Featured Restaurant News
- The eagerly anticipated fast casual Northern Mexican concept from chef Ford Fry, Little Rey, will open at Raleigh’s Iron Works on Monday, December 9 (they are holding a “sneak peek” event on Saturday, December 7th open to the public – see details below under Events). Located at 1101 E. Whitaker Mill Road, Suite 102, the 4,200+ square-foot space will feature ample indoor seating, a spacious patio and a walk-up to-go window. Their Northern Mexican inspired menu created by Fry will boast wood-roasted “chicken al carbon” at its core plus staples like al carbon tacos, traditional street style tacos, salads and fresh salsas, all on hand-made tortillas – and all to balance out those refreshing margaritas. This will be their first location in North Carolina. Get to know them here.
Wake County Restaurant News
- The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that a Winston-Salem restaurant is coming to Raleigh. Village Juice & Kitchen will open in March at 3711 Exchange Glenwood Place just inside the Beltline off Glenwood Avenue. Beyond its juice bar, the restaurant serves salads, grain bowls, smoothies, smoothie bowls, toasts, wraps and more. They have been popular on college campuses, and it looks like they are also planning a location on UNC Heathcare’s campus soon. Start getting familiar with them here.
- The Triangle Business Journal also reported this week that folks out in Wendell should get ready to eat mor chikin’ as a Chick-fil-A will soon land at 2100 Treelight Way at the corner of Wendell Falls Parkway and Douglas Falls Drive, near the Chipotle Mexican Grill. No word on an exact opening date, so stay tuned. If you are not familiar with Chick-fil-A….just kidding.
- And a quick programming note for The Raleigh Times in downtown Raleigh. They are in the middle of some quality improvements to their kitchen which requires them to operate out of the (much smaller) kitchen at The Morning Times (where it all began!). So…through December 1 they will be serving up The Morning Times menu only (with a few fun features). During this week, dig into your favorite Morning Times menu items—paired with a beer, of course. Their full menu will be back in action December 2.
Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News
- And we have an open date over in Mebane for knuckleheads and meatheads everywhere. December 11th (11 a.m. until 7 p.m.) will be the day we welcome Tom Meyer and his team back into the BBQ game. For those that have been around a while, you’ll remember Tom as one of the original founders of The Q Shack. And now his Southern Harvest Hospitality Group (think Sprout Cafe at NC Museum of Life & Science; Legal Grounds Cafe at Duke Law School and Southern Harvest Catering) is opening a new BBQ joint in Mebane called Knucklehead BBQ at 401 East Center Street. And trust me, it’s stupid good and well worth the drive! It will feature a number of smoked BBQ meats (brisket, pork shoulder, turkey, chicken and brisket sausage) along with a range of delicious sides like hoppin’ john, succotash, collard greens and intensely delicious mac and cheese. They are committing 5% of their sales towards supporting local and state wide charities, with the first 120 days of charitable proceeds going to fund relief and rebuilding efforts in Western NC. Start getting familiar with them on Instagram here.
- Nomadas Coffee Bar, which has been operating as a pop up for the past few years, recently settled into a brick and mortar space located inside of delafia wine bar in Durham at 1103 S. Roxboro Street. Congrats to owner/CEO Andrea Dukon on her continued success. Visit Nomadas here on Instagram.
Closings
- None to report. Keep eating local, folks!
Food Trucks
- 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 are back! Vote for your top 5 local favorites in over 100 categories (including Food & Drink) now through December 11th. Winners will be announced in January, 2025. Vote now!
- Little Rey, which is opening on December 9th, will hold one more “sneak peek” event for you to start getting familiar with their concept. Fry and his team will host a pre-opening party open to the public on Saturday, December 7, from 5 to 9 p.m. at the new Little Rey location. A selection of the restaurant’s beloved bites will be free for all attendees, plus drinks will be available to purchase. Visit Little Rey here.
Food Bank Corner
- The countdown to Thanksgiving is on! For community members facing food insecurity, sharing meals over the holidays can be especially challenging. We’re exactly a month away from Thanksgiving, yet unemployment numbers are on the rise and expensive grocery prices won’t budge. Right now, more than 560,000 people are facing food insecurity in our 34-county service area — nearly 111,000 more than last year! And as a result, 1 in 7 people across our region are unsure where their next meal will come from. Your support this holiday season can make a meaningful difference during the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina’s busiest time of year! Every $10 you give can provide 50 meals and help more children, families, and seniors in food-insecure households.
