13). Keep up with all the activities surrounding their opening on their Facebook page here.
- Also in north Raleigh, my friend Jo Smith tipped me off to the fact that Fresh Levant Bistro, a new restaurant featuring gluten-free cuisine prepared with non-GMO ingredients, is now open in Lafayette Village. You can check them out on Facebook here.
- We have an open date for more. kitchen and bar thanks to a tip from WRAL. Looks like November 13th will be the day we get to see the latest from the folks that already brought us The Oak and Taste. Their newest concept will open at 116 N. West Street in the old Mantra location and will be a unique European inspired small plate concept. To really get your mouth watering, check them out here.
- Also saw on James Borden’s Raleigh Public Record blog that Hillsborough Street is getting another eating establishment – this one called Hangover Grill. It was just issued renovation permits and will be located adjacent to Marco’s Pizza at 2908 Hillsborough Street. You can check them out here.
- And down in Garner, got a note from the folks over at WRAL that they will be getting a new coffee shop next year. Renovations have begun for Full Bloom Coffee Roasters in historic downtown Garner at 110 E. Main Street. Keep up with their progress on their Facebook page here.
- A correction to last week. Bellini Fine Italian Cuisine is the ONLY restaurant that is leaving Fuquay Varina and moving to MacGregor Village in Cary. They will be taking over the former Tribute Pizza location. Check out Bellini’s here.
- And finally, a huge congratulations to chef Ryan Conklin of UNC Rex Healthcare as he was named the 2015 “Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series” champion this past Saturday. He took home the ultimate title in the tournament’s annual Battle of Champions, impressing foodies from both North and South Carolina alike. Looks like a visit to Rex wouldn’t be so bad after all! Congrats Ryan!
Durham, Orange & Chatham County Restaurant News
- We have an update on the former Merlion location in Chapel Hill’s Southern Village thanks to Julie Grubbs. She noted that a new sign now appears in the space that says that Rasa Malaysia will open on Monday, November 9 at 11am.
- Also in Chapel Hill, I got word from the folks over at the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership that The Northside District Restaurant and Bar has opened at 403 W. Rosemary Street. They are open daily for dinner and late night and specialize in what owner Eddie Sanchez calls “international bar food”. Check them out here.
- The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that Triangle Seafood Market, a new restaurant featuring a seafood-based menu and Italian entrees, has opened in Durham’s Brightleaf Square. They are located at 905 W. Main Street and are open for lunch and dinner. Check them out, including their full menu, on their Facebook page here.
- I am happy to officially report (although it has been open for a little over a month now) that Bean Trader’s has successfully completed their expansion and they are in full-operation in their new space. They are still in their same location, but just expanded. The space allows them to increase their food offerings and better serve their clientele. Love it when a local joint works hard and grows! Check them out here.
- We learned about this last November thanks to the folks over at Triangle Business Journal, but we recently learned from a posting on Yelp that City Barbecue is well on their way to opening a third Triangle-area location, this time over in southwest Durham. The latest rendition is coming out of the ground on Hwy. 54 in the parcel in front of Kroger and between McDonald’s and Ruby Tuesday. They are shooting for a mid-March opening. Check them out here.
Closings
- Got word from reader Jacqueline Atlas that she saw a sign on the door of Lime Fresh Mexican Grill on Chapel Hill’s Franklin Street that they have closed. They had been open since April, 2013.
Food Trucks
- John Huisman (aka Triangle Explorer) informed me about the fact that every Thursday from September through November, the town of Knightdale is hosting “Food Truck Thursdays” with a new food truck scheduled each week. The weekly truck will be parked at Knightdale Station Park near the amphitheater each Thursday 11am to 2pm. Check out the schedule here.
- 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
- Ok, this isn’t really an event, unless you consider how and who is going to prepare the turkey and all the sides for your family this Thanksgiving as an event. Well, the folks over at The Q Shack in Raleigh have everything taken care of for you – from the turkey, to the sides, to everything you need. Trust me, I’ve been doing this for two years now and it is great! Get all the details here on ordering your turkey and/or sides and make your Thanksgiving much more enjoyable this year!
- There is definitely a chill in the air now and that means one thing – it is time to find out who has the best chili in the Triangle! That’s right, the folks over in Cary are hosting their annual Triangle Chili Challenge on Sunday, November 8th from noon to 4 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Town of Cary with partners Heart of Cary, and Downtown Cary Food & Flea. Join them for chili tasting, live music, craft beer & wine, a raffle and a chance to meet some of the best chefs in the Triangle! Get all the details on their Facebook event page here.
- The Chef Dinner Series (The Fork Less Traveled) continues over at SEEDS where they pair Durham chefs with local farms and beverage purveyors to tantalize your taste buds for a dinner that supports Durham garden-based programming. Next up is a dinner at 5:30 p.m. on November 8th featuring Will & Pop’s Will Pettis. Get all the details and tickets ($60) here.
- Acme Restaurant in downtown Carrboro is known for its great food AND for its great events. This one tops the list. Their 3rd Annual Salt & Smoke event is on Sunday, November 8th. They describe it as “oysters and barbecue, music and friends” but you really need to read about it here and get your tickets here.
- Also on November 8th, another pop-up dinner is being held by the folks over at The Familiar Supper Club over in Durham. The dinner is at 6:30 p.m. The theme is Pumpk(hen) and will feature all that is bountiful in North Carolina in the fall. Join chefs John Childers, Evan Sheridan and Greg Gettles. Cost is $80. Get tickets and all the details here. Thanks to Felicia Perry-Trujillo for the tip on this event.
- And thanks to a tip from Felicia Perry-Trujillo, we learned that The Wine Feed is partnering with Stop Hunger Now and Green Button Farm to bring you Pork & Vine – a pork and wine festival. On November 8, from 12-4 p.m. our 5 restaurant partners will be preparing their pork-inspired dishes in small plates for you to enjoy – all of the pork is provided by Green Button Farm, a humane, certified organic, non-GMO farm. Each small plate will have a sample of wine to match that will be specifically chosen by The Wine Feed. Cost ranges from $40-$50. Get tickets and all the details here.
- Tickets are still available for Urban Ministries of Wake County’s 11th Annual Stone Soup Supper, which is being held at N.C. State University on Nov. 12 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. For a donation of $25, each guest receives one piece of handmade pottery donated by the Triangle Potters Guild and the chance to taste soups prepared by more than a dozen Wake County chefs. Participating chefs include Ryan Conklin of Rex Healthcare who recently was named statewide champion of the Got to be NC Competition Dining Series; Melanie Finkel of The Pit in Raleigh; Eric Gephart of Kamado Grille in Raleigh; Andrew Pettifer of Margaux’s Restaurant in north Raleigh; Scott Rowe of Prestonwood Country Club in Cary; and Jake Wolf of Capital Club 16 in Raleigh. Soups are also available to go for $10 per quart. Tickets can be purchased online here.
- Expressions V. A Celebration of Food and Art will bring together philanthropists, food and wine enthusiasts and lovers of the arts. The annual event will be held on Friday, November 20 at The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary, N.C., and will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Lucy Daniels Center. The featured artist for this year’s event is Beverly McIver. Get all the details and learn who the guest chefs are this year here.
Food Bank Corner
- Looking for something your company can do this holiday season to help those in the community that are hungry? Host a Food Drive! The Food Bank relies on support from the community to help collect food to support our mission. And they have everything you need to get one set up at your company. Click here for all the details!
